Yes, fellow gaming friends, gaming hasn’t been the cheaper of entertainment forms over the past years. That’s a fact. But now, we all should be getting ready to see yet another price hike, as indicated by the pricing of next-generation versions of games. It’s something that publishers have been pushing for as a way to generate increased revenue and have been itching to implement. With the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on the horizon, what better time would it be than to put this into effect?
We’ve already seen this happening, with several upcoming titles already priced at the $70 mark, and in some cases well above it. Take a look at several upcoming PS5 and Xbox Series X|S titles, all of which will feature a $10 price hike.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War – $69.99 (Xbox Series X|S & PS5)
Demon’s Souls – $69.99 (PS5)
Destruction AllStars – $69.99 (PS5)
Godfall – $69.99 (PS5)
Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition – $69.99 (PS5)
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While this price hike has only affected the next-generation platforms, I worry that this will spread beyond that. The PlayStation 4, and Xbox One aren’t going to be retired anytime soon. While we may see the Xbox One being dropped ahead of the PlayStation 4, we still have at least another 2-3 years before either console is in the rear-view mirror of gamers. If games are being priced at a higher price point for next-generation games, what’s to say that publishers won’t stop there? What if they decide that they’ll hike the price on all platforms?
So far, we haven’t seen any examples of this, thankfully. Games that are already available now, which are also coming out for either the PS5 or Xbox Series X|S, can still found at a lower price. Upcoming titles such as Godfall, which also is being released on PC is priced at $59.99, as is Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and NBA 2K21.
Granted, this doesn’t mean that this isn’t something to think about for the upcoming future. I suspect that once more next-generation games are that are announced for both the PS5/Xbox Series X|S that will also appear on PC, we’ll see those prices start to rise. We saw that happen with the PS4 and Xbox One games that came to the PC, so this much is a given. I’d love to be wrong here, but we’ll have to wait and see.
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Expect more people to take advantage of subscription services
With the rise of higher-priced games, we’re going to see more consumers taking advantage of game subscription services. Namely Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Now, and for good reason. For just a few dollars a month, gamers will be able to take play a vast collection of games, including 1st party games that are released on the day of launch, at least for Xbox Game Pass. As for PlayStation Now, Sony hasn’t revealed its hand for the upcoming next-generation, outside of the PlayStation Plus Collection.
While we know what Xbox Game Pass offers, the black house is PlayStation Now. We’ve already seen that Sony has the capability to utilize PlayStation 2,3 and 4 games, it just doesn’t stack up to Xbox’s offering. However, with the release of the PS5, Sony could easily shock us all by changing things up and I’m hoping this is the case.
What about microtransactions
Ah, microtransactions, another way for developers and publishers to get generate more revenue from their games. Something that has been an ongoing debate, and regardless of what anyone thinks, isn’t going anywhere. So where does this factor into the gamine price hike? In my honest opinion, it doesn’t factor in – or to be less confusing, they won’t make a difference. Just because we’re seeing the price of games going up, it doesn’t mean microtransactions will suddenly disappear. Nope, instead, it’s just the cherry on top. That’s even more money exchanging hands, so why would this practice be discontinued. It’s just the harsh reality of it all.
Like it or not, gaming is going to be even more expensive, regardless if you can afford it or if you don’t want to part with extra money. I’m actually surprised that we didn’t see this price hike sooner. The question now is, will it stop at $70 per game, or will we see multiple price changes throughout this upcoming generation of gaming.
I’d love to know what you think about this. Is gaming getting too expensive? Is this going to change how to purchase games, or will you rely more on services like Xbox Game Pass or PS Now? Let us know in the comments.
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$70 is the new normal and there's no way to avoid it - The Outerhaven
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