The big PS5 launch so far is that the lack of console exclusives has meant the increase in price hasn't been as noticeable, since many players are simply upgrading copies of games they already owned or replaying old favorites with a more powerful machine.
However, the one PS5 exclusive that has been driving sales thus far is Demon's Souls - partially because it's literally the only one, but also because it's a critically acclaimed game that's been praised for how extensive the remake is. It's also been the center of scrutiny in some regions for the cost of the game at launch - in the UK, for instance, the Demon's Souls PS5 remake fetches a price of £70, which at current conversion rates is roughly equivalent to $93 USD. That's obviously a significant increase from the standard established by previous generations, so PS5 game price increases have been a hot topic in the community, only further fueled by titles like prices also increasing alongside the release of the new consoles.
According to PlayStation's Jim Ryan, however, the big PS5 game price increase is justified thanks to how s interact with the console's titles. When prompted during an interview with The Telegraph regarding the price of Demon's Souls in the UK, which is much higher than PS4 titles were in the region, Ryan responded by saying he believes the game is priced fairly. He elaborated, stating "if you measure the hours of entertainment by a video game, such as Demon's Souls compared to any other form of entertainment, I think that's a very straightforward comparison to draw." Essentially, the argument is that video games offer many more hours in entertainment than other media.
While Ryan is likely correct on this - some games are 100 hours, after all, or even longer - it's not necessarily something that applies to PS5 game price increases. After all, the same sentiment was true of games made one or two generations ago, which were also similarly lengthy and entertaining. Just because the medium continues to deliver quality and quantity doesn't necessarily explain why now is the time for PS5 game price increases, so it feels like some elaboration is necessary on that point.
Or, perhaps, Ryan knows full well the company doesn't really need to elaborate and neither does he. PS5 sales are incredible and the demand for the console remains as high as it was during the PlayStation 5 pre-order period, with consumers scrambling for the chance to own one before the holiday season ends. Demon's Souls is likely going to sell well because it's the only PlayStation exclusive at launch - and a great title in its own right, to be fair - and that could help normalize the price across the console's demographic. The fact is, consumers will keep paying the price for new games, and PlayStation and other companies know full well this is true, which is probably all the justification needed to enact those big PS5 game price increases that fans have been discussing for months now.
Source: The Telegraph
