Ubisioft, the games developer behind console big-hitters like Assassin’s Creed and Watch Dogs, has announced it not be upping the price of next-gen games for PS5 and Xbox One.
The studio revealed Watch Dogs: Legion and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will cost the same $59.99 as AAA titles on the current generation of games.
In its latest earnings call the company didn’t rule out a future price rise, saying it was focusing on this year’s releases for now. The word comes form Jason Schreier, a video game reporter for Bloomberg:
Ubisoft wouldn't answer when asked about next-gen pricing after this fall. "We are concentrating on the Christmas releases. We have decided those games will be launched at $60"
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) July 22, 2020
This is great news for gamers fearing a price hike across the board, but one has to wonder whether it’s sustainable, given games are costing more to make than ever.
Take Two Interactive, the makers of NBA 2K21, have already confirmed the forthcoming game will cost $69.99/£54.99, which is a $10/£5 increase on the current pricing. That led to some consternation among gamers who’re already facing a heavy outlay to get their hands on the new consoles.
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Many thought this would be the standard moving forward, and it still may be outside of the Ubisoft bubble. It’s a concept that’s been backed by Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, who cited the choice gamers now have to acquire games at a huge array of price points.
He said: “As an industry, we can price things whatever we want to price them, and the customer will decide what the right price is for them.
“I’m not negative on people setting a new price point for games because I know everybody’s going to drive their own decisions based on their own business needs. But gamers have more choice today than they ever have. In the end, I know the customer is in control of the price that they pay, and I trust that system.”
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
