GTA 6 will probably be a blockbuster game and will cost around 70 euros, but how much is it really worth?
GTA 6 casts its shadows: the first trailer will be released in a few weeks. While everyone is worried about the outcome of the game, as expected, the CEO of publisher Take Two is also worried about the money.
The man comes up with an exciting formula for how a game’s value is actually measured. In comparison, the price of the vast majority of games so far has been extremely conservative and lower than they could actually be.
That’s what it’s about: GTA 6 is undoubtedly the most anticipated game of the decade. It is still unclear when and how exactly this will happen. But at least we now know that the first trailer will be revealed in early December.
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GTA 6 is probably worth a lot more than we paid for it, but how can you calculate that?
Until then, Take Two CEO Strauss-Zelnick will be talking money: The rather unpopular debate over how much a game should or should cost is, of course, also a concern for executives. The head of the GTA 6 editor thinks that The vast majority of games currently cost very little..
Or rather: that you paid less for them than they are really worth. But in some cases this was thought and planned. Above all, the statement naturally raises follow-up questions:
How can you calculate the exact value of a game? Strauss-Zelnick has the following idea:
“When it comes to pricing any entertainment property, the algorithm is essentially the expected entertainment usage value. That is, the value per hour multiplied by the number of hours expected plus the ultimate value the customer feels about owning title when the title is actually owned and not, for example, leased or subscribed.
And you can see that happen in all types of entertainment. If we take that as a basis, our prices are still very, very low because we provide many hours of employment. The value of employment is very high.
That’s why I think the industry as a whole offers excellent value for money to consumers. This does not necessarily mean that the industry has the power to set prices or that it wants that power. Whatever the case: a very good and valuable offer is being made here.”
(via: Computer)
The time value formula
Basically, when we buy a game, we automatically place a higher value on it than if we just played it as part of a subscription. Add to that the time we put into it. The longer the time, the more valuable the game will be.
Of course, there’s also the quality of the game, but that goes without saying: bad games don’t last that long. Titles like GTA 5 or RDR 2, with their huge worlds, tend to keep us interested for a long time and should therefore be considered valuable.
Take Two’s strategy: If you are now afraid that GTA 6 will be significantly more expensive, we can give you the thumbs up. The standard edition probably barely costs more than other comparable titles. For one thing, editors don’t have that power, as Strauss-Zelnick claims. But on the other hand, this is also part of the Take Two publisher’s plan:
“Our strategy here is to offer much more value than we charge to consumers. There have been very few price increases in this business. The price increase to $70, for example, was the first increase in many years after many generations. So, again, I think we offer great value to consumers.”
When will GTA 6 arrive? It will probably take quite some time. So far we only have confirmation that the title is in development. An official announcement including a trailer will be made later this year. But the launch may not happen until 2025 or even later, probably late 2024 at the earliest.
What do you think of Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick’s calculation about the value of video games? How much would you be willing to pay for your favorite game? How much is it really worth to you?