Why games are getting more expensive: Shuhei Yoshida explains the inevitability of new prices in the gaming market
Gamers all over the world notice that prices for games and consoles are rapidly increasing. Nintendo has already announced that Switch 2 titles will start at $80, Xbox has raised the cost of its games, and even old consoles are getting new price tags. Former PlayStation president Shuhei Yoshida is convinced that this trend was inevitable and explains why.
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In an interview with PlayStation Inside, Yoshida admitted that he was only surprised that Nintendo was the first to break the $80 barrier, but it was only a matter of time before games became more expensive. The reason is simple: the industry is facing real inflation, and players are expecting more and more ambitious and technologically complex projects, all of which significantly increases development costs. "It's an impossible equation: in a world where everything is getting more expensive, it's simply unrealistic to expect games to remain as cheap as they are," Yoshida said.
He notes that each publisher determines the price independently, but the cost of creating content is at the heart of everything. That's why companies are looking for new sources of income: remasters, remakes and PC ports help to earn money and finance the development of new AAA hits. According to Yoshida, the growth in the number of remasters is not only about nostalgia, but also "an easy way to make a profit to fund future projects."
He also points out that even in such circumstances, there are examples of successful and accessible games such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, created by a small team and sold for $50. Yoshida is confident that the future of the industry lies in the balance between scale, quality, and price, as well as in supporting innovation and diversity.
Source: PlayStation Inside
