Take-Two Interactive has opened up pre-orders for its multi-generational release NBA 2K21, highlighting one possible feature we might see more of with next-generation games: a MSRP higher than the industry-standard $59.99.
Those looking to pick up NBA 2K21 on either the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 are met with a $69.99 price tag for the standard edition of the game, $10 more than what the game is retailing for on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, or Switch.
It’s too early to tell if this new MSRP is an outlier or a next-generation norm, but Take-Two defended the price hike in a statement to Kotaku today saying the price “fairly represents the value of what’s being offered: power, speed and technology that is only possible on new hardware.”
The cost of game development has certainly increased over the past few console generations while game prices have remained largely the same, so the idea that we can expect a higher price tag for next-generation titles doesn’t feel like it’s coming out of left field.
Despite that, upping the price of individual games is an interesting way to cover for those pricier development cycles after considering the heads of triple-A companies like, for example, Activision Blizzard tend to grossly out-earn the developers directly involved in making those studios’ games.
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2020