The head of Larian's publishing department believes that the base editions of games should be priced higher
The prices for basic editions of modern games are too low, according to Michael Douse, head of the publishing department at Larian Studios. In his view, the price tags are not keeping up with the rising cost of game production.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Douse noted that technically, many gamers are already paying more than the standard $60-70 for a game. While companies hesitate to increase prices for basic editions, they widely offer expensive deluxe editions, which include various bonuses such as early access or future DLC promises. According to Douse, this is an unserious approach by developers—it would be better to raise the base prices of games upfront rather than artificially inflating them in other ways.
Nonetheless, Douse suggests that after the release of GTA VI, games might indeed become more expensive. It is expected that Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games will charge more than $70 for the base edition of GTA VI, which will encourage other companies to also reconsider their prices.
Almost all games should cost more at a base level because the cost of making them (inflation, for one) is outpacing pricing trends. But I don’t think we’ll get there with DLC promises so much as quality & communication. Everyone’s just waiting for GTA6 to do it lol.
— Very AFK (@Cromwelp) August 26, 2024
