It’s the debate that isn’t going away, and with the Switch 2 launch fast approaching, we wanted to peel off the band-aid that is the discussion of $80 games—and the discourse surrounding it.
Let me be clear first about my opinion of these new prices. I don’t believe in $80 games; I believe they make gaming unaffordable, especially during times when many people have limited disposable income. Though I must give Nintendo some credit for one thing, at least, which was making the digital versions of these games cheaper, even if it’s marginal.
For the longest time, I’ve seen companies sell digital games for more than physical games, even though digital was always meant to represent a cheaper alternative to physical media. So, in my opinion, buying digital should always be cheaper than buying the physical counterpart. But I know that isn’t shared.
Shuhei Yoshida says $70 or $80 games are a steal.“In terms of actual price of $70 or $80, for really great games, I think it will still be a steal in terms of the amount of entertainment that the top games, top quality games bring to people compared to other form of…pic.twitter.com/macUiAnHt9
I also believe that the rise of AAA games being sold for $80 will start to send people to alternatives, which I’m all for. Indie games or AA games like the fabulous recent release ofClair Obscur: Expedition 33will gain more prominence due to the affordability of the titles and likely force big companies to have a change of heart or see sales decline. Or put their games on “sale” after the first few months turn a profit.
But enough waffling from me. I want to hear your opinions on the $80 games fiasco currently taking over conversations right now, with companies looking to follow Nintendo’s new price point moving forward. What do you think of $80 games? Leave nothing out and let me know in the comments. I really want to see your opinions, no matter how diverse they might be!
After all, sooner or later, we will be back here talking about $90 or even $100 games, and the cycle will continue.
