Capcom president Harushiro Tsujimoto claims that the prices of video games need to increase to meet ballooning development costs.

  • taiyang@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I want to mention the concept of consumer surplus since it’s a lesser known economic principle compared to supply and demand.

    Put simply, everyone has a price. A static price like $60 will get everyone willing to pay over $60. Some will be willing to pay $90, some $120, and so forth. The latest developments on pricing take advantage of that with horse armor, as those are folks with a higher threshold. On the other end of the spectrum, you have 50% to 90% sales to get the rest of us. Flexible pricing is the main reason companies are doing well, especially in an age of growing economic disparity. Just ask the whales how much they spend!

    That said, saying the base price should go up neglects the broader economic situation everyone is in, and the US and Japan hasn’t seen their baseline go up. Sadly, companies should know this, that’s why prices vary by county. Ever buy a game from a Brazilian website? Much cheaper.

    Tldr, dudes a short sighted twat, companies already optimize prices.