Update:Newly announced PS5 game price structure here.
2K Sports may have just revealed the special edition of their upcoming titleNBA 2K21thathonors the lateKobe Bryant, but the company might also have inadvertently set the pricing standard for next-gen console games. And if so, that means gamers everywhere should expect to add $10 for each and every new title.
Since 2005, a new, full-priced game has set folks back about $59.99. That price point stands for the current-gen consoles (PS4, Xbox One, Switch) and PC games, even over at 2K Sports; you canpre-orderNBA 2K21on current-gen and PC for $59.99. The"Mamba Forever Edition"honoring Bryant will set you back $99.99, but it comes with the added bonus of being compatible on both the PS4 / Xbox Oneandthe PS5 / Xbox Series X when those next-gen consoles launch.However!If you want to pre-order the sports gameonlyon next-gen consoles, they’ll set you back$69.99 each. And that could be a herald of things to come.
Obviously, the “Mamba Forever Edition” is the best buy for folks who want to play the game on their current consoles and the new ones when they arrive this Fall. However, it’s still a pricier transaction than the free upgrades from current-gen to next-gen offered by other publishers, such as CD Projekt Red’sCyberpunk 2077and Crystal Dynamics’Marvel’s Avengers; even sports games like EA’sMadden NFL 21andFIFA 21are getting a free bump from old to new platforms. 2K’s price structure also differs fromMicrosoft’s Smart Delivery system(which is essentially “One Purchase, One License, Accessibility on All Available Platforms), and whatever Sony ultimately decides to do to bridge the technology gap.
Polygonreached out to 2K for a comment, which follows:
We believe our suggested retail price forNBA 2K21on next-generation platforms fairly represents the value of what’s being offered: power, speed and technology that is only possible on new hardware. While we are confident thatNBA 2K21will be a monumental leap forward for the franchise and a standout visual showcase on next-generation consoles, we recognize that it’s our responsibility to prove this value to our fans and NBA 2K players. We’re looking forward to doing so and can’t wait to show more in the upcoming months to launch.
It’s interesting that the 2K rep rationalizes the $10 price increase for what the hardware allows, not what differences the same software will provide. That’s a nitpick though; prices for individual titles were bound to go up after 15 years, but it remains to be seen whether or not the rest of the industry will follow suit.
So while third-party publishers are free to set their own price points and don’t necessarily have to include a free upgrade from one system to the next, this $69.99 cost for next-gen systems could soon become standard. We don’t even have a price point for the consoles themselves yet, so stay tuned on both fronts. But would you be willing to shell out $10 more than normal to play along?
