Strauss Zelnick Explains PS5 and Xbox Series X/S Price Hike
During a recent interview, CEO of Take-Two Interactive Strauss Zelnick explained why games they publish will be receiving a price increase for next-gen consoles. The price increase is primarily due to a significant increase in production cost, necessitating the $10 price increase for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S games. NBA 2K21 will be the first game to set the new Take-Two standard when it releases for Xbox Series X/S and PS5 later this year.
“The bottom line is that we haven’t seen a front-line price increase for nearly 15 years, and production costs have gone up 200 to 300%,” said Strauss Zelnick. “But more to the point since no one really cares what your production costs are, what consumers are able to do with the product has completely changed. We deliver a much, much bigger game for $60 or $70 than we delivered for $60 10 years ago. The opportunity to spend money online is completely optional, and it’s not a free-to-play title. It’s a complete, incredibly robust experience even if you never spend another penny after your initial purchase.”
While fans in other regions are familiar with the $59.99 price point, some regions are already paying upwards of $90 for new games, so a $10 increase may be harder for them than gamers in the US. The long-standing price point in the US was bound to increase eventually, but some regions may not be able to afford the price increase. It’ll be interesting to see how well Take-Two games continue to sell during launch week following the new price hike. Are you curious about what we thought about NBA 2K21? Check out our review here!
Do you think the next-gen price increase is justified or are you already struggling to buy the games you want? Let us know in the comments below!