With the controversy that has surrounded increased Nintendo Switch 2 game pricing, former PlayStation veteran Shuhei Yoshida has stated his belief that “it was going to happen sooner or later.”
Whether he expected Nintendo to be the first to make such a decision is another matter, but he has pointed to the many factors that have led to such an outcome. The “impossible equation” that the game industry is having to face is the result of inflation, consumer expectation to deliver ambitious games, and increasingly expensive development costs.
When PlayStation Inside asked how he felt about the decision to heighten Nintendo Switch 2 game prices, Yoshida responded: “That’s an interesting question. I think it was going to happen sooner or later, maybe not from Nintendo, but it was going to happen eventually. We live in contrasting times, where inflation is real and significant, but people expect games that are ever more ambitious and therefore expensive to develop to cost the same. It’s an impossible equation.
“Everything in video games today is more advanced and more technologically demanding than ever before, and therefore requires more resources. Each publisher or manufacturer sets the price of its games, of course, but in the end the heart of the matter lies in production costs. And that’s why industry actors are so keen to diversify their revenues, in order to continue producing the AAA games that the public buys before anything else.
“Basically, the proliferation of remasters and remakes doesn’t really stem from any kind of nostalgia or a desire to bring games up to date, but is a kind of ‘easy’ solution to bring in profits that ultimately help finance new games. The same goes for PC ports. I’m not particularly bothered by this, because these ports, remakes and remasters are mostly made by support studios like Nixxes Software, so the studios developing the new games are relieved of the burden.
“So I don’t know if Rockstar will jump at the chance to set the price of GTA 6 at 90 euros or more, to speak with your currency, but the situation is this. And we could even add subscription platforms and games as a service, which, while providing huge revenues in their own right, also help to finance AAA down the line.
“In any case, a balance must be found between production costs and game prices. GTA6 will obviously be a case in point, but if you take the example of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the game is just as phenomenal visually, despite the fact that the team only has around thirty people. This is one of the ways forward, I think, because you can make excellent games with tighter teams and budgets without compromising quality.”
Last week, Microsoft raised recommended retail pricing for its Xbox consoles and controllers. It also announced that “some” of its new first-party games this holiday season will be priced at $79.99, stating their pricing strategy changes were made in response to “market conditions and the rising cost of development.”
Nintendo Switch 2 will be released at retailers around the world on 5 June 2025, priced at £395.99 in the United Kingdom, €469.99 across Europe, and $449.99 in the United States.
