When they are released in the US, large games created by Microsoft's studios will shortly cost $70. Most likely, the price hike will also apply to Europe, increasing the retail price to €80.
How can one be startled by such a declaration? The next big Xbox releases, such as Forza Motorsport, Starfield, or even Redfall, will have launch prices that are higher than those of today's brand exclusives.
According to Xbox, these large games created for the Xbox Series X|S consoles would cost $10. The American gaming behemoth noted that costs may vary by area, indicating that Europe will also be impacted by this rise. Therefore, there is a significant probability that Xbox productions will see a price increase to €80 in Europe, putting them on par with PlayStation or Ubisoft games.
Everyone is not surprised by the announced price hike, as was previously stated. Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox (or Microsoft Gaming), mentioned price rises starting in 2023 a little more than a month ago. "We have kept our console prices the same, as well as our rates for games and subscriptions. We can't continue doing this, in my opinion. Although I believe that you will eventually need to raise pricing on some items, we felt that it was crucial to keep our current prices as we entered the holiday shopping season.
According to Microsoft, price hikes for Xbox games "reflect the content, size, and technical complexity of these titles. In fact, the technologies used to create games are constantly more sophisticated, always more expensive to utilize, and the teams working on a major game are always larger. Today, creating a game has grown incredibly expensive from pre-production to release, including marketing. All of these expenses must be effectively absorbed.
However, it is not the only one. Unofficially, Xbox wants to expand the user base of its well-known Game Pass. The cheapest version of the video game subscription service, which includes all of the company's top titles from the moment they are launched, is merely €9.99 per month. a tactic where Xbox always comes out on top. Whether there are more Game Pass subscribers or more gamers who purchase their games at full price offline or online, the brand benefits financially in both scenarios.
We'll have to wait until next year and any potential announcements to learn whether Microsoft plans any additional price rises, especially for its Series X and S consoles as PlayStation did last summer.
