Xbox U-Turn the First Step Towards Gamers Rejecting $80 Games

Microsoft was the first publisher to bullishly follow in Nintendo’s footsteps and announce an increase to $80 for its upcoming games.

But with The Outer Worlds 2 caught up in the controversy – and its pre-order numbers quite evidently in the toilet – the publisher has backtracked, revealing plans to reduce the price of Obsidian’s upcoming RPG and all its other holiday games.

Here’s what a spokesperson from the Redmond firm said:

“We’re focused on bringing players incredible worlds to explore, and will keep our full priced holiday releases, including The Outer Worlds 2, at $69.99 – in line with current market conditions.”

That means the aforementioned sequel, along with incoming Activision FPS Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, will now cost $70 as opposed to $80. A win for consumers?

Well, it’s worth noting that Nintendo is now walking this path alone.

While there was strong speculation that Sony would follow suit, both Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Ghost of Yotei cost $70 – although the Japanese giant is clearly finding success upselling consumers on Digital Deluxe Editions et al.

Even Take-Two, who’s been at the centre of this storm, has resisted. Borderlands 4, amid much handwringing, will cost $70 – and Mafia: The Old Country has settled on a cheaper $50 price point that reflects its scope. We’re still waiting for more information on GTA 6.

The only downside is that Nintendo has found success flogging Mario Kart World, its first $80 game. The racer finished third in the latest Circana sales report, and this number excludes Switch 2 bundles and digital downloads.

But Nintendo is a law unto itself: its brands have such prestige attached to them that it can practically charge whatever it wants.

Our hope is that other publishers are beginning to realise they can’t command the same kind of premium, and this subtle nudge towards $80 dies out before it even gets started.

But how do you feel about the price of games right now? Do you think $80 is a fair price to pay for a AAA game? Cough up in the comments section below.