This week has seen a ton of news about NBA 2K21, and almost all of it has had a positive reception.
The one thing that has ruffled some feathers is the price 2K are charging for a next-gen copy of the game. But it is time for the bar to move.
NBA 2K21 next-gen price
When pre-orders opened, gamers were surprised to see that the next-gen copy of NBA 2K21 would cost more.
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The Standard Edition of NBA 2K21 on PS4 or Xbox One is listed in most places at £54.99/$59.99, but on PS5 and Xbox Series X it is £64.99/$69.99.
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This has surprised many, but it really shouldn't.
Gamings flat prices were bound to rise
Games have hovered around the £50-£55/$55-$60 mark for a long time.
Even as the costs of developing games and the demanding nature of fans has increased, prices have stayed remarkably flat.
This has seen plenty of gaming companies struggle to make the profits required to justify the efforts behind each title.
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Sure, the boom of mirco-transactions and extra editions has seen healthy profits for some games continue, but each miss has become increasingly costly for developers.
The arrival of next-gen consoles is a natural place for prices to rise.
The end of micro-transactions?
Once a company finds a way of making money they will rarely close that avenue voluntarily.
So bumping up game prices won't see companies close the door for those tiny transactions, but they may not have a choice.
Around the world, governments are starting to clamp down on in-game "gambling" via loot boxes. Included under that could be Ultimate Team and in NBA 2K's case, MyTEAM.
If that does come to fruition, then gamers should get used to higher prices on next-gen consoles. Given the graphics shown and promises made so far, it still looks like a good deal for gamers.
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