Michael Pachter, video game industry analyst, has predicted that games for the next-gen Xbox and the PlayStation 4 will cost about $70 dollars, ten dollars more than the current price of new games.
According to a report by Ubergizmo, Pachter went on the record during a presentation at the SXSW Festival as saying "PS4 and next Xbox games will likely cost 70 dollars, 10 dollars more than current gen."
This is not the first time people within the game industry have predicted that the price of games will rise for the next generation of hardware. This, coupled with the fact that it is uncertain if used games will work on the next gen consoles, means that gamers on a budget may suffer when the new systems are finally available.
But there is a silver lining for people disheartened by this news. Pachter, while very knowledgeable about the industry, is not affiliated with any game company, so he has no source for this claim. Indeed, he claims that the next Xbox will "win" the next console war, despite nobody outside of Microsoft knowing what exactly the new system will be like. Sony has also stated that they plan to release games for the PlayStation 4 in the price range of 99 cents to $60.
While we saw a price jump when the current generation of consoles came out, asking gamers to give out $70 for just one game is asking a lot from people. If gamers also are not allowed to play used games on their consoles, then that may be a one-two combo for many. As someone who clips coupons and pinches pennies, $60 is too much for a game, let alone $70. Until we get official price points from Sony and Microsoft and game developers, this is, of course, just rumor, and should be treated as such.