We just spent a day for $60? The PC game price is $70? (Diablo 4)
We just spent a day for $60? The PC game price is $70? (Diablo 4)
I used to pay $50 for AAA titles. Now I see prices rising—like from $60 for a botnet to $70 for Diablo 4. That feels like a big jump! Was it just another inflation update? I guess I don’t have to spend that much on games anymore.
Game costs have stayed far from rising with inflation for many years. The increase is happening because businesses are trying to establish a new standard. I haven’t purchased a 60€ title since GTAV, which was my sole "preorder title" (I preordered it just before release to claim the bonus) and the only way I got it at launch was because my friends and I were genuinely eager to play it together for years.
I recently purchased Spore at full price, and since then I've been eager for discounts. It’s rewarding because you pay less, see how the community responds, and enjoy the game once issues are fixed. My excitement could shift if Remedy handles Alan Wake 2 well this year. I’ve enjoyed Control and am keen on discovering more in this interconnected world Remedy is creating. I’ve completed Alan Wake, American Nightmare, Quantum Break, Max Payne, and I’m halfway through Max Payne 2. I’m not rushing into Alan Wake 2 yet, but I might consider Control 2 if it seems promising.
Are you all running out of money? - D4 team, likely. Besides what others have mentioned, remember that "AAA" stands for the game's budget size and doesn't always mean quality. Their costs keep rising and they require bigger sales. This growth has been driven by DLCs, multiple launch editions, and MTX monetization for about 20 years. Higher prices aren't necessarily the right choice, but I understand the point. AAA titles are now aimed at a niche audience who can afford them, not the broader gaming community.
I seldom purchase games at their full cost when they first release. I tend to hold off until Steam offers the best deals for the special edition or similar versions. It works out well for both sides: you receive the title at a much lower price, you’re more likely to get DLCs included or significantly reduced, and you’ll have plenty of patches available. By then, online communities are full of mods and guides to help with any problems you might encounter.
Since the PS3 and XB360 times, I recall full-price games typically cost around 60€ (though I’m not sure if that’s US pricing). With the PS5, many AAA titles now use a 70€ price point for full-price versions. My memory doesn’t catch up to the exact figures I paid at release—most purchases came through key stores or Steam sales, offering discounts from 30% to 80% depending on the title and source. For Cyberpunk 2077, I used a VPN to access Russian GOG and bought it with local currency, which was roughly 15€ at launch.
We were definitely in Canada. I recall Double Dragon on the 2600 cost $59. I bought Conker on the N64 for $79. The thread title really confused me. Although we usually pay a bit more here, I was pretty sure top games had always been around $60 in the US, right? Prices have risen to $70 and now $80. Edit: Unless that was just for consoles and not PCs?