Publishers want GTA 6 to cost $100 to recoup costs, but that’s what GTA Online is for

GTA 6 could cost around $100 on launch as publishers want Rockstar to increase their price so that every other game can follow.

[thorstein]

Rockstar releasing it for 49.99 would be peak hilarity.

[Eonjay]

You know all I can say is that if they want people to pay $100 it has to be worth that amount of money.

[Darkegg]

The problem might be $100 + DLC cost which is what fighting games are doing. But they need their "partners" to back them up in this corporate behavior. Just like how a "paid" streaming service now includes a paid tier for advertisement. The thought process begins innocently...

[gold_drake]

its funny that people really think that gta online is stopping rockstar to increase the price.

[PapaBop]

Yeah look at Fifa UT, that alone must be EA's wet dream come true and make them insane amounts for minimal effort but you don't see them releasing Fifa/EA FC as a f2p game like they easily could.

[CrimsonWing69]

I’m not a business guru, but if I was running a business and I’m spending X amount to produce a good and it only sells/makes Y amount, which is NOT bringing me an ROI… how would it make sense to raise the price instead of lowering costs to produce said good to where sales DO produce an ROI?

I get with GTA 6 people will buy this for $100, me included, but I will not pay that for just any game as a standard for industry MSRP. Hell, I’ve been waiting on more sales when games hit $70. Like where the f*ck does it stop? If $100 becomes a standard, you don’t think they’ll push it to $110 at some point? This industry is nuts if they think that’s gonna fly.

[Redgrave]

Every stupid new standard starts somewhere, and this particular title shouldn't be the one we allow to usher it in.

For example, Sony upping their releases by ten dollars and for what? They didn't need to, and then suddenly other publishers started doing it. It will happen here, and likely even without you or I voting with our wallets (if we so chose). This is an unfortunate exploitative opportunity that's going to usher in more expensive games and expectations that won't be met each and every time. Increase price to recoup costs, less people buy, costs aren't recouped and then layoffs and closures occur.

[VersusDMC]

2k/Take two started the 70 dollar trend.

https://arstechnica.com/gam...

"Last week, 2K made waves by becoming the first publisher to set a $70 asking price for a big-budget game on the next generation of consoles."

And it can also be said that the price hikes on videogames started with the switch raising the price old tech portable games from 40(Vita and 3ds prices) to 60.

If switch 2 games are 70 then console games are definitely going to at least be 80. Because whatever reasoning Nintendo uses for the raise will just be used by everyone else.

[Darkegg]

People just have to learn to walk away. Video games are nice but not that much of a necessity. I supported the industry, playing less than a fraction of my library. And fighting games have been inelastic this last generation. My choice was to cave in or walk away. I happily chose to walk away. Of course we need something else to do with our times. So now I'm finding other entertainments that give balance to my life that is much more healthy. With the way studios are investment more into graphics, and our insatiable thirst, we have to come to understand that there is a limit. I think we are there and studios have to put more time on things other than graphics. And that's the magic point is one where they don't need to invest MORE into it just be more creative about it with tools that are available. The "more" mentality is the problem.

[anast]

People will pay however much they ask.

[anast]

sure

[KwietStorm_BLM]

Well you just said you'd pay 100 for GTA. So you can't ask where does it stop in the same breath. You're contributing to that manufactured inflation. GTA is a game that could pull some BS like this, and when people still buy it, the floodgates are open. There is never a time when enough people vote with their wallets because everyone is too impulsive to stand up for themselves.

[CrimsonWing69]

Oh I know, but look, I don’t have the will power to sit out GTA 6 until it drops to $50. That’s me being real. But I’d say 90% of most releases I can. Like the hype I have for GTA 6 is absolutely disgusting.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

I don't have the willpower to wait for 50 bucks either, because we know this game don't go on sale, but I absolutely would balk at 100. I don't care that it's GTA. I'm really hoping all this talk is just nonsense someone put out there and Rockstar wouldn't be so snide to make an industry altering decision like this.

[PapaBop]

Ask Yves Guillemot. If GTA 6 sells for $100, you bet he's going to ramp up Ubi prices then complain when his games flop that people expect GTA 6 quality games when they pay for GTA 6 prices.

[boing1]

GTA 6 is the ONLY game I would pay 100$ for, and that's a maybe. There is no chance in hell I would pay this for any other game. I'm not even buying games for full price anymore, because 70$ is already fucking crazy.

[clevernickname]

If you did pay $100 for this game, you would be part of the problem. It would signal publishers that $100 for a game is what consumers will tolerate.

[PapaBop]

GTA is an exception, it's a once in a generation game, I'll gladly pay $100 for it if I have to but I'll laugh when Ubi try to charge me that for Assassins Creed or Activision/Microsoft think I'll pay that for COD Black Ops MW 1199. I'd be extremely cautious and never preorder a game if publishers of inferior quality think I'm going to pay $100 for a game.

[boing1]

Then those publishers would have to be really stupid to expect we would accept such price as new 'normal'. GTA is in the league of its own, always has been and always will be. There is nothing else like it.

[Redgrave]

If there's any game publishers need to worry about "recouping costs", it's not this one. Slapping a $100 price tag on GTA6 would be being greedy for the sake of it because there's no version where this game flops or undersells, unless it's fundamentally different from the expected GTA formula. Even a lazy copy paste job from GTAV with a Vice City overhaul would still do stupidly well.

Everyone knows that this is a juggernaut release, and I certainly won't be buying until a sale if they price this at $100.

[Goodguy01]

Lmao what an excuse. Gta online makes it all up and even more. Dear god just keep it at $70.

[Antnee534]

Crazy enough I think ea could get away with it to because of how much they feed gambling addicts with the ultimate team bullshit that really shouldn't be in a video game aimed at kids.

[anast]

It's not about recouping costs, it's about portfolios. But it doesn't matter, people will buy it for $100 and younger people will push their parents to pay for it after they see their favorite advertiser, I mean streamer, play it. I personally think they're leaving at least $50 dollars on the table. People will buy this game for a $150 easy.

[andy85]

Recoup costs 😂 it'll recoup the entire budget week one

[Miacosa]

It would be interesting to see if people that are totally against have the fortitude to keep the wallets closed if this rumor does turn out to be true. Rockstar should just breakout the Online game as its own paid product for $39.99 and keep the single-player/ co-op or whateveter as the standard price if they wanted to squeeze out some extra cash.

[BlaqMagiq1]

Buying ANY game for $100 is absolutely idiotic.

[Rebel_Scum]

Games are already over $100 in a lot of countries. Cry me a river.

[gigoran8]

charge more money so they can earn more money, only to sell less due to a higher price and in turn lose money.

GENIUS!

[DafunkyRebel]

Rockstar better not let greed get the best of them. It would be death for the industry if game prices sored, and also most of these dev and publishers DO NOT deserve even a cent from gamers for all their vile microtransactions and political agenda pushing as well and mediocre cost cutting techniques that resulted in inferior and worst games. If the industry wants to lower cost and increase revenue, then they need to move operations out of California and into Texas or a cheaper state and have fairer wages for workers and lower taxes as well as lower cost of living. That's the only way to keep budgets manageable. Instead of paying a dev 200K to cover their insanely high living cost in California, maybe now you can pay them 100K which is even more than enough for them to live off of and buy homes in Texas.
To put it into perspective, imagine having to pay 200 developers 200K each, that's 40million per year and if a game takes 3yrs to make then that's already 120million in budget alone before advertising and other types of costs. Now imagine cutting that in half to only 60mil. For example in China a game of high quality will cost significantly less like Wukong because the currency in China is weaker and the labor is paid less than the industry standard in America so they can make better games for cheaper.

[MetroidFREAK21]

Watch me not even look at the game for $100... or $90... or $80

[Profchaos]

No one has said that it would be over standard rrp from take two or rockstar not sure why these articles are popping up