The Outer Worlds 2 director, Brandon Adler, explains that developers do not set the prices for games like the $80 tag on their forthcoming title.
This response was given when asked about the pricing at the Summer Game Fest, indicating that decisions like this come from higher-ups, in this case, the Xbox team.
The issue of game pricing has been under scrutiny due to titles like Mario Kart World and Borderlands 4 also adopting the $80 pricing.
The gaming industry is facing labor challenges and rising costs, making game development financially and human-resource intensive.
Game prices have not matched inflation, although gaming hardware has become more affordable over the years, offering a balancing dynamic.
Consumers have more affordable gaming options now, including subscription services and indie games, influencing the perceived value of high-priced titles.
The norm for a game's price is seen as $20-$30 by some, with higher pricing reserved for highly anticipated releases from favorite studios.
There's a concern that the $80 price tag on The Outer Worlds 2 might negatively impact its reception, although the success criteria are unclear.
Obsidian's strategy of handling multiple smaller projects concurrently has led to more reasonable pricing for games like Pentiment and Grounded.
However, past titles like Avowed have been priced at $70, indicating a fluctuation in pricing strategies across different games.
Consumers' reluctance to pay high prices for games is viewed as a strategic misstep by industry decision-makers, rather than a fault of the consumers.