The Price Of AAA Games Would Not Be An Issue If Most Actually Delivered

We’re all familiar with the price bump of AAA games to $70 in recent years. Now, every major studio is striving to price their games at that level. At first, I was unbothered by this change, like most others. But something has started gnawing at me ever since I’ve seen many of these $70 titles flop harder than anything else. Why are these entries costing so much in the first place when they don’t even deliver half of what’s promised?

Some of these botched titles would have fared much better and possibly held up if their cost also reflected their quality. Unfortunately, we have no say in how these games are priced, which gives devs the reins to do whatever they want.

Right now, only a couple of titles justify the $70 premium price increase, which is not a good look for the AAA industry. This increase would not be a problem if most of these games were up to par. 

Unfinished Bug-Ridden AAA Games Demand Full $70 Price Tags

The AAA industry has suffered many losses in recent years. However, in the past, you could chalk it up to fair pricing even for games that did not deliver all of what they promised. What has become a problem is that these unfinished, broken messes want us to empty our wallets, only for them to shut down later or stop receiving fixes in the future. Redfall comes flooding into mind for all the right reasons.

I don’t think it’s controversial to say that each AAA game should be priced according to how well it holds up after release. So, it seems wild that devs expect us to pay full premium pricing for projects that are not even playable at times.

Players have slowly started losing interest in the AAA games industry because of flops. On the flip side, many AAA titles that still surpass our expectations don’t even cost $70. The highly popular Baldur’s Gate 3 is priced at $59, while the equally successful Helldivers 2 only demands $39.

Starting to feel like a lot of modern AAA games aren't worth it
by ingaming

Prices Are Based On Deceptive Marketing And False Promises

One might wonder why so many gamers even fall for these failed $70 AAA games anyway. The reason is that the premium pricing structure initially seems to be based on misleading marketing and promised features instead of the game itself. In other words, we’re sold on the idea of buying the best version of the game.

For example, Microsoft touted Redfall as the next big thing after a severe drought in Xbox’s roster. The deceptive trailers and gameplay seemed promising and free of bugs. Many were also generally excited because of Arkane’s past repertoire, so the pricing felt fair for all the aforesaid reasons. However, we fell for all these tactics and ended up disappointed.

Now, Redfall has been reduced to a mere $24 price tag after its value, player base, and promises have been lost to time. I think it would have sold a lot more, and gamers would have been more forgiving if that’s how the open world was priced in the first place. 

The current state of AAA Games
byu/Darraya55 inpcmasterrace

Microtransactions Should Not Be A Thing In $70-Priced Titles

Another thing that is a severe turn-off is the inclusion of microtransactions in premium-priced AAA games. Even if they are cosmetics, you’d think that a $70 price tag would justify them being obtainable without spending real-life money. Titles like Helldivers 2, on the other hand, still feature MTX without any predatory features.

As the tweet above points out, the few AAA games that do not have microtransactions are seen as a cardinal virtue. It should become common practice to exclude MTX if these mediocre titles are going to cost that much. Only then, the pricing would feel somewhat justified.

The Rising Prices Make Sense, But Not For All AAA Games

I am not against the $70 price tag at all for most AAA releases. Especially with the growing inflation all over the world, we will likely see another price increase in the near future. Many games—like Red Dead Redemption 2—did deserve a high price tag and delivered more than what was promised. But certainly, a large sum of AAA games do not deserve to cost $70.

We as gamers should come together to speak against unfinished premium titles so that devs can stop taking advantage of the rising prices and insert a $70 tag with microtransactions anywhere they desire.