During a recent investors call, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick notes that next-gen video game pricing will increase on a “title-by-title basis.” This means depending on what Take-Two decides on being a “valuable” title will determine the price moving forward next-gen.
We’ve reported before that Ubisoft is considering raising its video game prices moving forward. Although it won’t happen this generation or early on in the upcoming gen of consoles and games, Ubisoft is thinking about a price hike from $59.99 to something higher.
Moreover, the conversation that got Ubisoft to consider a price hike next-gen stems from 2K and Visual Concepts announcing NBA 2K21 being more expensive for next-gen consoles (which is a game that’s under Take-Two).
With that said, Zelnick was asked by an investor during the company’s first-quarter earnings call about next-gen pricing. Here’s the CEO’s response courtesy of videogameschronicle.com:
“We’re definitely announcing pricing on a title-by-title basis. We’re applying this price point in the case where we think the quality not only supports it but demands it. Production costs have gone up greatly, but most importantly the consumer experience is more robust than ever before and I’m utterly convinced that NBA 2K21 will be nothing short of extraordinary so I don’t expect that there will be any concerns.”
In other words, Zelnick believes next-gen price points are determined by “quality” and “production costs.” However, consumer experience also plays a part in Zelnick’s equation, which means the CEO believes NBA 2K21 is an “extraordinary” title that is worth more money.
So what does this all mean? It means that not all of Take-Two’s next-gen games will hit store shelves and the digital scene boasting higher prices, but if the game “warrants” a price hike due to its “production” and “features,” then it will cost consumers more money.
Lastly, NBA 2K21 and 2K21: Mamba Forever Edition will launch for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Stadia on September 4th, 2020. The next-gen version of said games will debut for PS5 and Xbox Series X sometime this holiday season.
