GTA 6

Rockstar

There have been debates over the last few years that, after a jump in “standard” pricing of games from $60 to $70, they should once again be nudged up to $80. After a number of false starts, only one company has done this with a major title, Nintendo hitting that high-water mark with Mario Kart World. Now, the question is whether Grand Theft Auto 6 is going to pull the trigger as it gears up to be what might be the biggest consumer product launch of all time. Now, at least one financial entity believes that should happen: Bank of America.

This was from the IICON Video Game Conference in Las Vegas, where Take-Two’s Strauss Zelnick spoke about pricing without committing to a specific price for GTA 6, noting the ballooning cost of game development, while also acknowledging that they will overdeliver “value” to consumers as a built-in baseline.

Bank of America’s Omar Dessouky emerged from the event and Strauss’ comments advising not only that GTA 6 be priced at $80, but by doing so, it would let the entire industry push up prices yet again. His comments, via SeekingAlpha:

"We also heard from attendees that the industry, which is perceived as struggling, would have difficulty selling games for $80 if GTA 6 came out at $70. We think it’s in Take-Two's self-interest, as a publisher and partner to many developers, to raise the price point for the entire industry."

Dessouky also said that a higher price would align with the idea that “AI will raise the value of games to consumers.” That seems drastically out of step with enormous pushback every time generative AI shows up in any video game, to the point where it’s almost always erased. In contrast, you would think that actual result of AI could be games being made more quickly and cheaper, which in theory, could result in prices not being hiked as often.

Personally, after reading Zelnick’s comments, I didn’t get the impression he was necessarily teeing up an $80 announcement. Here he is talking about how game pricing doesn’t make a ton of sense given the cost of development:

“If you look at it through that lens, that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. But that isn’t the lens through which we look. Instead, we look at… how do we deliver something amazing, and how do we make sure that what people pay for it feels very reasonable.”

I suppose you could say “reasonable” is $80 in their eyes, but again, I’m not sure what he’s saying sounds like that’s coming. And I do not think Take-Two or Strauss Zelnick remotely cares if that would let the rest of the industry raise prices. Grand Theft Auto 6 can also “afford” to keep the price at $70, given the absurd amount it will sell and how many billions it will no doubt rake in from microtransactions for GTA 6 Online over the next decade. The question is if, on top of that, they want to squeeze consumers in what are already tight economic times. I’d advise counter to Bank of America: Don’t do it.

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