Video games are getting more expensive, pricing out many who have been invested in the medium for years. Nintendo’s move to introduce US$80 games was quickly followed by Microsoft’s announcement to do the same for first-party titles during the upcoming holiday season. With such a trend emerging, it would seem that the rest of the industry would follow. Well, EA is declining to do so, at least for now.
An investor posed the question to the company’s CEO, Andrew Wilson, during the company’s latest financial report. Wilson mentioned that the current pricing strategy for video games is noticeably different compared to a decade ago.
In today’s gaming industry, digital sales are significantly higher than physical copies. Furthermore, gamers are now exposed to a broader spectrum of game pricing, from free-to-play titles to premium-priced Deluxe editions and beyond.
“At the end of the day whether we’re doing something that costs a dollar or we’re doing something that costs $10 or we’re doing something that costs $100, our objective is always to deliver incredible quality and exponential value for our playerbase,” Wilson explained. “And what we’ve discovered over the course of time is whether we can marry quality and value together, our business is strong, resilient and continues to grow.”
That translates to no changes in pricing for EA games based on that approach, something that CFO Stuart Canfield also emphasised. The publisher behind titles like Battlefield and Star Wars Jedi recently announced record net revenue for the fourth quarter of this fiscal year. The company also confirmed plans to officially reveal the next instalment in the Battlefield series this summer.
While the rest of the industry moves toward more expensive game pricing, EA’s stance provides a refreshing change of pace. Whether this approach remains consistent as market pressures rise will be something to watch closely in the coming months
