Price has been one of the greatest controversies of the current video game generation. Over the last few years, a number of games have jumped from a suggested retail price of $59.99 up to $69.99. It’s been nearly four years since publishers made that jump, yet it remains a hot topic of conversation among players and publishers. In an interview with IGN, Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch addressed that price, and the expectations that are being put on so-called AAA games. Karch believes things are changing for the industry, and the $70 price point will be going extinct.
“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,” Karch tells IGN.
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The Death of AAA Games
It remains to be seen whether the industry will move away from that $70 price point any time soon, but Karch’s comments echo what many others in the industry have been saying about AAA video games. The current model for the industry has become increasingly unstable, with ballooning development costs and increased risk. Games that are selling millions of copies are failing to meet sales expectations, or taking much longer to turn a profit than they have in the past. These titles are also taking much longer to produce, leaving fans impatiently waiting.
What This Means for Knights of the Old Republic
It will be interesting to see what this prediction means for the industry, as well as Saber’s own games. Karch recently confirmed that the remake of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is still in development following Saber’s departure from Embracer Group. There have been a lot of concerns about the remake since it was first announced, particularly when it was in development at Aspyr. The switch to Saber has been somewhat reassuring, but it remains to be seen whether the studio can stick the landing. Karch’s comments on cutting costs might worry some Star Wars fans, but Karch believes Saber is capable of delivering high-quality games, even when the budget is smaller.
“In general, I would say that AAA development has become very risky. And that’s where Saber is different. Saber, I believe, can create AAA, but not at a AAA budget,” said Karch.
Do you think AAA games have to change? Does the industry need to move towards cheaper games? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
