Games at €100 are Inevitable

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Future Major Games Trending Towards €100 Mark

A veteran of Call of Duty game production, Greg Reisdorf, has renewed the discussion of rising video game prices, stating that major blockbuster games will likely cost $100 in the future, following the recent increase to $80. Reisdorf argues that this is not merely a provocative idea but an economic inevitability, given the immense expectations and pressure these games face. Reisdorf points to Call of Duty as an example, noting its evolution from a single game to an encompassing platform with at least four distinct components: campaigns, zombies, multiplayer modes, and the Warzone ecosystem. The cost, he points out, includes not only producing this content but also maintaining and expanding it. Reisdorf, a former creative director for Call of Duty multiplayer, believes the current market dynamics and investor expectations, fueled by ever-increasing production budgets, support the rise to $100 game prices. He suggests that Grand Theft Auto VI could be the first title to cross this threshold, potentially encouraging other publishers to raise prices on their flagship titles as well.

Premium and User-Generated Content Games – The Viable Path to €100? Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto VI as Potential Leader

He contrasts this trend with the free-to-play market, noting that while these games offer potential for massive growth, companies investing in them face significant financial risks. Millions of dollars are spent developing and launching these games, with no guarantee of success, and a title can decline rapidly despite a large initial investment. In Reisdorf’s view, premium games and free-to-play titles focusing on user-generated content represent the most viable business models, though he remains confident that $100 games are coming. “You just don’t want to be the first to do it,” he says, suggesting that publishers are waiting for a leader to emerge, with Rockstar and Grand Theft Auto VI as a potential candidate. Reisdorf also believes that Rockstar is in a unique position to charge $100, as they have a reputation for delivering high-quality and enduring games, further driven by the increasing costs of AAA game development. According to him, the talented developers behind AAA games don’t work for cheap, which is why these games require such substantial budgets.