TGS 2006: Pricey PS3 Games?
Following up on Ken Kutaragi's pre-TGS keynote address, Japanese site Impress Watch has posted the latest in its "Random Tracking" editorial series. This periodic feature is written by Munechika Nishida, a well-known contributor to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper and Ultra One PC magazine, and this latest update has some surprising revelations on the PS3.
To most gamers, the most eye-catching part of the feature is a claim about game prices. Citing "multiple information sources," the article states that the price of PS3 games will be concentrated in the 8,800 to 9,800 yen range. The primary reason given is the rising cost of development.
In Japan, the standard price of a PS2 game is 6,800 yen, with only the biggest titles like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy rising to the 8,800 yen mark.
There's a deeper story to this price hike. According to the article, Sony was, as of E3, planning to alleviate cost pressures on 3rd parties by lowering royalty costs. The thinking at the time was that users would be able to create their own games and distribute them online throught he PS3, and Sony would not be able to charge royalties for such titles. The company would want to offer 3rd parties a similar pricing environment, with the savings from royalty costs passed on to consumers in the form of lower software prices.
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