As the next generation of gaming draws closer, there seems to be a common concern across gamers: price. 2K Games found itself in quite the controversy when it announced a $70 price tag for NBA 2K21. Now Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Take-Two Interactive, is defending that price jump.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Zelnick mentioned how it costs more to make games on next-gen consoles. That, combined with the experience new consoles offer, supposedly justifies paying $10 more for the same game on a next-gen system. Zelnick stated that big titles hadn’t had a price increase in a long time, so this jump may be overdue.
The current-gen edition of NBA 2K21 will still cost the industry-standard $60. In addition to the $70 next-gen version, 2K is also releasing a $100 Mamba Forever edition, honoring the late Kobe Bryant.
Video Game Prices Over Time
As Zelnick noted, leading game titles have been $60 for a long time now. That’s been the standard price since the Xbox 360 era, more than ten years ago. Video games have come a long way since then, but have stuck to the $60 price tag, mostly to meet customers’ expectations.
If you play enough AAA games, you’ve probably noticed that the $60 price tag can be misleading, though. A lot of major games now come with paid DLC, so you’ll have to spend more than $60 to get the full experience. Other features, like the ever-unpopular microtransactions, also raise the actual price of a game.
Considering these factors, you could argue that charging $70 for a next-gen game is fair. Still, NBA 2K21 being available for $60 on current-gen consoles may stop people from buying the next-gen version.
Will Other Publishers Follow Take-Two?
If $70 becomes the new industry standard, then it won’t matter much if customers like it or not. For that to happen, though, other publishers will have to follow Take-Two’s example. Whether or not they will is still uncertain.
Earlier this year, former PlayStation Executive, Shawn Layden, expressed doubts over the $60 model for new systems. If enough industry insiders believe a $70 price tag is justified, it could mean the industry is heading that way. While Layden and Zelnick may agree, not all studios and publishers see eye-to-eye on this issue.
Ubisoft committed to selling next-gen games for $60 in an earnings call in July. Microsoft has taken an entirely different approach, offering subscription-based access to new games through Game Pass. With so many different strategies, it’s hard to say for sure which way the industry will go.
NBA 2K21 and Beyond
If NBA 2K21 sells well on next-gen consoles, 2K will likely continue selling next-gen games for $70. Other publishers may follow suit, depending on how it goes for 2K. In any case, it’s too early to say whether or not $70 will become the new industry standard.
Games could go up in price, or publishers could switch to a model like Microsoft’s Game Pass. Next-gen consoles will likely change the way we play games, but what that’ll look like is unclear. To be sure, you’ll just have to wait and see.