Xbox U-Turn the First Step Towards Gamers Rejecting $80 Games

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Microsoft became the pioneer by confidently mirroring Nintendo’s strategy, disclosing plans to elevate the price of its forthcoming games to $80.

Despite The Outer Worlds 2 being embroiled in controversy and seeing a significant drop in pre-orders, the publisher has decided to lower prices for The Outer Worlds 2 and all of its other holiday role-playing games offered by Obsidian.

Here’s what a spokesperson from the Redmond firm said:

Our primary goal is to offer players immersive realms to discover, and we plan to maintain the price of our premium game releases, such as The Outer Worlds 2, at $69.99, a cost that aligns with present-day market standards.

Black Ops 7, will now be priced at $70 instead of $80. This price drop could potentially benefit consumers.

Well, it’s worth noting that Nintendo is now walking this path alone.

As a dedicated gamer, I couldn’t help but anticipate that Sony might follow a similar path. Yet, to my delight and wallet’s dismay, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Ghost of Yotei are priced at $70 each. It seems that Sony is reaping profits from enticing consumers with Digital Deluxe Editions and more.

Despite being right in the middle of the controversy, Take-Two Interactive has stood firm. The upcoming Borderlands 4 game will retail at $70, causing some concern, while Mafia: The Old Country has opted for a lower price point of $50, reflecting its scale. Details about Grand Theft Auto 6 are yet to be fully disclosed.

The main disadvantage is that Nintendo has achieved success by selling Mario Kart World, their first game priced at $80. This racer came in third place in the most recent Circana sales report, but it’s important to note that the figures do not include sales from Switch 2 bundles or digital downloads.

However, Nintendo operates independently with great autonomy: the high regard associated with its brands allows it to set prices at will, often quite high.

We’re hoping that other publishers might eventually understand they won’t be able to maintain such high prices, and the hint towards a price point of $80 may lose its appeal quickly.

What’s your opinion on the current cost of video games? Is it reasonable to spend around $80 on a top-tier (AAA) game? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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2025-07-23 23:06