Ex PlayStation Boss Continues to Say Video Games Need to Be More Expensive

The price of video game software continues to be a source of contention between creators and consumers. The current console generation saw average game prices jump from $59.99 to $69.99, and Mario Kart World‘s $79.99 price tag is already leading to a lot of concerns about more games making that price jump. In an interview with PlayerDriven (via MP1st), former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden shared his belief that not only do games need to be more expensive, but companies dropped the ball by not easing consumers into smaller software price increases with each console generation.

“In 2025 dollars, you know, $59.99 in 1999 is equivalent to like a hundred bucks. So, as you know, your purchasing power compared that against, you know, your cost of living, it’s much smaller now than it was before,” said Layden. “But still companies have been reluctant to push that price up, because they probably should have done it they — I was in it at the time — probably every generation they should have, like, baked in a $5 software price hike and make that the typical, ‘well every generation it’s another five bucks’ and you would have been up to $90 already by now.”

There are strong arguments to be made both for and against the price of software going up. Development costs and the overall length of time it takes to produce a game have increased significantly over the last few decades. That means greater risk and a smaller window for reward on the part of publishers. There have been a number of high-profile flops as a result, and none of this takes into account the fact that prices remain pretty stagnant even as the price of everything else has gone up thanks to inflation. However, consumers argue that cost of living is also much higher these days, and it’s unreasonable to expect them to pay $80-90 for the average game.

Layden is often outspoken when it comes to issues surrounding the industry. In addition to arguing that games need to be more expensive, he’s also said that many of them are too long. In 2020, Layden made the argument to VentureBeat that he “would welcome the return of the 12-15 hour game.” However, if he expects consumers to pay more money, he’s probably not going to convince anyone that they should get less content in exchange.

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It will be interesting to see where gaming companies and consumers manage to meet in the middle. While companies clearly want to get every penny they can for the games they produce, there’s also a lot more competition now than ever before. AAA games are often directly competing with indies and free-to-play titles, which can be enjoyed for significantly less money up front. That’s not even accounting for all of the other entertainment options available. If companies want to start charging more for AAA software, they’re going to have to prove that the price is worth the trade-off.

How do you feel about the price of video games? Should we be paying more, or less for software? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!