Subj : Ex-PlayStation boss says $80 games were 'going to happen sooner o
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Tue May 06 2025 11:00:09

Ex-PlayStation boss says $80 games were 'going to happen sooner or later'

Date:
Tue, 06 May 2025 09:53:49 +0000

Description:
Former Sony Interactive Entertainment executive Shuhei Yoshida has said that 
the recent rise in the price of games "was going to happen sooner or later".

FULL STORY
======================================================================Former 
PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida knew the cost of games would increase "sooner 
or later" Yoshida says inflation and production costs are the cause, so more 
expensive games were inevitable He doesn't know if Rockstar Games would 
increase the price of Grand Theft Auto 6 , but thinks  "a balance must be 
found between production costs and game prices" 

Former Sony Interactive Entertainment executive Shuhei Yoshida has said that 
the recent rise in the cost of games "was going to happen sooner or later" 
due to inflation and production costs. 

In a new interview with PlayStation Inside , Yoshida was asked about the 
increase in game prices, specifically regarding Nintendo Switch 2 games, like 
Mario Kart World , which will now cost upwards of $80, and if he thinks this 
will affect other studios and publishers. 

The ex-PlayStation boss explained that he predicted the rise in prices would 
happen eventually, mainly due to inflation and the cost of resources, but 
didn't think Nintendo would be the one to kick it off. 

"I think it was going to happen sooner or later, maybe not from Nintendo, but 
it was going to happen eventually," said Yoshida. "We live in contrasting 
times, where inflation is real and significant, but people expect games that 
are ever more ambitious and therefore expensive to develop to cost the same. 
Its an impossible equation. Everything in video games today is more advanced 
and more technologically demanding than ever before, and therefore requires 
more resources. 

"Each publisher or manufacturer sets the price of its games, of course, but 
in the end the heart of the matter lies in production costs. And thats why 
industry actors are so keen to diversify their revenues, in order to continue 
producing the AAA games that the public buys before anything else." 

Just last week, Microsoft raised the prices of its Xbox consoles and 
accessories , with some first-party games expected to release at $80 later 
this year. Elsewhere, Sony recently upped the prices of its PS5 consoles . 

Although there is a very obvious shift happening within the industry, Yoshida 
doesn't know if studios like Rockstar Games would consider setting the price 
of Grand Theft Auto 6 higher, but that "a balance must be found between 
production costs and game prices". 

"So I dont know if Rockstar will jump at the chance to set the price of GTA 6 
at 90 euros or more, to speak with your currency, but the situation is this. 
And we could even add subscription platforms and games as a service, which, 
while providing huge revenues in their own right, also help to finance AAA 
down the line. 

"In any case, a balance must be found between production costs and game 
prices. GTA 6 will obviously be a case in point, but if you take the example 
of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , the game is just as phenomenal visually, 
despite the fact that the team only has around thirty people. This is one of 
the ways forward, I think, because you can make excellent games with tighter 
teams and budgets without compromising quality." You might also like... 
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Store's pre-order date arrives, while US pre-orders remain delayed Here are 
the Nintendo Switch 2 launch games that you'll be able to pick up and play on 
June 5 The latest Nintendo Switch update makes it impossible to play the same 
digital game while connected to the internet on two systems at the same time



======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/gaming/ex-playstation-boss-says-usd80-games-were-goi
ng-to-happen-sooner-or-later


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