Analysts: $80 game pricing will spread but only top franchises can pull it off

Several analysts say games are likely to follow Mario Kart World and GTA 6's lead with an $80 base price, but only the biggest titles will be able to pull it off unscathed. DFC Intelligence's David Cole explains that "the industry has already been moving to this price point, led by Nintendo," and notes "The issue is there are only a handful of premium games that command this price point." He adds that Rockstar Games is continuing a precedent "for only the most in-demand games with a built-in initial audience...

It is the industry going towards a tiered pricing model where it is recognized that some games simply provide much more value than others and should be priced accordingly." Joost van Dreunen says the new $80 standard will be "reserved for only a select few titles and franchises" and warns publishers who try to charge $80 on games that don't deliver "will likely come to regret that." He adds: "Gaming is increasingly becoming a luxury category.

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