Former PlayStation boss says gaming price hikes are inevitable, but lack of value is the real issue

Editor's take: Game prices are climbing to $70 and beyond, with publishers blaming inflation and rising development costs. However, players are pushing back against the price hikes because current big-budget games consistently fail to deliver comparable value. Current prices are a symptom of a much bigger problem. Many players have opted out of day-one releases as big-name publishers rapidly raise game prices. Nintendo's upcoming Switch 2 titles will cost as much as $80, Microsoft is following suit with select first-party games, and reports suggest GTA 6 could push past the $100 mark. The industry uses inflation and ballooning development costs as the scapegoat, but those excuses fall flat. The bottom line is that the value of the average AAA game isn't keeping pace with asking prices. An $80 price point would be a much easier pill to swallow if the game is actually good, but far too many new releases are unworthy of half that price. Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida recent ... Read full article.