The PS5 and Xbox Series X version of NBA 2K21 will cost $70 / £65, an increase from the standard $60, according to Gamesindustry.biz. Other game studios are expected to follow suit.
Next-gen games to cost more
While production costs for games have increased over time, the standard price for an AAA game has remained at $60 for almost 15 years. Games for next-gen systems such as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are expected to cost more.
- "It's been $59.99 since I started in this business, but the cost of games have gone up ten times. If you don't have elasticity on the price-point, but you have huge volatility on the cost line, the model becomes more difficult. I think this generation is going to see those two imperatives collide," former PlayStation exec Shawn Layden said at the Gamelab conference last month.
'NBA 2K21' in-game footage (PS5)
The first hard evidence is 2K Games' decision to make NBA 2K21 more expensive on next-generation consoles at $70 / £65. The game will cost $60 / £55 on current-generation consoles. The studio did not rule out that other games will be priced at the same level.
NBA 2K21 will not support Microsoft's 'Smart Delivery' either, meaning that a version bought for Xbox One will not be upgraded for Xbox Series X.
Other game studios have yet to announce pricing details but many in the industry expect at least some of them to follow suit due to higher development costs.
- Source: GamesIndustry.biz
