j-e-f-f-e-r-s said:
I really wouldn't be surprised if game prices go up next generation. In fact, I expect it.
We've already see game prices go up exponentially this generation. The average development budget has gone up by tens of millions. I think it costs something like $40-60 million to develop an average game now, whereas one generation ago, $20 million was seen as expensive.
That's a given, half of that budget often goes into marketing and another quarter into expensive well known voice actors (which are exactly what games need these days, and I'm talking out of my arse considering the percentage, but it's a fair estimate).
As for prices of games going up, they only go up because ''they'' say so, as technology advances there's less production cost regarding the actual game and engine development in it's capabilities on more potent hardware, quite allot of funds in the console market went into optimization for older hardware, want proof (RESET [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLd8kEQJIzw])?
Look at the indie market and what kind of products they can pump out with fairly low budgets (that's if they have any to begin with) compared to the rehashed shit ''AAA'' (what does it stand for besides big ass amarketing acampaigns?) products...
I do realize that motion capture and voice acting is quite important, but considering the only game that really innovated in this regard was L.A. Noire and the company went bankrupt (like plenty before it) and procedurally generated animation is the next best thing along with really good voice actors that are not as well known, there really is no reason to make games more expensive besides the ''they say so'' reason.
As for the topic at hand, I wish the game prices were evenly spread across the world, $60!=£60!=?60 ...
Cheers.