Capcom
Capcom thinks the price of games is low, and that the industry should rise them
The Japanese game studio points out that the cost of making games has skyrocketed compared to the NES generation, while prices have stayed relatively low.
In these times, mixing the words “price” and “video games” causes real terror among gamers. It is logical, since in recent months we have seen several companies raise the price of all their products: the infamous $70 for many titles, the MSRP increases for consoles like Sony with PS5 and PS Plus, Microsoft with the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Game Pass... Not to mention the world of cinema and streaming platforms, since in one way or another, they all bet on raising their price and getting more revenue.
If we focus on video games and the mandatory $70 that currently has to be spent for many of them, it is true that there are companies that have not raised their prices, but it seems that it is only a matter of time, since this time Capcom, one of the most popular companies that exists thanks to titles like Resident Evil and Monster Hunter, are the ones who left the door open to a future price increase, arguing several reasons that, no matter how hard it is for us to accept, are still true.
Will Capcom raise the price of its games?
Although it is too early to know right now, we would not be surprised, since the words of Haruhiro Tsujimoto, executive president and director of operations of the Japanese company made it clear to Nikkei what they think about the issue: “Personally, I feel that game prices are too low. Development costs now are about 100 times more than they were during the Famicom era, but software prices haven’t gone up to that extent.” The director considers that the industry needs to raise wages to attract new talent, which in itself requires the raising of unit prices to maintain a healthy business.
In truth, while we are used to buying new games for $60 or $70 each, the prices of games have been somewhat frozen in time for decades on end. The result is that most of the AAA companies in the video game industry have leaned on the side of microtransactions, season passes, DLC, and other forms of monetization tactics. Could it be that a rise in prices could help get rid of these other maligned methods?