Video games are getting more expensive. Just when Microsoft was about to raise prices, there’s a turnaround. The price stays at €70.
How expensive can a good video game be? This question has been debated for many years now. Over the past few months, it became clear that the price would likely rise from $70 to $80 – which means for us, from €70 to €80. This immediately sparked some controversies:
- The boss behind Borderlands clashed with fans and defended a high price.
- Meanwhile, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 showed that a mega-hit could also cost only €50.
Ultimately, Outer Worlds 2 was supposed to be the first game under Microsoft to demand a price of €80. Something that has now been reversed.
The price is lowered again: A spokesperson from Microsoft told IGN:
We are focused on bringing players fantastic worlds to explore and will price our full-price releases during the holiday season, including Outer Worlds 2, at $70 – that aligns with the current market conditions.
The option for a refund or return should be available everywhere, so that those who pre-ordered Outer Worlds 2 can benefit from the lower price.
That Outer Worlds 2 should be the first Microsoft game at $80 was poorly received by fans of the predecessor. After all, the game has a story that can be understood more as a criticism of capitalism. Accordingly, the announcement was received negatively by the fans.
Microsoft’s plan: To attract more people to Game Pass with expensive games
The publishing director of Baldur’s Gate 3, Michael Douse, has a clear opinion on the whole affair. He wrote on X about it:
As I have said several times, [Microsoft] wants to raise the price so that Game Pass looks more valuable in comparison. But I’m sure the developers don’t necessarily love that in an industry where sales figures are an important metric for success.
Douse’s opinion seems to be: If game prices rise, more fans will choose the Game Pass. Therefore, it’s in Microsoft’s interest to raise prices to bring more people to Game Pass.
Microsoft is in a tough spot right now: Currently, Microsoft seems to be losing favor with players. After the company was seen as a savior for many years — especially when fans spoke about Microsoft wanting to “rescue Blizzard from Activision’s clutches” — that opinion has largely faded. Large waves of layoffs and the new pricing policy have led to a further decline in reputation.
At least for the current year, we can therefore look forward to games that mainly stay in the €70 range. However, it will likely only be a matter of time before prices will broadly rise to €80. Recently, Nintendo already announced with the Switch 2 that games will become more expensive and this was also implemented with Mario Kart World.
