[GameSpot] - $70 Games May Finally Become The Norm With PS5 And Xbox Series X

[343iBot]

Despite the many factors that might have led to an increase in the prices of games, $60 has remained the standard retail price in the United States for well over a decade. Inflation, increasing development costs--it's arguably been a surprise that prices have remained static for so long, even if there's a case to be made that lower prices could lead to increased overall sales.

That's finally set to change with the launch of PS5 and Xbox Series X, at least in the case of one game series. 2K has announced that NBA 2K21 will cost $60 on current-gen consoles as usual, while the next-gen versions will cost $70. That's the first instance we've seen of a publisher attaching a higher price tag to a game as we enter this console transition. 2K is also seemingly eschewing Microsoft's Smart Delivery and won't even match EA's comparatively generous upgrade offer on its sports games. There won't be any free next-gen upgrade for buyers of 2K21 on current-gen consoles; instead, they can opt for the Kobe Bryant-starring Mamba Forever edition, which costs $100 and provides dual access within a console family.

Until now, we hadn't seen any indication that PS5 and Xbox Series X games would cost more to purchase than what we've become accustomed to for so many years. This doesn't necessarily mean that all of 2K or parent company Take-Two's games will adopt the higher pricing, nor does it mean that other publishers will follow suit. But it's hard to imagine companies turning down the additional revenue if 2K finds success with the $70 price point.

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