Thing is, games really don't need to cost so much to make in the first place.
Some of the biggest games of recent years have moderate budgets, and the mass market has shown over and over again with its embrace of games like Minecraft and systems like the Switch that they really don't need everything to have the latest greatest graphics.
Heck, the success of the Switch version of Hogwarts shows that even that game didn't rely on AAA visuals to sell. It's only a vocal minority who demand that every game have super high end production values.
Instead of bleeding customers dry with shitty practises, publishers need to get their excessive spending under control. There's no reason why a $70 single player game without predatory monetization can't be profitable. If devs still can't profit at that price, then frankly it's a skill issue.
Last edited by curl-6 - on 11 March 2024
