The price of gaming software has always been a considerable hindrance in anyone’s decision making ability. It’s a financial risk. It’s an expensive hobby, one in which you have to consider whether the price offsets the quality. A difficult question to answer when you have no idea if the game is worth it to you. Just because you’ve read every published review that corroborates your opinion that a game is worth investing in, doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to enjoy it. For instance “Baldurs Gate 3” achieved universal acclaim from both critics and the discerning general public alike. And though it is an objectively great game, it simply isn’t one I personally gelled with. My loss I suppose, but it comes at a cost. Everyone has their own idea of what a game should retail at. There are of course many intricacies that go into a decision like this. Triple A games having higher expense, boast significant graphical enhancements and naturally demand a greater price tag. Though that doesn’t always yield a profitable result. Indie games, cost less, have fewer staff but generally can’t afford to charge as much. Is the game multiplayer. Is it a single player game. There are so many variables that determine what people are willing to pay for a game. But the question that has always burdened the industry, is how much is too much.

It’s fair to say that the price of games has remained pretty consistent. Though other markets have seen a huge rise in costs, game software has been able to circumvent inflation. But now the debate in raising prices has once been ignited by industry “analyst” that “hopes” GTA VI will be priced as high as $100. Which to my British compatriots is roughly £82. But of course the conversation rate is always inflated for us, you are probably looking in the region of about £90. Now Rockstar has not confirmed any pricing on GTA VI as of yet, though I’m a little sceptical that it will in fact be released this year anyway. But that’s beside the point. The problem isn’t speculating on whether or not that it will, but rather if they can. And the answer is a resounding Yes! A game series as prestigious as GTA could almost command any price it desires, knowing full well most would pay for the privilege. Potentially igniting an industry wide inflation. The difference however is that Rockstar are in the unique position to demand more money for their IP, that others simply can’t.

Could you imagine Ubisoft trying to capitalize on software price hikes, by increasing the price of an “Assassin’s Creed” game and turning a profit? A decade ago maybe, but now, with the state of the IP, as well as the company relying on the success of “Shadows”, it would be a risky maneuver considering they would likely allianate what dedicated followers it still has. I can’t think of a single studio, however successful, that could secure such a rise. So yes, GTA VI could cost more at launch than most third or even first party games. And may inspire others to do the same. But it’s unlikely that anyone else would succeed. Not yet anyway.