Rows of video games at CeX. Image: Shenay Mbemba.
By Shenay Mbemba
One thing we can all agree on is the current rate of inflation we as a nation are living in. From the cost of living blowing our minds with how much of a pivot it’s caused for our finances and lifestyles, with food and produce in supermarkets rapidly increasing in price.
It’s a economical spectacle of shock, but a hard reality of today in the UK. The growing prices don’t just stop at the necessities we need for our day-to-day lives, but also the money we spend for our hobbies.
Video game prices
Image: Andrew Khoroshavin, Pixabay
Throughout the past six years, there has been an overwhelming rise in video game prices, especially for ‘AAA’ games which are defined as video games made by rich, well-established developers like Sony Interactive Entertainment, Capcom, Rockstar Games and many alike.
Titles like God of War (2017) and Detroit: Become Human (2018) could be mistaken for Hollywood movies by non-gamers with how hyper-realistic and graphically advanced they look on screen. The chances of finding a gamer geek facepalming over a video game’s bloated price range are only getting more likely by the day.
This comparison exposes the evident spike in pricing from around £40 now up to £70 for standard editions alone! Despite their perks, deluxe and ultimate editions only surge those costs, looking at a range of £80-£90.
A user on Reddit says, “this is largely an intentional, strategic shift. AAA publishers wanted to move away from publishing a larger number of cheaper games (the shotgun approach) to a smaller number of bigger and safer bets.” Aren’t these happy days for us gamers?
Price comparison of all editions of Code Vein II from the PlayStation store. Screenshots: Shenay Mbemba
The people of Holloway
A crucial conversation like this naturally opens a response from people. Even for non-gamers, inflation affects us all. Here are what the people of Holloway had to say about the matter.
Ali, a 25-year-old nurse working a shift at Mido Store Limited said, “Personally I think it’s ridiculous how people have to pay more just to entertain themselves from their own home whereas before, it used to be cheaper and affordable.”
In response to how it could negatively impact the economy, they added, “It kind of puts a bit of pressure on parents as well to be honest. Kids nowadays love to play games, consoles and it’s expensive. It’s gonna impact the parents where they’re gonna have to work more, be stressed more to buy them a game that makes them happy on Christmas but they know it’s expensive.”
When asked how much they would want for a video game to cost, they said, “£50 is like the max. I don’t think it should be worth any more.”
Shahed, a 24-year-old salesperson at Star Mobile World, mentioned the rumoured sky-high price tag of the coveted open world action game, Grand Theft Auto VI releasing later this year. “They (Rockstar Games) spent around 1.6 billion (budget). It’s getting expensive. If you spend money on those games compared to investing into a business, yes, you’d get more.”
When asked if they’d spend £120 for the game, they responded, “No. At that that moment, if you spend £120 for that game, it’s not worth it. Even £50 is not worth it.”
For an average game, he stated that £20-£30 should be the price range.
Live service
Fortnite. Image: amrothman, Pixabay
The consistency of this new wave of high prices of AAA video games informs a pattern for the future of gaming. A new foundation set to really encourage gamers to put even more value into buying top-selling video games.
Although a higher budget being put into a game informs consumers that the game may be in safe hands for an enjoyable experience in the end, what if the creativity waters down in favour of quick coin?
Live service games are built on tempting the habit of overly-spending, often compared to gambling but with a pixelated appearance. For example, they’re known for incorporating loot-boxes which are virtual gift boxes (purchased with real-money) that gift you with surprise items like new outfits for your character, weapons, upgrades etc.
Fortnite is the most well-known for this feature and garnered over a decade worth of maintenance and prosperity, with the live-service’s kick keeping the game afloat.
The future of gaming
As established, the days of cheaper prices for almost everything are numbered. Video games have shown this change in recent years with price spikes. Although people have expressed frustration and concern about this shift, it only seems to be getting more evident how pricey video games are becoming.
Having to invest a ton of money for an AAA video game is problematic but with loyal fanbases and the more realistic video games are becoming thanks to high-budgeting, companies will only keep the ball rolling with the production of further games in this new cycle of prices ranges.
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