EA Defies Trend: No Plans to Raise Video Game Prices

In a recent financial call with investors, EA has made it clear that it has no intention of following the trend set by Microsoft and Nintendo in raising game prices to $80. CEO Andrew Wilson emphasized the company's commitment to providing "incredible quality and exponential value for our playerbase," as seen with their successful co-op adventure game, Split Fiction, which has now sold 4 million copies.

Wilson elaborated on how the gaming industry has evolved over the past decade, moving away from traditional retail sales to a broader spectrum of pricing models. "In a world where everything we did 10 years ago was about selling shiny discs in plastic boxes on retail shelves — well, that’s still a *part* of our business, it’s a significantly smaller part of our business, and we now have pricing representing everything from free-to-play all the way to deluxe editions and beyond," he stated. He further explained that regardless of the price point, EA's goal remains to deliver high-quality and valuable experiences to players. "And what we've discovered over the course of time is [when] we can marry quality and value together, our business is strong, resilient, and continues to grow."

CFO Stuart Canfield reinforced this stance, indicating that EA's current pricing strategy remains unchanged. "From a guidance perspective [...] we have reflected no changes in our current [pricing] strategy at this point," he added.

This decision by EA is particularly noteworthy given the recent moves by competitors. Just last week, Microsoft confirmed it was raising Xbox prices, including an increase in the cost of controllers, headsets, and some games. The price increase for consoles and accessories has already been implemented, and while game prices remain unchanged for now, Xbox is expected to charge $79.99 for new, first-party titles during the holiday season.

This follows a broader trend in the AAA gaming industry, where game prices have escalated from $60 to $70 over the last five years. Nintendo has also jumped on this trend, setting a $80 price tag for upcoming Switch 2 exclusive titles like Mario Kart World and other Switch 2 Edition games. The Switch 2 itself is set to launch at $450, a move that has sparked criticism from fans, though analysts argue it's inevitable amid current economic conditions.

Given EA's firm stance on pricing, fans can anticipate that future releases like the next EA Sports FC, Madden, and Battlefield games will adhere to the $70 standard edition pricing.

In other news, EA cut around 100 jobs at Apex Legend developer Respawn Entertainment last week, alongside broader layoffs affecting approximately 300 individuals across the organization.