GTA 6 at $100 will not 'save' video games

Last week a report was published by industry analyst, Matthew Ball on the State of Video Gaming in 2025. In the 219-page report, he suggested that it’s a possibility that Rockstar Games could charge $80-100 for GTA VI as it would “save” gaming.

While I admire the sentiment behind the idea, it seems to me that should Rockstar Games, and their parent company, Take-Two, choose this price point, it would only hurt the industry as a whole. A lot of people have, quite rightly, latched onto this point from Ball’s report as it’s a sensationalist piece of information that would break conventions within the industry and impact the players.

If you read through the full report, Ball makes a lot of good points, many of which I’ve touched on over recent articles looking at the state of the industry and how gaming is stuck battling overinflated budgets on the hunt for graphical fidelity or new trends. The idea of charging $80-100 is seen as recouping more of the budget and development costs for such big games.

It’s a noble idea. However, as we’ve seen time and time again throughout video games, if it works for one, it’ll be assumed that it will work for everyone. It’s that constant chase for the next lightning in a bottle moment, or big boon.

Rockstar Games

Here’s how I see things going, should that price tag be stuck on the box of GTA VI.

Launch day arrives and millions of players eagerly pay the cost because it’s a game like no other. Fans have waited many years for this; non-fans are even intrigued because it’s the biggest video game launch of all time; the price is paid because the wait will be worth it.

Companies like Sony and Microsoft see that Rockstar Games has hit it big. The sales are through the roof, ergo, fans don’t mind paying more for their games. The next blockbuster exclusive from them also has a $100 tag on the box, maybe it does well because it’s The last of Us Part 3.

However, then others start to take notice because they think it’s a new trend in pricing that has been widely accepted. Their game, perhaps another AAA title with large ambitions, flops massively because players can’t afford yet another $100, or they don’t see the value they once got from GTA VI.

A bean counter at the publisher sees the line isn’t going up, they suggest to the CEO that cuts be made at the studio, plans for sequels or live-service spin-offs get cancelled. And we’re back to where we are now.

I don’t know how many times it needs to be said, but we’re barely surviving in a cost of living crisis, worldwide. I appreciate that, as Ball notes in his report, everything is increasing in price in-line with inflation, but at some point consumers will simply stop paying, or they’ll wait until the inevitable sale that starts next Tuesday.

Rockstar Games

Just like you cannot get blood out of a stone, gamers cannot pay if the money doesn’t exist. Sure, GTA VI might very well be worth the hefty price tag, but it’ll trigger a wave of others setting their bars higher, pushing their budgets up with the hope they’ll also claim a big price tag. Hell, there are hundreds of games that deserve to sell for more because the lives of the creatives who make them are worth stacks of cash.

You want to know how to save money and ensure that the creative teams are paid fairly? Reduce CEO bonuses, compensations, and rewards. Want to know how to reduce overspending? Stop chasing visual fidelity and implementing every graphical improvement, which only elongates development time. Want to increase sales? Ensure that the game is well optimised, fully supported from day one, and gives players enjoyment, which is the best investment for their money.

Of course, away from what this would do for parity across game pricing, it would only hurt the industry as a whole because people would simply buy fewer games. Practically everyone I know who plays games has a budget for themselves. Maybe they buy one game per month, or they allow for £100 to be spent each month on luxury items. Pricing that high instantly makes supporting multiple games a stretch for the average player.

Don’t get it twisted, there could be a change and some players will happily pay an increased price for certain titles. Inflation is something games have ignored for many years - I remember paying £50 for an N64 game in a store, and I could pay similar now for a PS5 game. I feel like there are better ways to ‘save’ gaming. My fear is that it’s those at the bottom of the pile that will feel the increased pressure and pinch, making the prospect of buying games feel stressful.