A designer who was part of the original Saints Row trilogy has now published a very heated opinion that can be likened to the engine of a stolen supercar. He went as far as to say that the new Grand Theft Auto 6 game “should” be priced at one hundred bucks. Moreover, he even admitted that it would be a “catastrophe” for gaming if such a price was set for the entire industry. Confused messages anyone??? The subject blew up very quickly on social media, and people’s answers are… let’s just say they’re not common.
Now, let’s take this whole debate apart piece by piece. The central point of discussion is whether a game with GTA 6-like extravagance and quality could be sold for the highest price. There is no doubt that this would not be for a tiny indie project. Rockstar’s hands are full with massive, multi-year projects and they are kind of responsible for making whole worlds come alive, with everything (both animate and inanimate) being not just created but also interacting over time. Besides, the creator could as well tell, ‘Here I am, I have this mega giant and I am the one getting paid the most for it!’ Then, however, he goes back to saying that the game industry should not follow that. It is almost as if behind the teacher’s back one student is allowed to have a cupcake while others are not; a sure way to start a food fight in the cafeteria.
The online gamers were, however, very open with their opinions. The comment sections resulted in very and extremely confrontational discussions. One user, @Zer0s1ns, was partly in sympathy with the author’s thoughts but “_to the extent of being qualified_”: “I would allow GTA to be 100 at the most. Otherwise, I will just laugh at it and move on. We have too much overpriced rubbish already.” There is a small bit of approval, but it is very conditional. It is more like, “Okay, maybe for this one game.”
For every person who more or less supported the argument, there were ten others protesting by throwing tomatoes. @PaleHorseRAAM took the very sharpest position and stated without any doubt: “NO GAME should be more than 60$. Some games are not even worth that.” This is the classic, extreme point of view. The $60 price point (or now $70) has been the psychological barrier for so long that for many gamers crossing it feels like an act of betrayal.
Then there are those who remind the development team of past mistakes. Let’s put it this way, the revival of Saints Row is not lying positively in the overall picture. @Aramisamour replied: “Yeah, but where is Saints Row now? So what, who cares about this guy’s opinion?” Ouch. That’s a low punch; however, it does score a point in the court of public opinion. Perhaps when one talks about the worthlessness of other people’s games, one loses a bit of credibility if one’s own latest project is seen as a flop too, though.
The skepticism is very deep. @PaarlOfYharnam raised a significant issue for PC players, pointing to the delayed PC release and the strong focus on the online component: “$100 for a game that will primarily be about the broken yet profitable online is excessive.” This comment expresses a true worry of the high price tag not being purely aimed at a top-notch single-player experience, but also a door to a monetized online world. Moreover, the whole “pay twice” situation for PC players who have to wait? That is really hard to take.
And then, there’s the matter of piracy. @FoxHoundUnitMGS sounded a straightforward warning: “Those who are going to pay out more can just give their money to the studio as a donation. However, don’t forget that you are not the only one out there and some will resort to piracy because of that.” It is a harsh reminder that if prices get too high, one part of the audience will just… look for another way. It is a fact of economics.
Some comments were just pure comedy. @memeslich was a bit absurd saying, “Why not a price of a thousand dollars for the game?” In contrast, @forknoses poked fun at the origin, jokingly saying “Saints Row is a £10 game 😂.” The difference between the proposed $100 price for GTA and developers’ own evaluation was just so tempting that the public couldn’t resist.
What is the most intriguing part of this case, however, is the word “deserves.” Who is to make the call on which game “deserves” to come with a high price tag? Is it the production cost? The expected playtime? The innovativeness? @KRam20191971 had a simple measure: “For me, it depends on how long the game is.” But is that really so? A short, extremely polished, and moving narrative isn’t worth the same as a 100-hour tiring grind? The argument quickly becomes very intricate.
The developer’s reference to the possibility of it being a “disaster” for the industry to be selling at the price of the game might be the stronghold of his discussion and it somewhat got overshadowed by the uproar. He is making it clear that the gaming ecosystem isn’t all that stable. If all publishers made the choice that their new game was $100 at the same time, we would witness a market collapse. Sales would fall steeply, indies would be the first victims, and the whole industry would shrink. It is a position that only a blockbuster series like GTA could even consider.
So where does that leave us? A previous Saints Row developer thinks that GTA 6 is so enormous that it can command a price of $100, yet he is also smart enough to see that this is a slippy slope for the entire industry. Players are very much against the idea and they give reasons that vary from ethical to the concern of unlimited monetization. The whole discussion is a reflection of the years-long struggle over game pricing that may have been brewing in the background.
With the ever-increasing game development costs, publishers have, more than ever, to look for new revenue streams. But a three-digit price might be the tipping point, the no-go area for most. For now, it is just one man’s controversial view that has everyone talking—and dreading—what might follow next. Wait, what was I even saying? Oh yes, “$100 games.” Nah, that’s a no from me, dawg.
PlayStation and Xbox gamers have been part of similar pricing debates recently.
