warhorse co-founder wants gta 6 to normalize higher game prices

Saw this PC Gamer piece today and it's one of those takes that makes you stop scrolling. Martin Klima, co-founder of Warhorse, is out here saying development costs keep climbing and the money has to come from somewhere. His hope is that GTA 6 will set a precedent for higher game prices across the industry.

I get the logic. Rockstar is probably the only studio that can raise the bar and drag everyone else along. GTA 6 is already $79.99 for the standard edition and $99.99 for the ultimate, which felt like a jump from the $59.99 days. If other publishers are waiting for Rockstar to normalize $80 or even $90, that's a weird position to be in. It's like they want Rockstar to take the heat so they can quietly follow.

But here's the thing. The money has to come from somewhere, sure. It doesn't have to come from players every single time. Marketing budgets for these games are absurd. Some of them spend more on ads than on actual development. Maybe trim that before asking us to pay more. I'd rather see a $70 game with a tighter scope than a $90 game padded with filler. GTA 6 is probably worth whatever they charge, but not every game is GTA 6.

Klima's not wrong that costs are up. I just don't love the idea of using GTA 6 as a pricing experiment for the whole industry. Rockstar earned that price point with years of work and a track record. Most studios haven't.

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Source: PC Gamer · Curated content.