Microsoft Confirms Price Hike For Starfield And Redfall

We won't pretend to understand what the hell is going on with inflation and the like, but there's one thing we know for certain, and that's that the price of our games is going up.

EA and Ubisoft seem to be leading the charge when it comes to bumping the price of AAA games to a strong $70/£70, while consumers are kicking up a fuss, because of course they are.

It's a lot of money, but why should the multi-billion dollar companies care when you'll pay it anyway? Even though it's a bit of a sad state of affairs, little can be done when it's our blood still greasing the cogs. It could be about to get worse, as one of the titans of the industry is getting involved.

Why Is Microsoft The Price Of Its AAA Games?

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Well, it looks like the sweeping price increase could be coming to a close. After Steam started adding some $70 games on its platform (which was previously a bit of a faux pas), we saw that the trend was headed for consoles next.

Microsoft is the latest to confirm that it's going to be pushing its first-party AAA games past the $60 threshold to $70 in the new year. And yes, that includes their PC ports.

Speaking with IGN, a Microsoft spokesperson stated, "This price reflects the content, scale, and technical complexity of these titles. As with all games developed by our teams at Xbox, they will also be available with Game Pass the same day they launch."

It's certainly handy that these games are also going to Game Pass, but for those who need to really own their games and have a reasonable apprehension about digital gaming, it's an absolute nightmare. Regional pricing could vary, but in the USA and UK, it's unlikely to budge from $70/£70. 

Which Games Are Getting Hiked?

Even though it has been pledged that these hikes won't affect this holiday season, 2023 is about to get more expensive, with Bethesda juggernauts Starfield and Redfall being the key titles that'll be affected.

We can also expect that the next projects from Arkane and Tango Gameworks will also be affected - though the expected Xbox port of Ghostwire: Tokyo could end up being cheaper, what with it being an existing game.

Either way, it's a move that may be important for the progression of the gaming industry, but it certainly isn't good news for the consumer.  Fork over, everyone.