Rockstar boss hints at Grand Theft Auto V & GTA 6 next-gen retail price
Rockstar Games[jwplayer jTuL3MfD]Take-Two Interactive’s CEO and Rockstar Games boss Strauss Zelnick has hinted at how much Grand Theft Auto V will cost when it’s ported to PS5 and Xbox Series X, along with future titles like GTA 6.
The company has already indicated that the next-gen version of NBA 2K21 will be retailing for $70, a $10 increase from the standard video game fare of the previous gen.
In an interview with gamesindustry.biz, Zelnick was asked about the cost of next-gen titles, and if there would be any challenges associated with getting consumers willing to pay more money for games.
“There hasn’t been a price increase for frontline titles for a really long time, despite the fact that it costs a great deal more to make those titles,” the CEO explained, justifying the decision. “And we think with the value we offer consumers…and the kind of experience you can really only have on these next-generation consoles, that the price is justified. But it’s easy to say that when you’re delivering extraordinary quality, and that’s what our company prides itself on doing.”
Rockstar GamesWhile Zelnick did stress during an earnings call that announcing the price of next-gen games would be on a “title-by-title basis,” it seems very likely that big games such as GTA V and 6 will have the $70 price tag.
When the Rockstar boss was further asked about Ubisoft’s decision to keep new games at $60 a pop, he stressed that the quality of the games will be reflective of the price.
“Obviously, we don’t speak for the industry and the industry naturally does not coordinate on these matters, to say the very least. The pricing has to reflect the quality of the experience, and we aim to provide the best experiences in the business,” he remarked.
Rockstar GamesHe went on to call the price change “extremely modest,” while reiterating that the cost of games hasn’t increased for a long while.
It should be noted that GTA V and GTA Online on PS5, Xbox Series X and PC will have exclusive new content and technical improvements.
As Zelnick said during the earnings call on August 3, the next-gen versions will, “feature a range of technical improvements, visual upgrades and performance enhancements to take full advantage of the latest hardware, making the game more beautiful and more responsive than ever.”
Rockstar Games“For the community of Grand Theft Auto Online, the journey through this ever-evolving world will continue on the next-generation consoles with more new updates, including additional content exclusive to the new consoles and PC,” he added.
A special stand-alone version of GTA Online will be coming in the second half of 2021 as a Playstation 5 exclusive for three months.
There’s still a lot of mystery regarding where GTA V and GTA Online will go with the next generation, but it’s looking increasingly likely that the cost of admission for the former and GTA 6 (whenever it’s announced) will be $70.