SEGA games are the latest to get a $70 price tag

The cost of living crisis has stretched into every corner of the planet, and now, every corner of capitalism. We simply can't have nice things (or even essential things) without someone slapping an inflated price tag on it.

The video game industry has also suffered price hikes, making sure that the expensiveness of the hobby is about as strict as it was back in the days of cartridges and CRT. And sadly, it looks like yet another company is jumping on Nintendo's trend of bumping the price of AAA games.

SEGA seems to be next to join the $70 club

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The next-gen gaming world is amping its prices one development team at a time, and in a bid to stay with the times while making more money, it seems as though SEGA is going to be the next gaming goliath to sell its games for $70.

A newly-translated transcript of SEGA's April 28 earnings call has revealed that the company intends to double back on its considerations of game prices in the wake of other companies. Most notably, Sony's Jim Ryan has repeatedly said it's fair for companies to amp up their pricing structure.

"In the global marketplace, AAA game titles for console have been sold at $59.99 for many years, but titles sold at $69.99 have appeared in the last year," the company says.

"We would like to review the prices of titles that we believe are commensurate with price increases, while also keeping an eye on market conditions."

This is frustrating for a lot of fans, with some hoping that a few major companies would hold fast to its current pricing - but this is an indicator that positive rebellion isn't entirely likely.

Which SEGA games will start at $70?

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We're not entirely sure yet when SEGA could put these changes into effect, but it's thought that the next game in the Yakuza series, tentatively called Like a Dragon 8 in Japan, will start this trend when it launches at some point in 2024. Then again, a price hike hasn't exactly done Sony any favours. 

You only have to look at the divisive reception of Sonic Frontiers to see there will be a few angry faces if the blue blur starts costing $70/£70.  It's not looking good for SEGA fans, especially those who were holding out hope that this trend would be curbed by the company. May the lord have mercy on our wallets.