Earlier this month, 2K Sports unveiled NBA 2K21 and announced that Xbox Series X copies would cost $70 — a $10 increase on games from both the two previous console generations. It’s believed that other publishers could be following 2K’s lead and the $70 price tag could become a new standard for AAA games. Now, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has shared his thoughts on the topic saying that the customer will ultimately decide what’s right for them.
Speaking with The Washington Post, Spencer said, "As an industry, we can price things whatever we want to price them, and the customer will decide what the right price is for them.
“I’m not negative on people setting a new price point for games because I know everybody’s going to drive their own decisions based on their own business needs. But gamers have more choice today than they ever have. In the end, I know the customer is in control of the price that they pay, and I trust that system.”
Spencer also declined to comment on what Xbox Series X games from Xbox Games Studios will cost but pointed out that games these days are available at a variety of price points. Xbox Game Pass will offer subscribers access to all first-party Xbox games for a reasonable fee each month.
Ex-PlayStation boss Shawn Layden called the current AAA development unsustainable going into the next generation. According to Layden, games have seen a vast increase in development costs, but retail prices for games have remained the same for years.