May 19th 2025.
Shuhei Yoshida, a long-time member of the Sony team, has recently announced his retirement from the company earlier this year. Despite this change, Yoshida continues to be vocal about important issues within the gaming industry. One such topic that has been causing a stir is the rising cost of games, and Yoshida has stepped in to share his thoughts on the matter.
With the recent controversy surrounding Nintendo's £74.99 price tag for Mario Kart World and the increasing costs of Xbox games, it's clear that game prices will continue to be a hot topic for the foreseeable future. And with the highly anticipated release of GTA 6 on May 26, 2026, analysts are predicting that the game could cost upwards of £100. While Rockstar has not officially announced the price, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has emphasized their commitment to variable pricing, citing the upcoming release of Mafia: The Old Country priced at £44.99 as an example.
In a recent interview with Critical Hits, Yoshida addressed concerns about the rising game prices and expressed his support for variable pricing. He believes that not every game should be priced the same, as each game offers a unique value and has different budgets. He also states that it should be up to the publishers or self-publishing developers to decide the price that reflects the value they believe their game brings.
While some may argue that these high game prices are too much to justify, Yoshida disagrees. He believes that even the most expensive games, currently priced at $70 or $80, are still a bargain when compared to other forms of entertainment. He points out that these top-quality games provide a significant amount of entertainment for the price, and as long as people choose how they spend their money wisely, there should be no complaints.
Yoshida also highlights the idea that a game's worth should not be solely based on its length. While this metric can be messy, he uses the example of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, priced at £50 and takes around 30-40 hours to complete. When compared to a £15 cinema ticket for a two-hour film, it's clear that games offer much more value for money.
He also makes a valid point about franchises like Mario Kart, where new games are released infrequently. In this case, the £74.99 price point for Mario Kart World can be seen as justified, considering its quality and longevity as a multiplayer game. This is especially true when compared to annual releases like EA Sports FC and Call of Duty, which are priced at £70.
However, the acceptance of these high prices may be challenging, given the rise of free-to-play titles like Fortnite and Apex Legends. When players can enjoy these games for free, the idea of paying £80 for a game may seem outdated and unappealing.
It's yet to be seen if these increased game prices will affect sales, but Yoshida's perspective sheds light on the situation. While it may not be a popular opinion among gamers, his points are worth considering. In the end, it's up to each individual to decide how they want to spend their money on entertainment. And for those who want to share their thoughts on the matter, they can email, leave a comment, follow on Twitter, or sign up for the newsletter. Submitting letters and features is also made easier with the Submit Stuff page on the website.
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