Higher PS5 Game Prices are Fair, Says PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan - News

To his credit he isn't bothering with the BS "inflation, costs" justifications like the "loyalist peasants" do, it's just "because we can, and it's still good value vs other entertainment". But I agree with you, it just doesn't make sense to do so now, when they are selling to huge combined PS4+PS5 market (not to mention will also be selling to PC). If they waited to increase prices until they start selling PS5 exclusives (probably timed exclusives to release later on PC) that would at least have an extra element of justification, people would understand they are losing sales by making pure nextgen game. Doing it now is just a cash grab, pure and simple, no reason to deluded ourselves. But OK, that's what they are doing. Interesting to see if this grows the business more, they already have foot in the door with Epic, will that go all the way? Or will other deals emerge?

How you gonna compare video game development that costs hundreds of millions nowadays for a big budget game to a book? Back in the 80s and 90s you could develop games with just a few people, but now it takes hundreds of people that could be working on a single game. Inflation and production costs ramp up, and Sony really invests in their first party studios to be the best games possible. Now, 2K Sports bumping their costs for their games to $70 while still having microtransactions and loot boxes, no justification there lol

It is Sony CEO who is comparing games to other forms of entertainment on basis of hours of enjoyment, and he nowhere is invoking the costs of production (which only matters in relation to volume of sales $). Sony is making more profits than ever from videogames BEFORE this price increase, so their costs vs revenue is not what is driving this, as Sony CEO makes clear they are raising prices because they CAN, even when "competition" for enteratainment $ (books etc) is not really symmetrical industry to them.

I don't even think NBA 2K is good generally relevant example for this, because it has heavy licence costs, and they aren't raising prices globally but only for "nextgen" version while continuing lastgen version at old price. These are not just "settings tweaks" of same game as most crossgen, but nextgen version has totally new codebase which means it is it's own game. This is when nobody, 1st party included, is releasing true "pure nextgen" games yet, because the payback for that from tiny nextgen install base isn't worth it. So higher prices for niche nextgen game (like NeoGeo games were expensive) isn't unfounded, although people may have separate worry if they permanently raise their prices even after nextgen establishes itself.

Yet that is what 2K is doing with nextgen NBA game, with new pure nextgen codebase. So if they didn't do that, and just released "settings tweak" upgrade of same crossgen game for nextgen platforms without raising price, people wouldn't have anything to complain about, but they also wouldn't be getting the same improvement in game experience. And AFAIK you can buy the "lastgen" version and play it on PS5/XSX if you want cheaper price and don't care the same basic experience is playable on lastgen consoles (like every other crossgen game), so it's really up to personal choice which to buy.

Tough call there...
Don't forget MS who is also now floating upcoming price raises,
BUT DON'T FORGET that just makes Game Pass an EVEN BETTER DEAL!(tm)

Nintendo prices are fine, its the fact they never drop which is the problem, even after years they released.

Good on you for sticking to your principles. This $10 price hike is unjustified IMO.

You’re one of the only people I’ve heard argue against this. And Sony is not the only one charging this price, yet you’re making it sound otherwise. There is no debate that games cost more money every generation. It’s not an opinion. And as for Sony first party games, they’re a dying breed in that they are some of the only games that release consistently without some form of microtransactions. I don’t mean to be brash, but your statement seems to spew a lot of ignorance. And why are you so offended? I don’t recall you caring too much about platforms outside of those released by Microsoft.

@pitzy222 Sony pushing game prices will only cause a chain effect in the industry and others will simply follow because Sony are the market leaders, that's why i continue to argue against this. Sony games are not a dying breed, Nintendo still make games and many others. Sony commanding an extra $10 is no different to having a loot box system, they are still trying to milk you an extra $10.. at least loot boxes are optional. Also as i mentioned to someone else, majority of Sony games also lack multiplayer functions with their big hitters, saving on costs. Lets not act as if they are doing this for justice. You may not agree but if you like paying more and receive less than we will agree to disagree.

Game development easier than it used to be? You're kidding right? Do you know how much graphics, audio and level design effort goes into a modern game? It wasn't that long ago games fit on a CDRom. Now they're 100Gb+

Thank you for your superb business accumen Azz.

I think Azzanation is campaigning to lead the Playstation Fan Union ;-)
Although equating Sony and Nintendo game dev costs like that makes me think he could teach at Harvard MBA. ;-)

And the assumption that because a game have MP it must cost more than a SP game? I guess TLOU2 must have costed less than Ark to develop.

And let's be frank, you wouldn't buy a sony exclusive anyway since you don't even have the console.

And this is where the spin happens. Instead of understanding my points, its "i don't have a PS" or "I wouldn't buy a PS game" nonsense. The reason i bring up MP is because that still falls under development costs. Sony cut corners just as much as any one else to sell us products with less content. 20 to 40 hour campaigns is nothing new to gaming. We use to pay $60 with long campaigns and Multiplayer modes. In this scenario, Sony want to charge us more for what exactly? Graphics?

" Instead of understanding my points" LOL

The reason we do that is because you don't really understand what you are talking about, but pretend you do, and worse talk as if the reason you wouldn't buy Sony games is because of the 70USD tag. So please show us the games you bought for PS4 since those had 60USD price tags, also show your purchase of Miles Morales since that was 50USD.

Damn Dom, you clearly try to twist posts into some sort of fanboy war. Iv made a clear stance against raising prices regardless who pushes it. Not sure why buying games at $60 is in this topic.

What do you want out of this debate Dom, are you agreeing that you are happy to pay more?

Would that be because you chose a PS related report to do your complain? And well on the interview with MS CEO you were being apologetic?
If you done your reading you would have seem I'm against the raise while understanding the reasons why it happened. My position is more on debunking your arguments. Because let's face it, they are wrong and you may pretend you aren't a console warrior, but everyone knows better.

Dom, this is why having a civil debate with you never works. So you stat you agree with me about game costs shouldnt rise yet argue agasint my post claiming you are debunking it when its about the exact same thing we both agree on? Good lord. So how have you debunked my post? Saying i dont play or buy PS games? Can you prove that?

So i am wrong with my posts Mr Online Justice? So tell me, was i wrong when i said MS dont care about giving out sales figures half way through this generation? When you clearly downplayed me saying i am making excuses? Hows that debate working out for you?

You’re one of the only people I’ve heard argue against this. And Sony is not the only one charging this price, yet you’re making it sound otherwise. There is no debate that games cost more money every generation. It’s not an opinion. And as for Sony first party games, they’re a dying breed in that they are some of the only games that release consistently without some form of microtransactions. I don’t mean to be brash, but your statement seems to spew a lot of ignorance. And why are you so offended? I don’t recall you caring too much about platforms outside of those released by Microsoft.

@azza
If you don’t see the flaw in comparing the development cost of the avg AAA Sony game to that of the avg AAA Nintendo game, not sure what to say. Nintendo is the only game company in the world that can get away with consistently having cartoon graphics. Nintendo pays a fraction of the development costs by not having to worry about the exhaustive task of trying to create maximum realism. Also, how many high-cost professional voice actors does Nintendo have to pay for their games? And how often do they have to pay exorbitant prices to put actors in studios to act out scenes with motion capture?

If you compare development costs, the fact that Nintendo has had price parity with PS and Xbox games for the past generation makes THEM the greedy ones.

@pitzy272 Iv been debating agaisnt high prices regardless of platform of choices.
The major flaw in your argument is that while games do cost more and more to make, game sales have also gone up and up. Big publishers like Sony are making a fortune off its software sales, so let me ask you, if these pubishers are constantly earning more profits and revenue on a yearly basis, why do we need to increase game prices? Also Motion caption has been a thing for decades.

@azza
If you don’t see the flaw in comparing the development cost of the avg AAA Sony game to that of the avg AAA Nintendo game, not sure what to say. Nintendo is the only game company in the world that can get away with consistently having cartoon graphics. Nintendo pays a fraction of the development costs by not having to worry about the exhaustive task of trying to create maximum realism. Also, how many high-cost professional voice actors does Nintendo have to pay for their games? And how often do they have to pay exorbitant prices to put actors in studios to act out scenes with motion capture?

If you compare development costs, the fact that Nintendo has had price parity with PS and Xbox games for the past generation makes THEM the greedy ones.

@pitzy This isnt just about comparing Nintendo to Sony. Many developers out there spend just as much as Sony when making games. Rockstar, CD Project Red, Valve, Coalition, 343 etc spend just as much as Sony and some actually spend more..
Now how about anwser my actual question "if companies are making more money than ever before on software, why do we need game prices to rise?"

Majority of PS 1st party games also lack a multiplayer mode which is where they save on development costs. Again they want you to pay more for less.

You are now picking too much. The $10 increase might be questionable but you cannot claim there is a 'lack of game' just because they don't tack on a crap MP to a game that doesn't need or warrant it. Better to spend that time and money on the main game instead.

Yeah, these deeply story driven games have no need for multiplayer. There's tons of multiplayer available from third parties already, where the whole point is multiplayer and story is secondary at best.

@The Fury - thats incredibly debatable. Some gamers love MP Especally with there favourite IPs. Why not have both, like games use to. We forget that you can still make a masterpiece while offering both a great single player and Multiplayer modes. Anyway its about value = dollar. If they want to charge more than they need to offer more.

He actually doesn't cite inflation or production cost in any way, he merely says "it's good value compared to other entertainment" i.e. they can get away with raising prices. Never mind inflation is actually very low, and Sony's costs haven't been rising relative to their sales, that's why Playstation is more profitable than ever.

I know he doesn't cite those factors, but they still exist and in 15 years it certainly covers a 15% increase in pricetag. But yes even if those factors I put didn't exist in real world they could still increase price if customers are willing to pay for it, sameway that if customers wouldn't accept the new price then even with the increase in development cost they wouldn't raise the price.

They are far from the only brand that spends tons of money in developing games.

@Azzanation and unfortunately, these companies will follow suit sooner or later. Especially if games like NBA 2K21 and Demon’s Souls become commercially successful.