The video game industry is low-key hoping that when Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) launches, the game would come with a price tag somewhere between US$80 and US$100, or between approximately RM358 and RM450. And the reason is, understandably, a simple one: game developers and studios want a raise as well.
There is obviously a more structured reason. According to a presentation about the State of Gaming in 2025 by Epyllion’s Matthew Ball, GTA 6 could “re-establish packed video game prices after decades of deflation despite rampant cost growth.”
GTA 6 is due to launch sometime in Fall 2025, barring any delays. On average, a video game released on the major consoles – the PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X and S – as well on PC, average around between US$55 (~RM250) and US$70 (~RM313). By selling it at the hoped-for US$100, the possibility of breaking the US$50 barrier to move it up to US$60 (~RM268), and so on and so forth.
“Packaged game prices have never been lower in real terms than they are today — even though budgets are at all-time highs and player growth is stalled,” Ball said in the report. “GTA 6 could re-establish packed video game prices after decades of deflation despite rampant cost growth.”
It’s certainly a valid argument for the betterment of developers and their staff. In an attempt to poke fun at it, Michael Douse, publishing director at Larian, tweeted his thoughts on the matter on X with a “You’re not supposed to say this out loud!”
He then followed up with another tweet, giving his piece of mind on the matter. “A good company raises salaries in line with inflation so that their staff don’t die or something, but games prices haven’t risen with inflation. This isn’t the reason the industry is in the shit for now, but it is an uncomfortable truth. On the other hand, the responsibility for a game developer is to make sure that the game they show lives up to that promise, and that investment from the player.”
