Grand Theft Auto VI, a new installment of the best-selling action-adventure series from Rockstar Games that is expected to deliver even bigger sales records for the developer and its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, will be the game that will usher in a new and even more expensive price point for standard AAA game releases, one that exceeds the current $70 standard, according to the latest thoughts from Michael Douse, director of publishing for Baldur’s Gate 3’s Larian Studios. Douse’s prediction on what could be higher game prices was prompted by this week’s release of Star Wars Outlaws, which, according to the industry veteran, has been priced strategically by Ubisoft to tempt players into paying for its game subscription service.
From the @Cromwelp account:
- “I think a game should be priced accordingly with its quality, breadth & depth. I’m not against higher prices, but this arbitrary uniformity just doesn’t make sense to me. It feels so unserious.”
- “Almost all games should cost more at a base level because the cost of making them (inflation, for one) is outpacing pricing trends.”
- “But I don’t think we’ll get there with DLC promises so much as quality & communication. Everyone’s just waiting for GTA6 to do it lol.”
The original criticism from Douse:
I don’t love the artificiality of pricing structures post retail. Use the inflated base price to upsell a subscription, and use vague content promises to inflate ultimate editions to make the base price look better. It all seems a bit dangerous & disconnected from the community. pic.twitter.com/wPmwDM846z
— Very AFK (@Cromwelp) August 26, 2024
Rockstar’s GTA VI trailer, now with over 900K comments and 206 million views:
Take-Two on the success of the GTA series:
Rockstar Games cemented their reputation as creators of complex living worlds with the Grand Theft Auto series, one of the most successful entertainment properties of all time with over 410 million units sold-in worldwide.
The most recent iteration in the series, Grand Theft Auto V, has sold over 190 million units to date. Rockstar Games’ blockbuster western series, Red Dead Redemption has sold over 81 million units worldwide to date, with its most recent release, Red Dead Redemption 2, breaking new ground in fidelity and immersion.