Former Sony Interactive Entertainment executive Shuehei Yoshida has treaded into the murky waters of conversations around $80 games. As we look towards the future of gaming, it seems that costs are going to go up, and yet Yoshida believes we will still get value for our money from these expensive experiences.
Speaking to Critical Hits at Gamescom LATAM (via GamesRadar) Yoshida first outlined that he doesn’t think all games should be marked at the same price point. “Each game has different value it provides, or the size of budget. I totally believe it’s up to the publisher – or developers self-publishing – decision to price their product to the value that they believe they are bringing in,” he said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCTm-cxuYTQ/
But, for the games that are worth the cost, he sees $70 and $80 as fair price points. “In terms of actual price of $70 or $80, for really great games, I think it will still be a steal in terms of the amount of entertainment that the top games, top quality games bring to people compared to other form of entertainment,” he continued. “As long as people choose carefully how they spend their money I don’t think they should be complaining.”
People’s main fears around $80 games often stem from the idea that this will be the baseline going forward, which in a perfect world wouldn’t be the case, at least according to Yoshida. With big names like Microsoft and Nintendo going for $80 as the future of their biggest releases, though, it does seem like it’s only a matter of time before more companies follow suit.