Martin Klima, co-founder of Warhorse Studios, the developer behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance, has expressed a hope that Grand Theft Auto 6's upcoming $80 price tag will pave the way for other studios and publishers to feel more confident in charging more for their games. Klima believes that higher unit prices are a necessary step for the industry's long-term survival.
In an interview with PC Gamer, Klima described the current state of the game industry as challenging. He noted that while game development costs are escalating, audience growth has largely stagnated. Publishers and developers are already maximizing revenue through digital storefronts, leaving limited avenues for increased profitability. "The last thing you can do is to increase the unit price," Klima stated. "That would help a lot, but everybody’s scared to death about it."
Klima views Grand Theft Auto 6's premium pricing – $80 for the standard edition and $100 for a deluxe version – as a potential catalyst for change. He suggested that Rockstar and Take-Two, with their market dominance, are in a unique position to set a new price precedent. "Now, hopefully, GTA will blaze the trail, and it will allow us to increase the cost," he said. "[Rockstar and Take-Two are the only ones] who can afford, or who can dare, to increase the price of games, which I think is long overdue and also necessary for this business to survive. So I wish them all the luck."
Despite his support for higher game prices, Klima admitted he does not personally find the Grand Theft Auto franchise appealing and doesn't understand its widespread popularity. "And the reason why it is so popular—it beats me," he commented. "It’s something which I just fail to understand."
The industry has seen a gradual shift in pricing, with many games moving from a $60 to a $70 price point in recent years. This shift has been met with considerable backlash from consumers, and a further increase to $80 for a standard edition is likely to encounter even more criticism.