According to Greg Reisdorf, former creative director for Call of Duty’s multiplayer, the arrival of $100 video games is inevitable. It’s only a matter of time, and that moment may not be far off.
The topic has been circulating for months in discussions about the future of video games. This console generation has already accepted AAA games at $70, and we’re now starting to see some titles priced at $80 in the U.S., such as certain physical games expected for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2.
Given the general crisis in the gaming industry and the continuous rise in production costs, the next step appears to be the $100 price point.
Waiting for the First Publisher to Try It
“A $100 game is going to happen eventually. You just don’t want to be the first person to do it,” Reisdorf said in a recent interview (thanks NeoGAF). “All the publishers are waiting. The Outer Worlds got tagged with the $80 price tag and they didn’t even know it,” he explained.
This refers to Microsoft’s initial decision to launch The Outer Worlds 2 at $80 as an experiment for Xbox Game Studios — a move that was quickly reversed after major backlash, bringing the price back to the standard $70.
GTA 6 Could Lead the Way
“I’m sure Grand Theft Auto VI could do it and they would still do gangbusters and everyone would still be excited about it because it will be quality,” Reisdorf added.
“You get what you pay for, right? GTA Online is huge too with all those servers and everything else that’s running it on the custom side, which has serious costs to keep going.”
According to Reisdorf, GTA 6 is the most likely candidate to break the $100 barrier. It might be the only game capable of pulling it off while still achieving huge success. Once that happens, the $100 standard could spread to other major franchises, including Call of Duty.
On the other hand, some games do offer an enormous amount of content — from single-player to multiplayer modes, various gameplay options, and ongoing online support — making a higher price somewhat understandable.
