Following the news that NBA 2K21 will cost $10 more on PlayStation 4 and Xbox Series X, the research firm IDG Consulting has said that other game publishers are also considering price increases for their games.
Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, IDG President and CEO Yoshio Osaki explained how game pricing has “remained flat since 2005, whereas TV and movie pricing has increased significantly.”
“The last time that next-gen launch software pricing went up was in 2005 and 2006, when it went from $49.99 to $59.99 at the start of the Xbox 360 and PS3 generation,” Osaki said. “During that time, the costs and prices in other affiliated verticals have gone up.”
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These other affiliated verticals include next-gen console game production costs, which have seen increases of “200% to 300%, depending on the IP, studio and genre,” without an increase in the price of the games.
For comparisons sake, “cinema ticket prices have risen 39%, Netflix subscription costs have gone up 100%, and Cable TV packages have risen by 105%.”
“Even with the increase to $69.99 for next-gen, that price increase from 2005 to 2020 next-gen is only up 17%, far lower than the other comparisons,” Osaki continued. “While the cost of development and publishing have gone up, and pricing in other entertainment verticals has also gone up substantially, next-gen software pricing has not reflected these increases. $59.99 to $69.99 does not even cover these other cost increases completely, but does move it more in the proper direction.”
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He concludes by stating that “Not every game should garner the $69.99 price point on next-gen, but flagship AAAs such as NBA 2K merit this pricing more than others.”
This news of NBA 2K21’s price increase was revealed alongside the Kobe Bryant Mamba Forever Edition that celebrates the late basketball legend who played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996 to 2016.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Source: IGN.com Other Publishers May Be Considering Raising Prices on PS5 and Xbox Series X