Capcom President Harushiro Tsujimoto recently made headlines by claiming that the retail price of video games is currently too low. According to a report from Nikkei, Tsujimoto expressed concerns about the rising development costs for video games and the relatively stagnant prices.
Tsujimoto argued that the development costs are now around 100 times higher than during the Famicom era, which is a significant increase. However, the prices of video games have not kept pace with this increase. He suggested that raising the prices of video games would be a healthy and necessary option for the industry, especially considering the rising wages in the gaming industry as a whole.
Tsujimoto also dismissed the notion that a sluggish economy would have a detrimental impact on video game sales. He compared the industry to other forms of entertainment, such as movies and concerts, stating that high-quality games would continue to sell regardless of the economic climate.
This statement from Tsujimoto comes at a time when some publishers have already started to raise the prices of their games. Big developers like Activision and Electronic Arts have already introduced a $70 price tag for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of their games during the current generation. Sony initially kept its prices at $60 for its first-party PS5 games, but recently increased the prices for titles like Horizon Forbidden West and God of War Ragnarok.
Even Nintendo, known for its conservative pricing strategy, joined the trend by pricing its highly anticipated sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, at $70. However, the company mentioned that it would evaluate pricing on a “case-by-case basis.”
In contrast, Capcom has continued to sell its games, including Street Fighter 6, at the traditional price of $60. Even the iPhone 15 port of its Resident Evil 4 remake will adhere to the console standard price. However, there is speculation that Capcom may raise the prices of its current generation games to $70 in the future. Dragon’s Dogma 2, one of Capcom’s upcoming releases, could be a likely candidate for this price increase since it is a current-generation exclusive.
The debate over video game prices is an ongoing one within the gaming industry. Developers face the challenge of balancing rising development costs with market demand and consumer expectations. While higher prices may help offset these costs, there is also the risk of alienating budget-conscious consumers.
Ultimately, the decision to raise video game prices lies with individual publishers and developers. The gaming industry continues to evolve, and it will be interesting to see how pricing strategies adapt to changing market dynamics in the coming years.