Bank of America Suggests Higher GTA 6 Price to 'Support' Gaming Industry, Fans React

Speculation about the price of Grand Theft Auto 6 has intensified, not just because fans are eager for a number, but because they fear it will exceed the already high costs of AAA games. Now, Bank of America has weighed in, and the suggestion is raising eyebrows.

As reported by Seeking Alpha, Bank of America analyst Omar Dessouky recently argued that a price increase over the baseline could actually help the entire gaming industry.

"We also heard from attendees that the industry, which is perceived as struggling, would have difficulty selling games for $80 if GTA 6 came out at $70. We think it’s in Take-Two's self-interest, as a publisher and partner to many developers, to raise the price point for the entire industry."

The analyst’s claim is both dangerous and demonstrably false. A basic understanding of the industry’s history would have shown Dessouky that GTA IV launched at a price $10 higher than other AAA games of its time. Yet, gamers still spent money on cheaper and more expensive titles alike. The mid-2000s marked the rise of massive collector’s editions, where players often spent hundreds of dollars on games that were far less complex and cheaper to produce than GTA. Fortunately, GTA’s price hike did not inspire a broader trend, but that could change if GTA 6 launches at a higher price—simply because it’s a AAAA title or for some other arbitrary reason.

It’s difficult to explain to someone who only thinks in dollars that the amount spent to make a game doesn’t necessarily determine how excited players are to play it, regardless of marketing budgets.

The GTA series has consistently sold well throughout its history, even before GTA 3, when it was objectively average in quality. The series succeeded because it allowed players to do things no other game could at the time. There will always be new releases that offer experiences GTA doesn’t, and those games can thrive despite the presence of a larger competitor.

Unless further delays occur, Grand Theft Auto 6 is scheduled to launch on November 19 for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, with a PC release to follow shortly after.