Do you remember when the internet was joking around about Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) costing $100 because of how massive it’s going to be? Well, according to a new report from an analyst, the game could break the $70 price ceiling and retail for as much as $100.
But is this something to look forward to? Sure we’ll pay $100 for a good game but what if bad games start costing that much too? The development cost for games has definitely risen in the last few years so this helps with that, but is it too steep a price?
Matthew Ball, an analyst and researcher with Epyllion, recently released a detailed 221-slide presentation report titled “The State of Video Gaming in 2025.” In it, he talks about the possibility of GTA 6 costing as much as $100 per copy. He also implied that some other game publishers and developers hope that it breaks the $70 barrier.
If games start costing $100 for a new release the entire industry will collapse. That’s like…what? $120-130 Canadian a new release?
Nobody will be buying games at release beside diehard fans. What a retarded meta these analysts want to exist 🤦🏻♂️ https://t.co/1obwZpIRoJ
— Endymion (@EndymionYT) January 19, 2025
But why? So the reasoning behind this is that since the next GTA game will undoubtedly be a huge event, it could normalize higher pricing and allow other companies to follow suit. But this is a very optimistic view to have considering the current condition of the gaming industry. 2024 was filled with some massively good games, but it also showed the problems of having big-budget projects with no passion and mediocre games with a big price tag.
But if we talk about GTA 6 in particular, even with a price tag of $100 the game will sell well. But that’s just because of franchise appeal and fanbase. What about selling it to non-fans? Will the average gamer be able to justify spending that much on a single game? The consensus from the internet is a resounding no.
The only way it would be acceptable would be if the game has the same high quality and content as RDR 2 and Gta 5. And no no game company can hold that standard going.
— SomeGuyOnPhone (@FrancescoSolbak) January 19, 2025
One point that’s been brought up is that game prices have remained relatively stable over the years, even if you take development costs and inflation into consideration. A $70 game today, when adjusted for inflation, is effectively cheaper than a $60 game from the mid-2000s. Still, the idea of a $100 game raises questions about how much of these rising costs should be passed on to consumers.
If there was a developer and game combo that could justify a $100 price tag, it would be Rockstar and GTA. GTA 5 was the last entry in the franchise and it sold over 185 million copies and generated nearly $9 billion in revenue through GTA Online. Early predictions with a $70 price assumption have already placed the game to make 3 billion in the first year alone.
However, even Rockstar’s star-studded history and track record might not be enough to convince players to accept such a steep price increase. See the thing is, because of GTA Online‘s success, Rockstar will undoubtedly fill GTA 6‘s equivalent mode with micro transactions too, so if you consider the potential revenue from there, a $100 price tag is unnecessary.
For the community, a $100 price tag would have to be justified by the quality and content of the game. Rockstar has some of the biggest hits like Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA 5, but not all developers and publishers can deliver to that level. But for GTA 6 to cost that much, it would be a very valid standard.
#Warning #GTA #True #Worried
