By Eden Lawrence
On April 2nd, popular video game company Nintendo held a live stream to show off one of the most highly anticipated new generation consoles: The Nintendo Switch 2. Along with showing off the console’s new features, Nintendo also gave viewers a glimpse of some of the games that would be released. One thing that wasn’t mentioned was the price tag. When word broke of the console costing $450 and games costing up to $80, many gamers, myself included, felt as though this was a bad direction for the company to go. I think the increase in video game prices is unnecessary and gross, and pushes out fans of beloved franchises.
For a majority of video game titles, whether Nintendo or other consoles, the price range goes from $40 to $60. As time passes, however, many companies push past that $60 mark to the dismay of consumers. Many consider it to be a sign of corporate greed according to GamerRant. For the Switch 2, a lot of popular game titles are set to cost $80, the most notable being Mario Kart. Mario Kart dates back to 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and has had a new installment for every new Nintendo console. The most recent installment, “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,” is the highest-selling Nintendo game with 67.35 million copies sold according to Nintendo Life.
The last installment of the series was initially released back in 2014, so anticipation for the newest game was high amongst the community. Upon hearing the price tag, many felt put off by the game. The Vice President of Product and Player Experience for Nintendo of America, Bill Trinen, stated in an interview with Imagine Games Network (IGN) that the $80 price is justified due to the amount of new content, but I think a $20 increase to race as Mario and Princess Peach is far too large.
Another game Nintendo announced for the new console was “Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour,” which acts as a tutorial to help people understand the system better and learn the new functions of the controllers. This is replicating what Sony, another gaming company, did when they released the game “Astro’s Playroom”, a free extension of the PlayStation 5 in 2020.
However, instead of following in the footsteps of their competitor, Nintendo plans to charge $10 for this tutorial. This is a low price point, but I think charging customers for a glorified tutorial for a console they are already spending close to $500 for is greedy and unnecessary.
Nintendo isn’t the only gaming company to make questionable decisions regarding its games. Sony has made exploitative moves when it comes to “The Last of Us,” a zombie apocalypse story game following the main characters, Joel and Ellie. The game was originally released on the PlayStation 3 in 2013 for $50 and then rereleased for the PlayStation 4 a year later.
Six years later, in the summer of 2020, a second installment of the game, The Last of Us 2, would be released for the PS4 for $60. With the new PlayStation 5 coming out in the fall of the same year, however, Sony decided to rerelease both games for the new console. The second installment was priced at $50, but the first installment was priced at $70.
Additionally, Sony has recently decided to re-release both games in a bundle for the PS5 that costs $100. This constant rereleasing of the same game is a senseless cash grab from Sony. They are aware of how loved this franchise is and want to squeeze every cent they can from consumers.
Even “free-to-play” games aren’t safe from how money-grabbing video games have become. Games such as “Fortnite”, “Apex Legends”, and “Overwatch 2” are available to download at no charge, but make a profit through microtransactions. Microtransactions are a common video game practice where people use real money to buy in-game currency. This in-game currency allows players to buy cosmetic items such as character skins, weapon skins/charms, and emotes.
Some video games charge a lot for these in-game currencies, one of them being Valorant. Valorant’s microtransactions are quite expensive, as a single weapon skin can cost up to $50. Things get more predatory when talking about Valorant’s battle passes.
Battle passes are systems in video games that allow players to gain cosmetic items for leveling up their accounts just by playing the game. The items in these battle passes are only available for a limited time, giving players a fear of missing out on new content. These battle passes are also bought using in-game currency, but sometimes give back enough of that currency to buy the next battle pass, essentially giving players the next one for free.
Valorant, however, doesn’t follow this blueprint. Instead, players have to shell out $10 for the new battle pass every time. I find it ridiculous, as other games with battle passes don’t require this. On top of the exorbitant prices for their weapon cosmetics, I think Riot Games, Valorant’s development company, shows how money hungry they can be.
Gaming isn’t a super accessible hobby to begin with; it’s a luxury that not many can partake in. Nevertheless, with the direction that gaming companies are currently following, I’m worried that it will become something only the wealthy can partake in. I can see people distancing themselves from the hobby for something less demanding on their wallets. I’ve loved gaming since high school, and don’t see myself giving it up, but I think these companies should reconsider their pricing before they lose people’s business for good.