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GTA 6 is likely to be a hugely successful game and will cost around 70 euros – but how much is it really worth?
GTA 6 is casting its shadows: the first trailer will be released in a few weeks. While everyone is worried about the game’s performance, the CEO of publisher Take Two, unsurprisingly, is also worried about money.
The man comes up with an interesting formula for how a game’s value is actually measured. In comparison, the pricing of the vast majority of games has so far been extremely conservative and lower than it actually could be.
This is what it’s all about: GTA 6 is without a doubt the most anticipated game of the decade. When and how exactly this will happen is still unclear. But at least we now know that the first trailer will be revealed in early December.
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GTA 6 will probably be worth a lot more than we paid for it – but how can that be calculated?
Until then, Take Two CEO Strauss-Zelnick will talk about money: The rather unpopular debate about how much a game should or should cost is, of course, also a concern for those at the highest level. The head of the GTA 6 publisher is of the opinion that The vast majority of games these days cost very little.
Or, better said: that paid less for them than they are really worth. But in some cases it was actually thought and planned that way. Above all, the statement naturally raises follow-up questions:
How to 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 value of expected entertainment usage. That is, the hourly rate times the number of hours expected plus the ultimate value the customer feels in owning the title when the title is actually owned and not, for example, rented or underwritten.
And you can see this happening 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 the job is very high.
Therefore, I believe the industry as a whole offers excellent value for money for 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 give it a higher value than if we just played it as part of a subscription. Add to that the time we spend on it. The longer the time, the more valuable the game.
Of course there’s also the quality of the game, but it 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 Strategy: If you’re now worried that GTA 6 will be significantly more expensive, we can make it okay. The standard edition is unlikely to cost more than other comparable titles. For one thing, editors don’t have that power, as Strauss-Zelnick says. But on the other hand, this is also part of publisher Take Two’s plan:
“Our strategy here is to offer much more value than we charge 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 a while. So far we only have confirmation that the title is in development. An official announcement including a trailer will be released later this year. But the launch could only occur in 2025 or even later, probably in 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?
