The controversial boss of Embracer Group has discussed the topic of increasing the price of video games beyond $70 amid rising development costs and a brutally competitive market.
Lars Wingefors, who has laid off thousands of staff, shut multiple studios, and sold off subsidiaries in the last financial year, told GI.biz that pushing the price of video games higher is something Embracer has discussed, and that doing so would mean more video games would be released.
"I'm not saying you can't increase the price," Wingefors told the site.
"It's something we have been discussing, but we are currently sticking to the practice of the industry.
The triple-A video game industry collectively raised the price of its video games with the launch of the current console generation in 2020, but in recent months the $70 price point has become the topic of much discussion amid the industry’s ongoing struggles.
Recent data points to gamers tending to favor older, live service games, such as Fortnite, Roblox, and Call of Duty, leaving less room for new, full price games.
"The pricing of those products has been the same for many years... Wingefors’ comments suggest Embracer is waiting for another video game company to go first, essentially, before it follows suit with a price hike. »
