As some analysts "hope" GTA 6 will normalize $100 games, one Baldur's Gate 3 dev points out that "prices haven't risen with inflation"

gamesradar.com:

When I was a kid, video games cost $40. Now they're $70, and analysts are discussing a potential $100 price tag for Grand Theft Auto 6. One Baldur's Gate 3 dev says companies hoping for this are "saying the quiet part out loud."

GTA 6 is one of the most-anticipated games in history. We're all going to buy it, that much is certain, the only question that remains is how much we'll pay for it. The $70 standard for triple-A games came into effect a few years ago, but in 2024, some of the best-selling games were around $40. Helldivers 2 and Palworld both did phenomenally well at those lower prices, but now analysts are wondering if GTA 6 will actually push video games to be even more expensive.

In a report spotted by VGC, it states there is "hope" within the industry that if Take-Two charges $100 for GTA 6, other companies could do the same. VGC notes that Take-Two was one of the first publishers to adopt the $70 price tag for games, so it's not outside the realm of possibility.

Michael Douse, a developer at Larian, writes in response to the news, "You’re not supposed to say this out loud!!!!" Obviously, companies would love to charge us more for games – more money means more profit for them. But, there is a limit to what people are willing, and able, to pay. Millions may pay $100 for GTA 6, but it's unlikely any other game could dare to charge that same price.

Douse continues: "A good company raises salaries in line with inflation so that their staff don’t die or something, but games prices haven’t risen with inflation. This isn’t the reason the industry is in the shit for now, but it is an uncomfortable truth. On the other hand, the responsibility for a game developer is to make sure that the game they show lives up to that promise, and that investment from the player."

You’re not supposed to say this out loud!!!! https://t.co/4EABCQJaDBJanuary 19, 2025

I doubt charging more for games would reduce the number of layoffs we've seen in the industry these last few years.