Shuhei Yoshida, former head of Sony, talks in an interview about expected increases in video game prices. However, he also gives examples of how things can be done differently.
Although we had already reported that Nintendo is raising prices for the upcoming Switch 2 and Microsoft is now following suit with prices for the Xbox and accessories, the anger over rising costs in the gaming community is definitely not at its peak yet.
Now, former Sony boss (also known as “the godfather of PlayStation”), Shuhei Yoshida, has made some statements in an interview with PlayStation Inside that are understanding, but have also attracted criticism.
It's About Time
For him, it was more a question of when the prices would come rather than whether they would be implemented at all. He is more critical of the players, as he believes that the outcry and demand for the previous prices was not scientifically justifiable. However, he understands that it is difficult to raise the money for this in today's world:
We live in contradictory times: inflation is real and tangible. Yet at the same time, people expect games to become ever more ambitious - and therefore more expensive to develop - but still cost the same as before. This calculation simply doesn't add up.
Remakes & The Price Balance
He also mentions the games-as-a-service model and game subscriptions, as they support triple-A games, which are expensive and complex to produce. It is unclear whether he is perhaps making a further statement in relation to the successful Oblivion: Remastered.
However, he drops the bombshell and rubs it in that we wouldn't necessarily get many remakes because of the nostalgia factor, but rather because they are cheaper to produce, which is often outsourced to other developer studios.
The ray of hope: This money could then be further invested in new games.
In the interview, he then emphasizes once again that a golden mean must be found: A balance between production costs and sales price. He also cites GTA 6 as a special case.
There Is Another Way (And My Two Cents)
In the end, however, he also admits:
You can make excellent games with smaller teams and tighter budgets without compromising on quality.
He gives Clair Obsur Expedition 33 as an example and says that it is an impressive game, even though a team of only around 30 people worked on it.
And This Is Where My Criticism Of The Whole Thing Begins:
From my experience, I would say that it is only a portion of gamers who always want higher resolution and better graphics in all their games. The majority of my friends are always thinking about newer hardware to get a smooth gaming experience in the first place.
I'm willing to open my wallet if developers invest more time and resources into optimizing games again so that everyone can enjoy the new “generation” of games. Not to mention the fact that you'll almost get scared when you hear "Unreal Engine 5".
And maybe that's why I think that the best games of recent years place more value on the community and, above all, on innovative gameplay. For me personally, an Inscryption with pixel graphics is more appealing (and also scarier) than the Silent Hill remake.
Many of the best games of recent times are not from our well-known giants, but rather from smaller studios such as Warhorse with their successful Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. And it is precisely these that show that a great game is created through passion and does not necessarily have to be praised to the skies by PR.
Do you now have more understanding for the rising prices, or do you still see them as unjustified?