In a recent exclusive reveal for Dragon's Dogma 2, Capcom not only revealed the highly anticipated release date for the sequel to its action role-playing game, but also revealed a game-changing shift: the title represents the company's first step into the $70 pricing bracket.
Following the announcement of the March 22, 2024 release date, the firm immediately began accepting pre-orders for Dragon's Dogma 2. In the United States, the regular edition of the game costs $69.99 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam. This pricing plan reflects a $10 boost over previous releases such as Street Fighter 6 and Capcom's Resident Evil 4 remake earlier this year.
Capcom President Haruhiro Tsujimoto's view on game pricing is aligned with the company's choice to accept the $70 pricing model. During the Tokyo Game Show in September, Tsujimoto stated, "Personally, I feel that game prices are too low." He suggested that because development expenses are now roughly 100 times more than during the Famicom (NES) period, software prices must be adjusted. Tsujimoto also highlighted the industry-wide trend of growing wages, underlining the need to attract talented workers and arguing that raising unit costs is a reasonable business strategy.
Capcom's decision to raise software costs follows a trend seen among other big publishers. Notably, Take-Two's NBA 2K21 set the standard as the first current-gen game priced at $70 in August 2020. Activision, Sony, EA, Square Enix, and Nintendo have all modified their pricing plans in reaction, with Ubisoft indicating its intention to implement $70 pricing with its future title, Skull & Bones.
Capcom joins the ranks of publishers responding to the changing facts of game creation and distribution as the gaming industry navigates new economic climates.
Kommentare