Is It Time to Scale Up?

Hey there, guys and girls from the digital slums! Let's chat about a topic that's been causing a stir in the gaming world: the price of games.

This mess has been going on for a while now, but now the conversation is back in full force, and the one who threw gasoline on the fire was Michael Dousepublishing director of Baldur's Gate 3. The guy let loose on social media, saying that, honestly, games should cost more because it's getting more and more expensive to make them. But is that really the case, or are these guys just messing with us?

The Whole Thing Started With Star Wars Outlaws

Check out what happened: Douse saw the Ultimate edition of Star Wars Outlawswhich is that kind of edition full of frills – season pass, digital artbook, early access, everything you'd expect – and decided to spill the beans. He commented that these special editions are a way of raising the price of games, but without making it clear that that's what they're doing. That old story of increasing the bill without telling you, you know?

He went further, saying that this thing of raising prices with vague promises of DLC is disconnected from the community, like, kind of dangerous even. And look, he knows his stuff, after all, Baldur's Gate 3 also had its more expensive editions. But it seems that, in his view, these editions of the game that he released are “easy”. Go figure…

AAA Games and the Deepening Hole

The thing is, making a AAA game (the triple A, which is top of the line) costs a lot of money. The guys in the industry, like Douse and even the president of Capcom, Harushiro Tsujimotothey say that production costs have risen “100 times” since the times of Famicom back in the 90s. Like, shit got serious. And the price of games, man, has only gone up about 17% since 2007, from $60 to $70.

Does the Player Have to Pay This Bill?

The truth is that, if you think about it, players are already paying more, but in a somewhat indirect way. Special editions, season passes, in-game cosmetics, all of this adds up. But here comes the question: will increasing the price of the base games solve the problem or will it just give more money to the suits?

There's an important point that people tend to forget: the developers, the guys who really put their hands to work to make these incredible games, often don't see all the money we pay them. There are some people who work in very tough conditions, while the big money goes to the people at the top, to the investors and such. So, does raising the price solve the problem or does it just increase exploitation?

The “AAA” Culture and the Obsession with the Perfect Launch

Another point we need to discuss is the culture of AAA games. These games are sold as if they were the pinnacle of the industry, with incredible graphics, gigantic worlds and cinematic production. But this comes at a cost: the games have to be perfect, because they can't fail. And then what happens? The pressure is insane, the deadlines are tight, and sometimes the game comes out half-baked, full of bugs, because there wasn't enough time to polish everything.

The industry is on a “do more with less” path, and that’s where those amazing solutions come in, like generative AI, which supposedly will reduce costs. But, man, this only serves to cut the people who actually work, automate the process and make the game more soulless. You can see where this is going, right?

Special Edition or Cheat in Disguise?

Every now and then, we see these special editions being released, and sometimes it feels like they're selling you the same game twice, three times. Seriously, why on earth do I have to pay more for early access or a digital artbook? Is it really worth the money, or is it just a way for them to get more money out of us?

Of course there are people who like these editions, but the point that Douse raises is that this could be a sneaky way to raise prices without taking responsibility. So, what's the solution? Pay more for the base game and put an end to this nonsense of Ultimate, Gold, Platinum, Diamond and who knows what else editions? Or do we continue with this scheme and try to filter what's worth it?

GTA 6: The Elephant in the Room

Everyone is keeping an eye on what's going to happen with GTA 6. If Rockstar decides that the game is going to cost $80, $90, you can bet that other companies will follow suit. But on the other hand, if the game comes out at $70, that could hold down the price of other games as well. It's kind of a double-edged sword.

GTA is a franchise that can afford to set trends, and the release of GTA 6 It will be the defining moment. It will be the game that can change the industry, either by raising the price of games or by showing that it is still possible to make a lot of money without exploiting the players' pockets so much.

The End of the Line: Where Do We Go From Here?

Ultimately, the debate over game prices is far from over. The industry is at a turning point, where production costs are skyrocketing and gamers are increasingly demanding. Whether the solution is to raise the price of base games or continue with this barrage of special editions and DLCs, only time will tell.

One thing is for sure: as players, we have to keep an eye on where we're putting our hard-earned money. At the end of the day, the quality of the game is what really matters, and if it's worth it, maybe paying a little more won't be the end of the world. But, man, let's make sure the price is fair and transparent, because nobody wants to be taken for a fool, right?