Games industry “hopes” GTA 6 costs $100 to justify gaming price hike says analyst

According to games industry analyst and veteran game producer Matthew Ball, there is “hope” within the industry that GTA 6 will cost upwards of $100 to justify another price increase for games.

Publisher Take-Two Interactive counted among the first to announce and embrace the $10 price hike at the start of this console generation in 2020, which raised the standard cost of AAA games from $60 to $70.

Since then, several other AAA publishers have followed suit, thus turning $70 games into the new status quo.

But rising development costs have executives longing for yet another price bump, and, apparently, they’re hoping Grand Theft Auto 6 will be the catalyst that helps justify such a change.

Game Makers want GTA 6 to cost $80-$100, says analyst

In a presentation about “The State of Video Gaming in 2025,” Epyllion analyst Matthew Ball broke down the industry’s struggle to “maintain inflation-adjusted prices.”

The pursuit of higher fidelity has increased development costs, he reasoned, while also noting that too many games are competing for player engagement.

Not to mention that, according to him, games have never been cheaper when adjusting for inflation.

Interestingly, the final section of the presentation analyzes how Grand Theft Auto 6’s release will impact “industry playtime and spend” in 2025.

Despite the title likely cannabilizing much of the audience’s attention, Ball claims many decision-makers “hope that Take-Two will price GTA 6 at $80-100” to break the price barrier so other publishers follow suit.

Take-Two Interactive

The Epyllion analyst added the following in a subsequent slide, “no player hopes for such a hike, but recall that packaged prices have never been lower in real terms than they are today – even though budgets are at all-time highs.”

It is worth noting that Take-Two CEO Interactive Strauss Zelnick has already addressed price-related concerns regarding GTA 6, following unsubstantiated rumors claiming the game would cost as much as $150 at launch.

Without going into the specifics, Zelnick stated in a May 2024 earnings call that his company’s goal centers on “delivering more value than what we charge.”