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  • SEGA Considering Higher Game Prices

    Will they soon be part of the $70 club?

    As the industry grapples with 2023 Triple-A game costs, SEGA too is considering bumping up the prices. During the latest Investor Earnings Q&A, as reported by Video Games Chronicle, CEO Haruki Satomi and CFO Koichi Fukazawa indicated that SEGA's game prices are being reviewed.

    Quote

    "We would like to review the prices of titles that we believe are commensurate with price increases, while also keeping an eye on market conditions."

    While this is far from a committal to $70 games across-the-board, SEGA has repeatedly experimented with day-one "deluxe" upgrades in recent years, like Lost Judgment's dating content, Banana Mania and Colors Ultimate's early access, and Origins' nonsensical array of DLC options. As VGC notes, companies like Take-Two, Activision, Sony, Ubisoft, and even Nintendo have started to flirt with $70 price tags for their biggest games. If this continues as an industry standard, $70 for a game at the scale of Like a Dragon isn't unthinkable, but other SEGA franchises like Sonic, Monkey Ball, and Project DIVA tend to be price fluid. Even the upcoming Samba de Amigo Party Central will be launching at $40.

    This "review" also sits within larger cultural and strategic shifts within SEGA as a whole. SEGA's Japanese offices recently increased wages, and SEGA of America has formed one of the industry's biggest unions. Throughout investor briefings, SEGA continues to bank big on their vaguely defined "Super Game" initiative, expecting... whatever it will be, to make up a significant percent of their future revenue. Sonic Frontiers, a game with a drastically different scope from other 3D Sonic games, has in turn sold far, far better than other recent entries.

    All that said, for any worried that SEGA is about to price them out of getting the next Sonic or Like a Dragon, let's keep in mind how quickly and how frequently SEGA discounts its catalog both physically and digitally.


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    I honestly don't even know what to say...

    Locally (I think) we already received a 150% increase on games price last year to the point Sonic Frontiers and Sonic Origins (and other past titles) became the first time I didn't bought a Sonic game because it was unaffordable to me and not because it was bad.

    Now, an increase over that?

    I know the article mentions Sonic isn't exactly the main target of the increase, but from prior experience, It's not a surprise it will come sooner than later. It's not even like SEGA is the first enterprise to do that.

    Maybe it's time to find a cheaper hobby... or a job

    Edit: For instance, today I found Super Mario Odyssey selling on a store in the mall. Its price is about 1/3 of a minimum wage here.

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    Well, that dampens incentive for those of us trying to catch up. 😅

    Last thing I bought that Sega made was a used Dreamcast for $90. $70 a game...thing better have a good ROI.

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    5 minutes ago, DaBigJ said:

    SEGA can suck a fat one if they think anything they release is worth $70

    It's a bit steep $70 (roughly £56 here In the UK) If Sega goes down that route.

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    5 minutes ago, Ghelatlishol said:

    Well, that dampens incentive for those of us trying to catch up. 😅

    Last thing I bought that Sega made was a used Dreamcast for $90. $70 a game...thing better have a good ROI.

    I agree with you people trying to catch up. I've been gaming quite a while for sometime now since the Sega Mega Drive era and now. Back In those days the prices for the games have been very reasonable as I remember games being about £30 - £40. But as we move forward In today's next gen gaming game prices have been going up like Inflation etc.

    Games are costing like £60 here In the UK which Is quite expensive now. And not a lot of people can afford such games at that price these days.

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    GX -The Spindash-

    Posted

    For what it's worth (and in this context, I am speaking to those in the U.S. because that's where I live and only have context for) as I mentioned in the article, prices of SEGA games drop quickly, frequently, and significantly.

    Going by Deku Deals, you can get a new physical copy of Sonic Frontiers (Switch) from three separate online retailers for $40, and the game has hit dropped to similar price four times on Steam sales since launch about six months ago.

    I understand that the zeitgeist is a force in the community, but if you want to still buy and play SEGA games, it will be more affordable with time, patience, and price tracking.

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    9 minutes ago, GX -The Spindash- said:

    For what it's worth (and in this context, I am speaking to those in the U.S. because that's where I live and only have context for) as I mentioned in the article, prices of SEGA games drop quickly, frequently, and significantly.

    Going by Deku Deals, you can get a new physical copy of Sonic Frontiers (Switch) from three separate online retailers for $40, and the game has hit dropped to similar price four times on Steam sales since launch about six months ago.

    I understand that the zeitgeist is a force in the community, but if you want to still buy and play SEGA games, it will be more affordable with time, patience, and price tracking.

    You have a great valid points here and everything you said here Is spot on and very clearly as well. And I agree with everything you said here as well and your opinion 👍

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    CrownSlayer’s Shadow

    Posted

    Yo, as decent as Frontiers was, I don’t see anything like that worth $70 coming from them.

    They need to up their game before anyone thinks of forking over that much cash, even considering inflation.

    It would be worse for Australians since their games cost $100 down under there.

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    I'm in a good place financially, so honestly I don't feel a difference between paying 60 or 70 dollars for a game that I want. Prince increases only really affect my decision making on games that I am on the fence about. It could be the difference between trying out or skipping some rando title that I cant guarantee I'll enjoy - but that's about it.

     

    If the increased profit margin means more time in QC, then I'm all for it. If its just to squeeze extra pennies out of the same production cycle, then that's just unnecessary.

     

    Frontiers is the longest Sonic game we've gotten in 2 decades and its still not something that will have staying power for most people past hours 25-30 max. The lackluster cyberspace stages even kneecap a serious speed-running community. At that length, the game better be amazing to justify the price-tag.

    Either that or they better find some more ways to keep you in the game and playing for additional hours. Good cyberspace levels would be at the top of the list. Some kind of multiplayer.  (chao gardens)

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    I was hoping to buy more SEGA games because in fact they often cost 40, and get even cheaper prices on sales. This isn't exactly good news to me...

    As said by others, their games just lack that 100% quality you need for a highly priced game, full price at 60 even, I would not consider buying a 70 dollars game.

    The one GOOD SIDE out of this is that they would spend a bigger budget and just increase the content. I'm glad they are at least patching and adding stuff to make Frontiers look like a complete product, its standard price is still 60 last I checked, in general? I would like them to make bigger games with more content like other publishers, for example Sonic spinoffs like TSR felt empty because they lacked in content, it was a fun game but really tame, I would have liked a bigger budget on that one for example.

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    If Sonic games become 70 quid I ain't running through 'em. Sorry Sonic you'll be walking.

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    If they want to bump up games like Persona/Yakuza to $70 then...fine. Those games usually have so much within them that I guess I can see it being worth a price tag like that.

    But if they start pricing Sonic at $70, then there's going to be a problem. Frontiers was great, but I don't recommend it to anyone for more than $40 at best.

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    Not surprising, the whole industry is going this way since it's been shown majority of people have no real issue with $70 or don't care as long as the quality of the game is high enough 

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