Summary
Gaming is becoming more expensive than ever before, with $80 games looking like the norm.
Former PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida has weighed in on the issue, noting that that price is still a “steal”.
Yoshida also thinks that if players are careful with their money, he doesn’t think “they should be complaining”.
Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida has commented on the new trend of $80 games and said that they’re a “steal” for “top-quality” games and that he doesn’t think people should be complaining.
Video games are undeniably better than they’ve ever been, with misses and critical flops being a lot rarer this generation than in previous ones. That being said, video games are also undeniably more expensive than ever, with recent price hikes from nearly all of the big players making this hobby seem like it’s going down a dark and costly path.
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While some releases like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Mafia: The Old Country are sticking with prices like $40 or $50, most triple-A releases are shooting for the moon. That moon is $80 and Nintendo has already reached it with the upcoming Switch 2 launch title Mario Kart World. Xbox has confirmed that it’s set to follow later this year, leaving just PlayStation out of the fight.
Shuhei Yoshida Doesn’t Think Gamers Should Complain About $80 Games
“I Think It Will Still Be A Steal…”
We know from recent interviews that Sony is considering raising the price of PlayStation games in the future, which means that almost every console is now staring down the barrel of $80 games becoming a sad norm. As you can imagine, pretty much no one is happy about this price hike, and there are plenty of gamers contemplating whether gaming is even worth it.
As reported by GamesRadar+, it seems that former PlayStation veteran Shuhei Yoshida doesn’t think that there’s much reason to be bothered by the price raise, and that it’s mostly up to players whether they get annoyed. While speaking to Critical Hit Games at Gamescom Latam, Yoshida gave his thoughts on the whole situation.
Yoshida pointed out that products across the world have increased in price and that it’s “almost too late” for gaming companies to consider their pricing structure. He also says that not every game has to be priced the same, as they all offer different value, but that it’s a “steal” for “really great games” to cost $70 or $80 due to what they bring to the table.
In terms of actual price of $70 or $80 for really great games, I think it will still be a steal in terms of the amount of entertainment that top quality games bring to people compared to other forms of entertainment. – Shuhei Yoshida
So far, so expected for someone who worked closely in the gaming industry, but one of Yoshida’s last comments is sure to be a bit controversial. The former PlayStation executive noted that, as long as people choose how to spend their money themselves, he doesn’t “think they should be complaining”.
While Yoshida likely just means that it’s up to players to decide whether they think that $80 games are worth buying themselves, his wording does seem likely to annoy pretty much everyone who’s facing the struggle of affording upcoming releases. Here’s hoping that GTA 6 doesn’t end up being $100 and setting that bar even higher.
Mario Kart World
Systems
Released
June 2, 2025
ESRB
Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact
Developer(s)
Nintendo
Publisher(s)
Nintendo
Multiplayer
Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
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