It seems to some of us like just yesterday—even though the transition began more than half a decade ago—that gamers were getting adjusted to spending $70 on AAA game releases at launch instead of $60, but as preorders begin this week for the wildly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI, they’re finding that at least that title will sell for $80.
Additionally, disclaimers make it clear that the physical release of GTA6 will not include a physical disc. Instead, it will be a box with a download code inside it.
The game’s “Ultimate Edition” will sell for $99 and will include a plethora of exclusive perks for the single-player portion of the game. (GTA6 will launch with its single-player campaign first, with its online modes coming sometime later.) Developer Rockstar Games’ marketing says that the ultimate edition includes “an exclusive collection of premium vehicles, weapons, apparel, and action threaded across all aspects of” the story.
While many gamers will find the new price level frustrating, it’s not a surprise. Analysts and commentators have been predicting this specifically for GTA6 for a couple of years now, with some speculative estimates landing even higher, like $100 for the base game.
Considerations and caveats
Game prices have not generally risen as quickly as inflation over the past few decades, while the cost of developing high-fidelity games for PC and consoles has been multiplying in recent years as large publishers chase bigger-than-ever projects in the belief that the most successful games will be massive, groundbreaking bets.
This is also informed by an awareness that scope, fidelity, and scale are differentiators for large studios and publishers, as the barrier to entry for making (albeit not necessarily making money on) smaller games keeps falling due to improved development tools and other factors.
On one hand, you could argue that the $60 or $70 price point simply isn’t practical for a single-player game of the budget and scope of GTA6. However, that also presumes that the initial purchase is the game’s only revenue stream. Although the title will launch with just single-player, it’s expected to get a robust multiplayer service with subscriptions, in-game purchases, and more, so that initial purchase is definitely not the game’s only revenue stream.
Demand for this game is so high that many players will likely be willing to pay the relatively steep launch price.
Keep in mind that this does not necessarily herald an $80 price point for all future AAA games. At least for the immediate future, other games in this category will probably still launch at $70. We’ll see how long it stays that way, though.
The industry has already been experimenting with a range of prices reflecting each game’s level of investment. For example, AA games—titles with modern 3D graphics but with a smaller scope and no ambition of pushing the envelope in a competitive way—often launch at $50.
GTA6 is scheduled to launch on current-generation PlayStation and Xbox consoles on November 19, with download preloading starting on November 12. The retail version of the game will go on sale on November 12 as well, so those who want to buy the physical box won’t have to wait for a big download on launch day. A PC version is expected, but has not yet been given a date.
