PS4 games may start off with $70 price points, says EA

If you thought games were expensive this generation, just wait until PS4 games are available for sale. According to EA's current investor call, prices for brand new games during the PS4 era may be slightly higher compared to previous gaming generations.

[jidery]

Nope

Sony said that PS4 games will cost between $0.99 and $60.

Source:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/1004...
http://www.edge-online.com/...

Knowing EA though, they will find a sneaky way around this...

[LessThan2Tflops]

What's stopping EA from making their games $70?

[a_bro]

us, the gamers who would boycott the hell out of them.

[Wingsfan24]

a_bro, sadly N4G isn't the majority of gamers out there and with all the hype surrounding the PS4, and with it releasing during the Holiday season, people will probably be willing to spend $70 on games.

Can't really speak for the consumers who don't follow game news as closely as the people lurking the internet everyday.

[MikeMyers]

Aren't EA games already $70 or more with all the DLC they tack on that could have been included?

[Cupid_Viper_3]

@ PockyKing

But that's exactly why I'm rooting for the PS4 with all the social features it has implemented. We, the more informed gamers, will have a stronger voice in the industry and can let our friends know what's going on.

When you're streaming your game to a bunch of people on the PS4, you can also use that opportunity to talk about important things like this.

[dcbronco]

@PockyKing

You would think people aren't willing to pay $60 with all of the complaints about blocking used games. I'm not sure how would pay $70. They would have to include more stuff. Maybe the extra ten be the financing for All or most DLC.

[Wingsfan24]

DcBronco, I'm honestly not too worried about the price point being set at $70 for the start of the next-gen. I mean, I kind of expected it. With new hardware comes expensive start up point. Computer tech sees it, new generation of iPod and iPads and so on. We'll just have to wait and see what happens when prices are finally posted for pre-ordering purposes.

[HammadTheBeast]

$70 with all DLC I'm fine with. Maybe even half of all DLC.

[Hydrolex]

yea EA go ahead and bump your prices to 70 and we will watch you apply for bankruptcy

[PeaSFor]

whats forcing us to buy EA products?

[MikeMyers]

"whats forcing us to buy EA products?"

Nothing but when you create a monopoly by signing exclusive deals it does take away the competition does it not? How many PGA games do we see? How about NASCAR, NHL or NFL?

That to me is not a healthy industry because it will lead to stagnation. Just imagine if only Nintendo had a gaming console or only Sony or just Microsoft? No matter who you think does a better job they actually do better when there is competition.

[Nate-Dog]

@a_bro: Nice sentiment but gamers aren't exactly the smartest consumers around. People talk shit about Activision and Call of Duty yet still buy the games, and even for those that don't they still sell millions year in year out. Won't be much different with EA.

[DeadlyFire]

NOTHING. They could make it $120 bucks if they wanted. Its up to them. Its hard to see value in paying that much for a game if the next one is only 12 months away from getting released.

I am surprised people bought the extra editions of games for $60 bucks in the time before PS3/X360 launched. That likely is the reason they pushed games up to $60 bucks a piece. No doubt some will try $70 a piece, but considering that digital might be in the background as well. Anyone buying digital gives them 100% profit so it kinda hinders the thought of $70 games.

[Root]

They already have, like most developers, cut content out of a game then sell it to you later....making you pay for a full game.

With the games you buy plus the DLC you spend on it later how much money altogether have you really spent

Some DLC is worth it and harmless...others is less more forgiven

[yeahokchief]

This guy is right. If you buy DLC then you are usually already spending more than $70 per game.

I buy all Rockstar games and they are $90 each with DLC. I don't mind. Rockstar games are always awesome and worth it.

I started boycotting EA games after the lousy Battlefield 3 port. Too bad for them. I spent around $1,000 on games last year. No more EA for me.

I hope they raise them higher because it doesn't matter.

In fact, raising prices on games would be good because it would cause those people who buy every Call of Duty re-release and every Assassin's Creed re-release to really question why they are buying the same game every year for so much. It doesn't increase your development costs when you add a few skins and a couple miniscule features to last years game.....

Seriously people start applying logic.

[classic200]

LOL that is sony but if Ea want their games higher its there move.

[GribbleGrunger]

Actually this is taken out of context. I took the bait initially over at Gaff but it now looks like they were talking about the PS3 and how they dropped the games from $69 to $59. Of course this could be paving the way for $69 games on next gen machines but they wasn't talking about the PS4 when they made that statement.

edit: Bleeding Gaff, why you mess with my head?

[Wingsfan24]

No, he was speaking about the upcoming generation. He first talked about how development costs have risen about 5-10% and to compensate that cost at the beginning of the generation, we may see game prices in the $69.99 range, but drop back down once things settle.

Edit: Ha just too many people speaking on Gaf at the same time with different takes on the story. I was taking notes all through out the conference, and it surprised me when I heard it as well.

[dcbronco]

No way they would drop down later. Ea is being greedy. As many titles as they put out year after year that use the same engines and assets. And these are titles that sell well. Madden is a constant roster update. Still sells over 5 million copies. EA needs to take some of that money to make their next generation engines.

[Wingsfan24]

They did take that money for their next-gen engines though? You can't know what's going on behind the scenes at EA. Until they show off their next set of games, we won't know how many new engines have been made, or what development things have been done. Ubisoft and their "Disrupt" engine is the first next-gen engine I've heard of, and look at everything it does. I'm sure EA has some tricks up their sleeve.

Greedy they may be, but imo their games have been pretty good quality wise this generation and I've enjoyed a lot of them.

[RuleofOne343]

Hey our Founding fathers said during the writing of the declaration of independence that all men are created Equal, but we all know that didn't happen till our 16 president.

[Qrphe]

Sony games? Probably
EA games? Just don't buy them or wait for price drops.

[MelonSaurus]

I don't know about you guys but I rarely get a game at full price in the current generation. It's so easy to find it for a lower price even a week after the game has been released.

[NYC_Gamer]

i wouldn't be surprised if some games from certain publishers cost 70 bucks

[ThanatosDMC]

Activision and EA.

Ubisoft is more forgivable since they've been churning out high quality games with high content.

[Hydralysk]

Not really, Ubisoft has the worst DRM in the industry, and they've started milking Assassin's Creed as an annual franchise.

Their games are usually better, but their business ethics are just as suspect as EA or Activision.

[ThanatosDMC]

I agree, especially with the DRM of 3 changes to your graphics card on Anno 2070, but Ubisoft is the lesser evil and actually has good games with great amount of content. I cant say the same for EA or Activision. Far Cry 3 has more content than anybody expected, remember?

[Tapani]

Well, with the inflation it's pretty much the same as 60$ when PS3 was launched. You didn't think you were going to get your games cheaper than before, did you? :P

[MikeMyers]

Well the nightmare will happen when all games are digital and the consumer is left with hardly any option than to pay what they want to charge. That is the goal they would love to be at.

We are already heading in that direction on consoles. All games on the PS4 for example can be bought through the online store. Soon more and more games will only be there to buy. The large AAA titles will be the last to be 100% digital because for those games they want to attract as many people as possible and data speeds and caps are still holding that back.

[Tapani]

In Europe we are entitled to re-sell digital content. They enforced a new law recently to protect the digital age consumer.

To be honest, selling and buying used digital content is easier than doing so with physical ones. You can stay at home and just click a few buttons and off you go!

Prices would of course be the same as in physical market, and even the nature stays unharmed.

This is an idealized situation, of course.

[Roper316]

$59.99 is the max I will pay for a game. If they want to sell them for any more than that I just won't preorder anymore games & wait until their price drops.

[febreeze1]

There was a time in Canada that games were $65-69, even though our dollar was stronger than the US. Companies are just too greedy...

[Hydralysk]

That's still a big issue. Mark-ups on goods transported accross the border, especially electronics, are insane.

It's gotten so bad recently the government is reviewing the issue.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/cana...

[Nate-Dog]

Games in mainland Europe have been around €70 for this while generation, and don't even get me started on Australian prices. $70 is nothing in comparison.

[Minato-Namikaze]

Well then i guess i will be waiting on price drops or Amazon is gonna have to up those credits to 30 bucks

[MysticStrummer]

Sure. Games will go up in price, and then it will be a big mystery why fewer games are sold.

[madduey]

If the whole used game ban does become the norm then no way should we have to pay $70 for a game that cannot be traded in later don't they realise people will only buy the games they 100% want and be afraid to try anything else!..
I tend to keep my games unless its shit but there are some that rely on cheaper traded in games. So how the fuck they gonna justify 70 brick on a new game. EA are coming across greedy most devs have already stated that dev costs for next gen should be a minimal increase so why charge an extra 20% or so on games your dev costs haven't gone up 20% so why should we pay more..

[Tei777]

Seeing as pretty much all EA games are expected to be multiplatform+cross gen, there is absolutely zero reason for a prize hike.

[Kingthrash360]

EA greed......trying to place blame on sony. We all know how EA's under belly looks ......and it aint clean.

[warzonegamer]

smh lol idk who made this but sony already said games will cost 60$ bucks take this shit down

[SDF Repellent]

Forget that, if games are $70, i'll be boycotting it as $60 is already pushing it. There is no way on God's green earth that I will buy it for that amount.

[Bumpmapping]

I rarely buy EA games day 1 most of there games drop in price pretty quickly,looks like that trend will continue.

[whiteyjuice]

LOL! Prepare to be raped!

[danny818]

For $70 bucks it better give me a hand job -.- smh! Ima be buying less games now :/

[solid_warlord]

U can bet EA will pioneer high price gaming. The worst company in history of video games. Well i prob pirate EA games in protest next gen.

[cyclindk]

Well if that's EA's model they will be starting off with less sales... enjoy.

UNLESS

In the unlikely possibility that they justify a seventy dollar price point by creating an game so massive in scope and exacting in implementation, glitchless, lagless and endless.

Good luck with that

[BLAKHOODe]

EA's way of hinting to Sony.. "We want to charge more for our games, so our CEOs can continue buying new sport cars every month."

This is why used games sales are a necessity. Not because it gives gamers a "cheaper option", but because it forces companies like EA and Activision to maintain pricing that can compete with used game sales. You eliminate the used game market, there is nothing stopping these companies from jacking up the price on games to $70, $80, $100 plus!

[cyclindk]

Well, you have a point. I do oh s love to see my favorite CEO driving around in a purtty automobile mmmmm :)

Who's your favorite CEO?

They should make a CEO card game.

Bill Gates attacks with massive net worth bonuses!

Steve Jobs' Cyborg Clone Siri counterpart negates attack with iPhone 6 and a tootsie-roll slingshot!

[RTheRebel]

I sense a videogame market crash on the horizon

[ShaunCameron]

Well I bought games at $70 before. All of them happen to be EA Sports games. Namely Madden 11 and NHL 11.

[Bathyj]

Not surprising coming from ea. I just bought crisis for 89 Australian but Hitman and Farcry were both 69

[bobtheimpaler]

Wouldn't surprise me if EA or a few other third party studios ask for a premium next gen.

In Australia RRP for games went from $100 for PS2 games to $110 for first party and $120 for third party titles when PS3 and 360 first came out.

Prices have gone down though due to userbase of PS3 and 360 as well as a strong Aussie dollar.

What worries me are micro transactions which, like DLC, can be exploited.

[Williamson]

Im not sure if games were ever priced at that but if thats true then ill have to with the wii u. Its bad enough games cost $67 where I live with tax included, I usally wait for prices to come down to $39 unless I know for a fact that the game would last me a while.

[ShaunCameron]

Games have been priced at $70 before. The last game I seen a game at such price was the Mortal Kombat reboot.

[SpinalRemains138]

Then they will continue to be rented for 17 a month, EA.

You don't scare me, EA. No one is ripping me off. Especially not EA

[EverydayGuy]

And they blame people for pirating, when they do shit like this. Anti pirating is just a Trojan Horse to force you to buy their games.

[strigoi814]

thats what EA says!! sorry EA no ones buying your game at that price point.

[SEAN1617]

I WILL NOT BUY ONE GAME FROM EA AT $70, or any game at that price. $59 for a game filled with micro transactions is already a rip off.

[tommygunzII]

EA lies. Everything I see lately from them is a investor or shareholder meeting that reeks of bullshit from all sides.

Make games faster due to the x86 PC like architecture? The last Madden on PC was 08 and it was the biggest piece of junk I have played on my PC to this day, borderline unplayable. Take anything EA says with a grain of salt.