In recent years, the price of videogames has remained a hot topic of conversation among gamers and publishers. Suggested retail price of a number of games have risen from $59.99 up to $69.99, and this change has been one of the biggest controversies of the current video game generation. It's been nearly four years since publishers increased the price of games, and now, Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch has addressed the price issue, and the expectations that are being put on games that are considered AAA. Speaking to IGN, Karch explains why the $70 price point will become extinct as things are changing in the industry.
I think that as games become more expensive to make, the $70 title is going to go the way of the dodo [bird]. I do. I just don't think it's sustainable… Look, you remember the hype for Cyberpunk , which I think actually ultimately performed okay, but when the expectations are so high and so much money is put into one title, it's hugely risky for the company that's doing it. What if it fails? You remember what happened when Ubisoft a couple of years ago, all their titles slipped out of the year, and then all of a sudden they were in an entirely different place? It's hard to recover from that. I think the market is going to shift to development which is not necessarily lower quality, but there's going to be an emphasis on trying to find ways to reduce costs
It sounds like there's a high chance that the video game industry will be shifting away from the $70 price point soon, and what Karch said aligns with what many others in the industry have been saying about AAA games. The rising development costs and increased risk just make the industry's current model more unstable. According to a recent analysis, older games such as Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto V, and VALORANT saw more playtime than newer games last year, which could be an indication of people spending less on newer titles, so it's easy to see why it's challenging for AAA games to meet sales expectations.
Is the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake still coming?
Yes, the highly-anticipated remake of the critically-acclaimed Star Wars: Knights of the Republic (KOTOR) game is still coming. In a recent interview with IGN , Karch revealed that KOTOR remake is still in active development at Saber Interactive. "It's clear and it's obvious that we're working on this," Karch told IGN. "It's been in the press numerous times. What I will say is that the game is alive and well, and we're dedicated to making sure we exceed consumer expectations."
This is an encouraging update for fans anticipated for what's been one of the most tumultuous journeys of almost any video game in recent years. The project was originally in development at Aspyr, a company owned by Embracer Group. In July 2022, Bloomberg reported that the project was "dead in the water". Parent company Embracer Group shifted the game to Saber Interactive. Embracer owned Saber until recently, when several studios were sold of to Beacon Interactive, where Karch, is the director.
