Activision Prices PS3 Games at $59.99

[Infernal]

Activision exec prices PS3 games
CEO says all of the company's games for Sony's new console will fetch $60 at first; reveals Spider-Man 3's $35 million price tag.

The price of next-gen console games was a hot issue last year when the bulk of Xbox 360 launch titles carried a $60 price tag. This week, Activision CEO Robert Kotick confirmed what many gamers already expected or even assumed: the company's PlayStation 3 games will retail for roughly $60.

In a presentation to the Merrill Lynch Media and Entertainment Conference yesterday, Kotick indicated that the company is taking a next-gen pricing approach to its next-gen software, thanks in part to its success pricing PlayStation Portable games at $50, and Xbox 360 software like the best-selling Call of Duty 2 at $60.

"We have not seen a lot of consumer resistance at the higher price points and we expect that all of our next-generation products will be launched at $60 price points," Kotick said.

On the surface that would suggest $60 Wii games from the company, but an Activision representative confirmed for GameSpot that Kotick was only referring to PS3 and Xbox 360 games. In fact, the publisher's Activision Value label is already preparing a pair of Wii launch titles: Rapala Tournament Fishing and World Series of Poker.

Since the Xbox 360 launched last year, some publishers have defended the $59.99 standard price for next-gen releases by citing the increased development costs associated with the new platforms. While Kotick did not bring the example up specifically in relation to the company's pricing strategy on games, he did mention that Spider-Man 3 has cost the company more than $35 million to develop on all formats. He did not specify on which consoles the game would appear."

"That is the most expensive product that we've created, and for good reason," Kotick said. "You'll see how much it really takes advantage of the assets and the capabilities of the hardware."
Source (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6157548.html?tag=latestnews;title;1)
This should end those fears of $80-100 games. Honestly I don't see why anyone thought they would be that high in the first place.

[Pumpkin Head]

Thats really cool..

[Undercover Cop]

Yeah that's good news. A big company like Activision pretty much sets the tone for everyone else.

Except EA of course.

[liver_kick]

Source (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6157548.html?tag=latestnews;title;1)
This should end those fears of $80-100 games. Honestly I don't see why anyone thought they would be that high in the first place.

Part needlessly ambiguous PR from Hirai, part hopeless fanboys buying and perpetuating FUD.

[xbdestroya]

Good find Infernal, finally some solid news relevent to our lives.

[Viper]

I think they almost had to make them $60.00 considering the X360 are $60.00. Good to have confirmation though.


$35 million for Spider-Man 3 across all formats. *smh*, I hope that doesn't become the normal development costs or we're all in big trouble.

[sudzy]

HOLY CRAP! 35mill for a game? HOLY CRAP!!!!
They better hope they sell a boat load.

[gbovo]

HOLY CRAP! 35mill for a game? HOLY CRAP!!!!
They better hope they sell a boat load.
Well, that's only for one game (though spread out across different platforms). Guess how much Sony is spending on their first party PS3 games:
Heavenly Sword___~$30m
L.A. Noir____~$30m
Lair___~$25m
Wanna take a guess at how much Resistance, GT5 or Nughty Dog's games cost:unsure:

[venomv]

I would guess more on those last three...

[Raijin]

Well, that's only for one game (though spread out across different platforms). Guess how much Sony is spending on their first party PS3 games:
Heavenly Sword___~$30m
L.A. Noir____~$30m
Lair___~$25m
Wanna take a guess at how much Resistance, GT5 or Nughty Dog's games cost:unsure:

Resistance costs a bit less. However, from i read on GAF, LA Noire is more around 60m now, but this needs confirmation though.

[yoshaw]

This should end those fears of $80-100 games. Honestly I don't see why anyone thought they would be that high in the first place.


This greatly proves my point to the nintendon claiming to be sure of PS3 games hitting $80. A $35 million project also coincides with my theory of 30Million costing games to be around the 60-80 mark and feel justified for it. Heck its way too cheap at $60 for a 35mill develop cost, given I was expecting atleast $80 at 30mill. But I'm wholly content with this! PS3 games are going to be put on the same shelf as the 360 games and this price would not drive away the consumers.

Bravo for the find! +rep

[masteratt]

YES! Now the PS3 is finally the perfect console [for me]! ;)

[Killing Moon]

35mil, huh?

Well you have to factor in licensing costs, payroll (mostly for personnel who have little to do with the game), marketing and obvious [unnecessary] CG production costs. The ACTUAL game development isn’t 35million. It’s all of the icing and garnish that the game comes with.

What’s worse is that this game is guaranteed to be mediocre. So where did all the money go? Believe me, this question will come up after the game is done and everyone gets a bland taste in their mouths from yet another lackluster Activision production.

[masteratt]

[nvm]

[F089/H]

*Sigh*
Everyone gets nervous when they start slingin' around big figures like this around.

[Domination]

Source (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6157548.html?tag=latestnews;title;1)
This should end those fears of $80-100 games. Honestly I don't see why anyone thought they would be that high in the first place.

It was so obvious. The thing is, when you have so many other voices yelling over you, such nonsense is eventually seen as a fact after so long. :shrug:

[dnpmakkah]

That would have been so funny if all PS3 games were mandatory $40.00. Possibly a savings of $20.00 compared to the 360 counterparts. Oh what a dream that would have been so cool. If that were the case...a person buying 10 games a year would have spent 200 more on the 360 versions.

Anyways back on point...$60.00 is doable and hopefully it won't go up.

[Leedogg]

$60 dollars is good but $80-$100 is not, so this is good news

[cpiasminc]

This should end those fears of $80-100 games. Honestly I don't see why anyone thought they would be that high in the first place.
It doesn't help that Hirai's quotes regarding $100 games were taken out of context and assumed to be a universal truth. For one, the interview was not in the US, nor was it specifically talking about prices in any one region. Nor did Hirai ever say that games would actually be priced in that range $80 to $100 -- he said that it wouldn't exceed that worldwide. The only people who said PS3 games would cost $80 easily are the same brainless dolts who believed Bluray would inflate game prices on the order of several dollars a piece.

People seem to be unaware that outside of the US, a $100 game is not a big deal. People in other countries have already been paying the equivalent of $90 for a lot of the games for which the US customers pay $50. Of course, the general attitude about anything sold in the US is that consumers feel it's their right to get it as cheap as they do.

[Smokey]

Of course, the general attitude about anything sold in the US is that consumers feel it's their right to get it as cheap as they do
i hear that!

[Fazares]

those americans....:-/

[Raitei]

wonder what we'll get them for

for a long while we payed £45 for this gen games and only lately droped around the 30s. That translates roughly to $80-90

£ 5 - £ 10 (5)
£ 10 - £ 15 (13)
£ 15 - £ 20 (8)
£ 20 - £ 50 (74)
£ 50 and more (15)
That's what the UK pays for 360 games. (woolworths atleast) so around the 45-49 mark woulodn't be unexpected

[The Dude]

I don't mind paying $60 for the AAA games (that average a 9/10). I do mind paying that much for yearly rehashes tho