„It's the Wild West.” Baldur's Gate 3 dev sees Rockstar as sheriff who, by pricing GTA 6 at $100, could establish „a new law”
A Larian Studios developer addressed the possible $100 price tag for the upcoming GTA 6. He compared Rockstar to a sheriff who has the power to establish new laws.
Many people have already gotten used to the standard price of 70 dollars for a new AAA game, even if some think that it is too high an amount. Recently, however, an analyst stated that the upcoming GTA 6 could be priced at even $100, which other companies are quietly hoping for, as they could follow in Rockstar's footsteps. Now, one of the developers from Larian Studios has spoken out on this matter.
Rockstar can establish a new law
There's no denying that GTA 6 is one of the most anticipated titles in the history of the gaming industry. The hype is huge, as can be seen by the views under the trailer. As soon as the game appears on store shelves, people will most likely rush to buy it without hesitation.
Rockstar, therefore, has the opportunity to demand a higher price for their game. In the report we described a few days ago, which was also noted by VGC, this was considered a "hope" for other developers. Michael Douse, the publishing director of Larian Studios, briefly commented on the VGC article.
You’re not supposed to say this out loud!!!!
No one is probably surprised that companies would gladly take more money from players, but there must be some limit that people are willing to pay. Rockstar is an exceptional studio whose games stand out for their incredibly high level of refinement, which must be acknowledged even if you are not a fan. However, the same cannot be said about the titles of other studies, allegedly referred to as "AAA."
Michael Douse reiterated the widely acknowledged fact that when GTA 6 is released, Rockstar and Take-Two will dominate the industry, regardless of the game's price.
Take-Two are obviously going to devour the entire industry for a while because the game is going to be incredible, immersive, and infinitely replayable. So in that sense, yes, but they worked for it.
Everyone knows you avoid a Rockstar launch, and then you learn from it.
A player noticed that if other developers choose to increase game prices to 100 bucks, consumers will just wait for discounts. Douse admitted that this is problematic, comparing Rockstar to a sheriff who has the power to establish new law.
That is indeed the problem. We are at a strange moment where retail is not defining output & content, but now nobody is. There’s no standard. It’s difficult to parse. It’s 'the wild west'. The point is that perhaps Rockstar have enough clout to lay down the new law. And with that others will sink or swim?
The developer further notes that salaries in good companies are raised along with inflation, but the same hasn't happened with game prices, which remain stagnant. He claims that this is not the reason why the industry is currently "in the shit," but he described it as an "uncomfortable truth." Nonetheless, he pointed out that devs should be responsible for making sure the product they provide is a worthwhile investment for the players.
We can only hope that Rockstar and Take-Two won't squeeze the last penny out of us, and even if they do, they won't create a new standard in this way.
