At the DICE convention in Las Vegas, the French RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 attracted the attention of gamers. Jason Schreier, in an article for Bloomberg, notes that the game has become a symbol of the changes that the industry urgently needs.
The game, created for less than $10 million, has sold over 6 million copies. The key to success is the price: $50 at launch and $40 in promotion, which proved that players are more willing to buy games if they see fair value.
Schreier argues that the standard $70 has become a barrier against the backdrop of free games like Roblox and Fortnite. Examples of unsuccessful releases include Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2: quality games did not achieve sales goals due to the high price. Only major hits like GTA VI can afford such price tags without losing audience.
According to the expert, developers should abandon the "magic mark" of $70, focus on short development cycles and affordable prices. The successes of Hollow Knight: Silksong ($20) and Mewgenics ($27) show that a flexible price does not reduce quality, but helps the industry survive in a crisis.
