The Reality Bites Hard

Across the gaming industry. Price rises galore. That’s the reality of the situation. It’s been warned and now it’s happening no matter what country you happen to be in. Are we being priced out of our hobby? Are the games too expensive and are the consoles too? A few years ago most Sony fans would be the ones who would cry foul if you didn’t buy your games. It was this sort of an entitlement to be able to say you purchased games.

Now we have probably these same people saying. “Oh my god, the Nintendo prices are too high.” It seems to be one rule for them and another for everyone else. Well, I didn’t even want to think about bringing that into the discussion. But of course, I’ll be the one pointing it out because I have covered this industry for the last three years and most of the time (not all) have been absolutely spot on. I just find it all rather ignorant of the fact that if you’re bragging to people one minute to buy said games, and then saying, actually, these games are now too expensive despite all the work that this industry puts into making them.

Where in any other industry do you get more value than in gaming? How many of you spend hours upon hours of time in Assassin’s Creed or any PlayStation first-party title. Who are we to judge what the value is for a said game when we haven’t even got our hands on it yet?

Sure, there are very valid concerns around the cost of games with Nintendo Switch 2. However, if we put things into context for a moment. A lot of gamers can remember in the past that we were paying a lot more. Now, we have mo-cap production, 50+ hour games, and just the overall production costs of some of the biggest titles from Sony’s first-party. All of it costs money to make.

Of course, you might say that Nintendo games are not worth that amount of money because they do not fit that criteria. However, if there is even a minority that thinks that price is worth it to them. You can bet your bottom dollar that you will still see this software sell. Just like GTA VI will sell as well. There are of course risks that this could set the tone of things to come. However, we cannot have our cake and eat it. The sooner people realized that the better, really.

If anything, it just tells me that if you’re feeling like you’re being priced out. Then ultimately, there are other alternatives where you’re able to play videogames at a great value. The news that Xbox Game Pass is not for everyone who has the time investment is clear. However, for any parent priced out from buying a Nintendo Switch 2. There is always another option and that’s Xbox. Whether it’s the new console or handheld in the future.

Of course, this isn’t an ad to sell you on any platform. But it does raise a good point and why if it bothers you so much you should act accordingly. Let’s face it, the minority of complainers are the definition of vipers anyway. It’s all just a spew of hate on the internet. Those that actually just want to play games without all the populist hate craze bullshit. Will just do that.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I respect many of them even if they differ from my own. We’ll agree to disagree and all that. We cannot however argue with the facts. Another of those is that gaming hasn’t ever been as accessible and easy to get into than it has been right now.

Subscriptions and cloud gaming provide alternative options that really give you a lot of options in affordability and access. However, that is not all. If we’re looking outside in. Xbox is the most versatile brand of the lot. It’s not a closed-ecosystem. For those running a negative on its future in the console space.

Actually, they might just be the non-locked console for you. Where affordability and backwards compatibility and forward compatibility really meet the expectations of the next generation of gamers.

Maybe that’s exactly what Microsoft is placing their chips on. When I said in a previous article that sooner or later PlayStation would have to figure that out. I really meant it. However, even Nintendo are not immune from that unless they open up their doors also.

Something we may just end up seeing for console audiences to actually appeal and grow throughout handheld and the PC space. I said content will be king. Nintendo and Sony are some of the best at it. But also, Microsoft has the means to do a lot more in that space also and create the content without the risk of high production costs that go into it because they can offset them.

That could set us up for quite the next generation on all fronts. I certainly feel the next step will be how the gaming industry expands to further their audiences.

We’re heading for quite the bananza and truths are hitting hard lately.