Yoshida Backs $80 Games, Cites Variable Value

Following Nintendo’s lead, other major publishers are adopting higher game prices, with Microsoft soon announcing that some of its flagship titles, including The Outer Worlds 2, would also increase their costs. Yoshida would speak on the $80 games topic in an interview on the Kit and Krysta channel, offering a more nuanced perspective. According to the publisher, establishing a one-size-fits-all price point is unrealistic, as every game inherently delivers a different level of value to its players.

Consequently, Yoshida believes the responsibility to determine a reasonable price for their specific products based on a game’s perceived value lies solely with the producers. The producer explicitly stated that the significant differences between each game’s nature and worth served as potential reasons why the industry doesn’t need to universally settle on $70, $80, or any single figure to sell their games. However, while these significantly high prices may be justified for some massive experiences, other games could find success launching at lower prices.

Why Yoshida Sees $80 Games As Justified

To steer the conversation in another direction, Yoshida pointed to the sometimes staggering costs in live-service games. Specifically, he highlighted examples where players might pay $100 for a single digital item like a trading card, which may be considered outrageously expensive by many. Despite the trend of $80 games gaining popularity, he noted that some players clearly see sufficient benefit in those purchases to justify spending this amount of money. The producer stressed that the perceived value of video games rests entirely with the individual consumer, as he questioned why anyone would willingly pay such a steep price for virtual goods.

Ultimately, Yoshida reasoned that players would purchase these $80 games if they felt the value was there, stating that it’s fundamentally the individual player’s choice what to buy based on their own assessment. Furthermore, the producer readily acknowledged that many people face financial pressure due to the cost-of-living crisis. However, he still argued that video games remain surprisingly affordable when compared to their entertainment value.

These $80 games make even more sense considering their inflation rate has yet to match the significant increase seen in movie ticket prices over the past decade. Additionally, the sheer amount of entertainment a high-quality game delivers, like Mario Kart 8, provides immense value as countless players logged hundreds of hours from a single purchase (perhaps supplemented by some paid extra content). As a result, Yoshida believes that each game needs to be judged on its own, with players focusing on the specific entertainment it offers and deciding whether the asking price makes sense for them at launch, as waiting can often lead to substantial price drops on many titles.