![]() ![]() ![]() We pay $100, give or take, on new games here in Aus and these are so often loaded with microtransactions that it’s akin to double dipping from a consumer base that is already paying above the global odds to game. It’s a weird thought that a price hike is “one that’s been long overdue”. Many could cost much, much more, and still be completely worth it. Plenty of games could stand to cost less, and do. It goes to show how any blanket price ceiling, whether $US60 (A$84) or A$115, is absurd and artificial to begin with. As just one recent example, Guardians of the Galaxy, which released a couple months ago, is already down to $US39 (A$55) on Steam. Some have pointed out on Steam Discussion pages and elsewhere that discounts are so prevalent anyway that most people can get away without ever paying full price if they’re willing to wait. Not everyone on PC is up in arms about the first new domino to fall. While it’s true that game development costs continue to balloon with every console generation, a price hike would realistically not make a meaningful difference in whether or not these poor conditions continue at the company. Just last week, developers there began passing out union authorization cards after the recently announced layoffs for the QA team on Call of Duty: Warzone, the franchise’s incredibly popular and lucrative free-to-play game that generates millions in revenue every day from microtransactions alone. It’s not a case of either or, and we’re not in any kind of position to bargain with them over it.”Ĭall of Duty is an annual best seller and Activision Blizzard still routinely lays people off. ![]() “They’ll raise prices if people will pay, and keep all the rest of the slimy, predatory crap too. “There is no reason to assume good faith on behalf of companies who deserve none,” wrote Twitch streamer CaseyExplosion on Twitter over the weekend. And higher price tags are just as much an opportunity for companies to pad profit margins as pay the people actually making their games. At the same time, plenty of the best selling games every year aren’t made by armies of developers pushing graphics and computing to the max. Many gaming executives and designers have long argued that the current $US60 (A$84) price is unsustainable for blockbusters given the exponentially rising costs of big-budget development. PC players also don’t have to pay for monthly subscriptions to access their online modes. So far, these games have remained at $US60 (A$84) on PC, despite those versions being able to run as well as or in some cases even better than their new-gen console counterparts. Upcoming action RPG Forspoken, meanwhile, still shows its A$114.95 price on Steam, and its Discussion page is dominated by an over 300 comment thread arguing about it. The page now only says the game is “coming soon,” despite the fact that the game releases in just a few days on December 16. The price, which includes post-release DLC, has since been hidden. PC players noticed the new pricetag on the Epic Games Store listing shortly after Square Enix announced the RPG port, a first in a competitive ecosystem known for steep discounts. Some people are worried it’s the beginning of an across-the-board price hike, even if it’s one that’s been long overdue. With Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and Forespoken, that new A$114.95 price tag is making a controversial appearance on PC, a platform that’s traditionally seen at cheaper price points. The launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S provided companies with an opportunity to charge more for their console games and many jumped at the chance. ![]()
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