Nintendo and Microsoft follow Activision's lead with videogame price hike

Following the news a couple of weeks ago that Activision is slapping a recommended retail price (RRP) on Modern Warfare 2 of £54.99, other publishers have begun to follow suit. 

Online retail outlet, ShopTo.Net, told Eurogamer that Nintendo has now raised the price of the DS sequel to Professor Layton, Professor Layton And Pandora's Box, and Microsoft has increased the price of Forza 3. 

"Whether planned, or a case of jumping on the popular franchises bandwagon, we have seen Microsoft increase the price of Forza 3 to £49.99 and Nintendo increase the price of Professor Layton And Pandora's Box to £34.99," ShopTo.Net told Eurogamer. 

Of course, it's still up to the retailers how much they charged customers, so if you're willing to shop around you'll still find the game cheaper than full RRP. ShopTo.Net, for example, has Forza 3 listed at £37.95. Still, the prices are rising, so we can all expect to pay more for our videogames in the lead up to the busy Christmas period. 

Activision has blamed the price hike on spiralling development costs and poor exchange rates. 

...I thought Level 5 was publishing the Layton sequel?

Spiraling development costs on a DS game?

ugh, the red text is blinding. It does not fit well with the grey background.

.... i can't believe.

fixed it for ya

Not that big of a deal.

No, that was Activision talking about that, and they were referring to the development costs of Modern Warfare 2.

Next generation games will be 70 dollars here in the U.S. Yipeee!

Do publishers not see that these prices are wayyy to high for a game? Jesus no wonder not that many games are selling well this generation. Do they think next generation will be better if they keep hikeing prices?

£34.99 for DS game?? Wow and then you wonder why most people pirate DS games