Video Games and Price are two interconnected factors that cannot be separated. To do a video of few seconds, we have to pay for companies that produce video games. Also, the people who are playing video games have to pay for everything, including the electricity bills. So, to decide the price for a video game, all those factors are affected. Therefore, all the video game companies were able to keep remain the prices constant. But, when you read this article, you will understand that it is not the same.
Value of the Video games in 21st Century
Though the video game industry does change from time to time, the price of video games does not change for a long time. From the beginning of the 21st century, the cost of the Triple-A game is mentioned as 60$. During the past two decades, video game companies were able to keep the prices of video games constant.
Compared to the year 2000, almost all the pricing has been increased. Under such circumstances, what are the reasons for the unchanged price of video games? Will it be the same price in the future? This was a problem with everything.
History of Video Games Value
The combination of the two aspects, video games, and price were discussed together for 50 years. Magnavox – Odyssey is the 1st gaming console that was a success commercially. It was introduced in 1979. Tough it is a primary tool compared to the present, wealthy people used sports equipment in the past. Nearly three hundred thousand Magnavox Odyssey consoles were sold when they stopped producing this product in 3 years. At that time, the price was USD99.95. When compared to inflation and the other aspects, this amount can be nearly equal to USD 610.
Fairchild channel F Video game
The console Fairchild channel F, which was released in the same year, was the one introduced to the gaming community by Cartridge. Usually, one Cartridge of this console was sold for about USD 19. When it is compared to the present value, it is about USD90.
Atari 2600
Then only the Atari 2600 console produced by the Atari company was released. Usually, a game released to the Atari 2600 was sold to USD 24. With the time the Atari 2600 console existed, the amount that prevailed that time is nearly USD 70 at present.
When we see the sequence of this, we can conclude that the price rate of a video game has been gradually reduced with time. But this was changed when the computer was used in video gaming. With that, the pricing of video games from the middle of 1980 and the beginning of 1990 was increasing rapidly.
Old Famous Video games price
The Super Mario 3, released in 1988, is valued at about USD94 at present, compared to the past. The price of the game Mortal Kombat that was released in 1992, was USD119. The Street Fighters 2 was sold nearly for USD 123. This short time rising of prices was dropped because people reduced playing video games due to this high pricing.
Video gaming was socialized with the introduction of play stations in 1994. This was more socialized with the introduction of the X Box console in 1994. At this time, a certified price was provided for video games. The cost of a Triple-A game was between USD 40 to USD 70 at this time. An agreement was imposed to the companies to keep the price of the main video game up to USD 50.
Small Variation of the Video games Value
For years, this amount of USD 50 was there, and again it was altered between years of 2005-2006. With the rising prices of other goods, the price of video games also was increased a little. The reasons for this were the introduction of X Box 360 in 2005 and Play Station 3 in 2006. Meantime the range of USD 50 was increased to USD 60. From that time to the present, the regular price of this Triple-A game has been USD 60.
Many reasons affected for not increasing the prices of video games when the cost of other things got increased.
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Increasing of number of people for playing Video games.
Though the profit of video games reduced when people who play video games got increased, selling video games significantly affected the profit. The gaming companies must think that increasing selling copies is rather better than increasing the unit price.
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Increasing the price of other things.
People didn’t feel the increase of prices of games directly when their prices increased other things. The game packs and editions were introduced as a result of this. This was a trick used to make a profit by keeping the Basic edition up to USD 60 and teaching new things from special editions like gold edition, Premium edition, Ultimate edition, exclusive edition, collective edition.
The items for a game, namely, pose lunch, downloadable content, and unique in-game items, were introduced with time. Gaming companies were able to get a significant profit from this. So, they didn’t find a need to increase the price of the standard edition.
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Introducing Microtransaction for Video games.
When a Video game is introduced by paying the initial payment, small special items connected to the game are given for a low price. The main intention of this is that to induce for the main game. As with any unit rate, most of the people buying this, the gaming companies were able to find a significant amount of money. One tragedy of this process is to sell the classic game of this game at aloe price. Because, to do the microtransaction, we should have the main game in our hands. After doing that, that company could find the cost that was spent for the main game by microtransaction.
Usually, when a video game is developed and published, the publishing company does the financial process. Usually, what happens is paying money to the studio of the developing company through the publishing company. So, when the game is finished in the making, the bond between the publisher and the developer is getting over. From that point, the profit or the loss when selling should be tolerated by the publisher.
Standard price of USD 60 has been divided
Referred to a long-term analysis, most people were able to give an idea about how this standard price of USD 60 has been divided. It is divided as follows.
- The publisher – USD 27
- The retailer – USD 15
- The Returns – USD 7
- Production and Distribution – USD 4
- Platform Royalty – USD 7
Special offers regarding the video games price
Apart from this, video game sales are held by video gaming companies. Most of the time, a digital copy is given under a special discount rate that.
Also, something called regional pricing can be seen later. They were provided for a low price to the developing countries of the 3rd world countries by the publishers. Most of the time, it is decided according to the platform. The best example is buying Cyberpunk 2077 for USD29.99 by the 3rd world countries, while European / Americans buy it for USD59.99.
Because of this reason still, the value of a Triple-A game remains at USD60.
New Value of the Triple A video game price
But it is predicted that this condition will be changed in the future. Strauss Zelnick said it, the CEO of the mother company, “Take-Two Interactive,” of 2 main game developers, Rockstar games and 2K games.
You may remember the game NBA2K21 that was released by 2Kin 2020. This game is sold for USD 69.99 at PS5, X Box. Few days prior, Zelnick has stated about this game. When compared to the sales of NBA2K21, the prevailing gaming community is with the capability of paying USD70 for a Triple A-game. So, he has given the idea that it will be considered both the amounts USD60 and USD70 when deciding the prices to the upcoming games.
You all may know that the Rockstar games under Take-Two Interactive are about to release GTA VI in the future. Most probably, the most awaited game that is to be released in 2021 must be GTA 6. So, you all may understand the underneath meaning of the saying of the CEO of the company. The purpose of that is that, most probably, the standard price of the GTA 6 will be USD70.
As there is a trend for GTA 6, people will buy the game without considering the price. Also, the idea has been proved further by paying USD 70 for NBA2K20.
Conclusion of the Value of the Video Games
If Rockstar is taking this step, other companies also will take this action. If it happens, in the future, all the triple-A standard games will be about USD70. It will be a small value for developed countries. But it will be a huge value for still developing countries. But the bigger companies do not care about it much. That is because they are using the crack versions. But the time is not far to pay USD70 for every triple A-game. If they use USD70 as the introducing price of GTA 6, it will be the best trick they used so far undoubtedly.