Video Game Pricing

[KrspaceT]

SanAndreasX said:

Azzanation said:

Too expensive these days. I am finding games on Steam sell for a base $99aus which is about $70us. The issue is even the low budgeted games are trying to steal you at those prices. Game prices should vary depending on the game but having a standard $70 is ridiculous across the board especally reselling older games 1 to 2 years old for a flat $70.

I understand budgets rise however so have game sales. Games would be lucky to sell 1m copies in the 90s, these days games can sell 2m to 3m copies regardless of quality.

Monster Hunter Rise has sold 7 million copies (that we know of so far), which qualifies it for the middle of the Switch's top-selling games list. Not too long ago, that would have been a top 5 seller, if not the best-seller, on a platform.

And then we have companies who claim they lose money on certain games unless they sell millions of copies. A couple of recent Tomb Raider games come to mind.

That's on the end of the publishers/developers. Games can be high tier and not require tons to break even. Like Breath of the Wild, a title that was worked on for years and had a lot of push behind, only needed 2 million to break even. Heck I even remember hearing at some point Xenoblade X was not in the red, just that it was Xeno 1 and especailly 2 that really broke out. 

The problem is that some games put a lot more into things they don't necessarily need. Like you ever hear about how the marketing budgets can often double the cost of production?