Could a Disc-Free PlayStation Actually Lower Game Prices?
"As Sony soldiers ahead with their plans to end hard copies for new PlayStation games, players are fearing a future which will force them to pay more and own less," writes Kotaku. What will prices do in a world with no physical copies to share or sell? One former Square Enix executive speculates this could actually drive down the price of games: "Digital on the PS store will likely get cheaper,"…
As Sony moves towards eliminating physical copies for new PlayStation games, gamers are worried that prices will rise while ownership decreases, according to Kotaku. With no shared or sold physical copies, one former Square Enix executive, Jacob Navok, believes this could potentially lower game prices. Digital games on the PlayStation store are likely to become cheaper, Navok suggests.
Current digital prices are influenced by retail, but without physical discs restricting digital content, we may see a wider range of pricing, similar to Steam. Navok predicts that the digital-only environment will create an ongoing, fluctuating competition between major publishers. As the PlayStation store becomes increasingly digital, this competitive trend will likely accelerate.
Publishers will strive to outdo one another with more frequent sales and dynamic pricing, akin to Steam's system. However, newer games are becoming more expensive, even on digital platforms. The fact that Grand Theft Auto VI will be a wholly digital release hasn't prevented its price from increasing.
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