Video game pricing in South Africa is unjust

GAMERS were shocked by the sudden recent increase in video game prices, which had remained consistent for a quarter of a decade, regardless of inflation.

The standard price for a AAA video game in America was $60 (around R850) from the 1990s through to the eighth generation of consoles, with the PS5 and XBOX Series X suddenly pushing their title prices to $70 (just under R1 000).

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This increase is particularly bad for South African gamers who, owing to a multitude of factors, pay exorbitant prices for video games.

Contributing factors include the exchange rate and high import duties.

While American gamers are appalled at having to pay $70 for a AAA video game, South African gamers have been paying R999 (the equivalent of $70) for new releases since 2017.

To counter this high pricing, South African gamers often wait until the price decreases after the release.

The added benefit is that many new games are released in an ‘incomplete’ state anyway (we’re looking at you, Cyberpunk 2077).

Gamers might be willing to pay exorbitant prices a few times a year for in-demand games, but unfinished games don’t justify the R1 000 price tag.

The smallest of the Big 3 console manufacturers, Nintendo, is guilty of this, having sold Mario Tennis Aces – a three-year-old animated tennis simulator – for R1 200.

Don’t get me wrong, the game is excellent, but it doesn’t offer R1 200 worth of content. Indie developers are breaking this trend by pricing their games according to the amount that it actually cost to make the game, as opposed to the ‘industry standard’.

Hopefully this becomes standard for the industry, otherwise pirated games might be on the rise.