The discussion about how expensive games should be has seen many players in recent years. The latest player is Mafia: The Old Country, which despite AAA quality is offered for “only” 50 € on Steam. Now even the boss has to explain that it is still an AAA game.
Why is the price being discussed? The new game Mafia: The Old Country is set to be released on August 8, 2025, and costs “only” 50 € on Steam. Little for a title in AAA quality in 2025, players find. Many newer titles already cost 70 – 80 € on Steam in 2025, such as Borderlands 4.
The players’ worries that Mafia: The Old Country might fall short in quality and scope compared to previous installments even forces the boss of Hangar 13, Nick Baynes, to address it in an interview.
Here you can see the trailer for Mafia: The Old Country:
“This game is bursting with AAA quality”
What does the boss say about the players’ concerns? In an interview with IGN, Nick Baynes, head of Hangar 13, spoke about the players’ concerns. In the interview, he did not want to give a specific number of hours needed to complete Mafia: The Old Country. However, the game is said to be aligned with Mafia 1 and Mafia 2 in terms of scope and scale. He further explains: “I hope nobody is disappointed when they play it with these expectations.”
As developers, we don’t think too much about the price. We focus on making the best game possible. But I think this game is bursting with AAA quality. When playing it, no one will probably think: ‘Wow, this is a low-budget game. It looks fantastic and plays fantastically […]
He further explains in the interview that the new title is intended to have the same depth in terms of worldbuilding and characters as parts 1 and 2. The game aligns itself in many ways with the previous installments.
So I don’t believe anyone should worry about the quality of the game or how short it is. I mean, when we announced the price, I saw someone online say: ‘I bet [the adventure] is about three hours long. It’s not three hours, but if they expect an experience in the style of Mafia 1 or Mafia 2, I think everyone will be satisfied.”
How long were the previous parts? While Mafia 3 represents an outlier in its playtime with 25 hours for the main story according to Howlongtobeat.com, Mafia 1 and Mafia 2 were somewhat shorter. Mafia 1 takes about 16 hours of playtime (via howlongtobeat.com), while Mafia 2 can be completed in 12 hours (via howlongtobeat.com).
However, these times refer only to the main story, without excursions off the main missions and without side quests. Those who want to see everything can spend many more hours in the games.
That the boss has to personally defend his game before its release because it is “too cheap” shows how important pricing is for players’ perception. Especially with GTA 6, many players wonder how expensive it could be. One already has an idea: Players fear that GTA 6 will cost 100 euros – Now the boss speaks out
