In a recent exclusive interview with Nikkei, the President of Capcom, Haruhiro Tsujimoto, went on record stressing that game development is ‘100 times more costly’ than it was back in the Famicom era, but the price of software hasn’t increased in kind.
He therefore believes that the price of games should see a sharp increase to tackle ever-rising wages and the overall cost of producing these games. It takes years to build a AAA game now, and the investment needed can be in the hundreds of millions, but software prices still float around $50 ~ $70.
Could We See $100 Games Enter The Market?
When would you stop buying software? Would it take an $80 price tag? What about a $100 price tag?
They’re the kind of figures that Tsujimoto is alluding to in his statement that was recorded by Nikkei just days ago:
Personally, I feel that game prices are too low. Development costs are about 100 times higher than during the Famicom era, but software prices have not gone up that much. There is also a need to raise wages. Considering the fact that wages are rising in the industry as a whole, I think raising unit prices is a healthy option for business.
These days, games tend to go on sale months after they’re released, or more commonly, they’ll find their way onto a subscription service. Recently, the likes of Jim Ryan went on record talking about how harmful Xbox Game Pass is for the industry – financially speaking. That, combined with Tsujimoto’s comments about prices needing to increase across the board, could mean that we’re on track for $100 games to surface in a few years.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that SAG-AFTRA members want to strike against the gaming industry
