This generation saw it coming 70 USD triple-A titles, and even Nintendo upped the ante with Link’s latest release, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
While this new price seems like it’s here to stay, Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch doesn’t think it’s a sustainable model and believes it will go “the way of the dodo.” In a recent conversation with IGN, he mentioned that he believes that game companies may eventually find a way to reduce development costs.
“I think as games get more expensive, the $70 title will go like the dodo [bird]. I know. I just don’t think it’s sustainable…
I think the market will shift to development that isn’t necessarily lower quality, but there will be an emphasis on finding ways to keep costs down.”
Having said this, Sabre’s latest release (Space Marine 2) has the exact price because it is said to be concerned that audiences will associate anything cheaper with a “poor quality” product. However, Karch states that he would ideally like to follow success stories such as Hell Divers 2which is an example of a “middle market game” that is experiencing incredible results.
These comments follow Ubisoft’s CEO defending the $70 price tag Skull and bones, calling it the “quadruple A game”.
Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser also previously defended Tears of the Kingdom’s pricing, noting that the price reflects “the kind of experience fans can expect.” However, this pricing model will reportedly be on a case-by-case basis.
