Warhorse co-founder hopes GTA VI will pave way for higher game prices
In short
Martin Klima, co-founder of Warhorse Studios, said in a PC Gamer interview that he hopes the release of GTA VI pushes publishers to raise prices for major games, arguing the industry's rising development costs make it necessary. He said Rockstar Games and Take-Two are among the few companies able to risk going first, and that he does not understand the series' popularity and does not plan to play the game. GTA VI is due on 19 November for PS5 and Xbox Series X and S, with the US standard edition priced at $79.99.
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Martin Klima, co-founder of Warhorse Studios, the developer of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, said he hopes the release of Grand Theft Auto VI will push publishers to raise prices for major games. He said the move is overdue and would help the industry cope with rising development costs, according to 3DNews, StopGame and Igromania, which reported remarks he made in an interview with PC Gamer. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Klima said the industry faces several problems at once: producing large projects has become much more expensive, the number of people who regularly buy new games has approached its limit, and the shift to digital stores has all but eliminated the retail intermediaries that once took a share of revenue. 3DNews quoted him saying “we destroyed retail” and “I hope GTA paves the way, and we can raise prices”, adding that everyone is “scared to death” of raising them. Klima said Rockstar Games and Take-Two are the only ones that can afford or dare to raise prices first, and wished them luck. [ 2 , 3 ]
Klima said he is not a fan of the series and does not plan to play GTA VI unless circumstances force him. “Why it is so popular is a mystery to me. I simply cannot understand it,” StopGame quoted him as saying. Igromania described his remarks as made without negativity, and StopGame said he is glad such projects exist and considers them technologically impressive. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
3DNews said GTA VI goes on sale on 19 November only for PS5 and Xbox Series X and S, at a price between $80 and $100. StopGame said the US standard edition is priced at $79.99, $10 more than most major releases, with the Ultimate Edition at $99.99 and the UK standard edition at £69.99. StopGame added that a higher price does not guarantee players accept a new standard, noting that Xbox priced The Outer Worlds 2 at $79.99 last year but returned to $69.99 after audience reaction. [ 2 , 3 ]
Citing the Sensor Tower tracker, 3DNews said Rockstar Games had already sold more than 5.85 million copies of GTA VI and earned about $572 million on them as of 29 September, although the game has not been released. It added that ahead of the release the Miami Heat basketball club will hold an event called “A Night In Vice City”. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
GTA VI is priced above the usual AAA standard, and its reception is being watched as a possible benchmark for whether other publishers follow. The comments come from a single mid-size studio head rather than from a publisher or a pricing decision, and the documents offer no confirmation that other companies plan to raise prices. StopGame's note that Xbox reversed a $79.99 price for The Outer Worlds 2 after audience reaction suggests the outcome is not settled.
Key facts
- Martin Klima, co-founder of Warhorse Studios, said in an interview with PC Gamer that he hopes GTA VI will pave the way for higher prices across the games industry. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Klima said development costs for large projects have risen sharply, the number of people who regularly buy new games has neared its limit, and digital stores have almost eliminated retail intermediaries. [ 2 , 3 ]
- He said Rockstar Games and Take-Two are the only, or among the few, companies that can afford or dare to raise prices first, and wished them luck. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Klima said he does not plan to play GTA VI and does not understand the series' popularity. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- GTA VI is scheduled for release on 19 November, only for PS5 and Xbox Series X and S. [ 2 , 3 ]
- StopGame reported the US standard edition is priced at $79.99 and the Ultimate Edition at $99.99, with the UK standard edition at £69.99; 3DNews described the price as between $80 and $100. [ 2 , 3 ]
- 3DNews, citing the Sensor Tower tracker, said Rockstar had already sold more than 5.85 million copies of GTA VI and earned about $572 million as of 29 September, before the game's release. [ 2 ]
- StopGame noted that Xbox priced The Outer Worlds 2 at $79.99 last year but returned to $69.99 after audience reaction. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Martin Klima is a co-founder of Warhorse Studios, the studio behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Klima said in a PC Gamer interview that he hopes GTA VI's release will lead publishers to raise prices for major games. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Klima said Rockstar Games and Take-Two are among the few companies that can afford to raise prices first. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Klima said he does not understand the popularity of the GTA series and does not plan to play GTA VI unless forced. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- GTA VI is due for release on 19 November for PS5 and Xbox Series X and S. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Pre-release sales of more than 5.85 million copies and about $572 million in revenue for GTA VI, dated 29 September Cited only by 3DNews, which attributes the figures to the Sensor Tower tracker; no other outlet in the documents reports them, and the figures are dated before the game's release.
- The exact price of GTA VI The two outlets describe it differently: 3DNews says the price ranges from $80 to $100, while StopGame lists $79.99 for the standard edition and $99.99 for the Ultimate Edition in the US and £69.99 in the UK.
- Whether other publishers will actually raise prices This is Klima's stated hope; the documents contain no confirmation from any other publisher or developer.
- Where and when the PC Gamer interview took place The documents do not say where or when Klima was interviewed.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The Sensor Tower data on GTA VI copies sold that 3DNews cites is current as of this date. [ 2 ]
- DTF publishes a summary of Klima's remarks on 2 October. [ 1 ]
- 3DNews publishes its report on 2 October, including Klima's quotes and the pre-release sales figures. [ 2 ]
- StopGame publishes its report on 2 October, adding US and UK prices and the Xbox pricing precedent. [ 3 ]
- Igromania publishes its summary on 3 October. [ 4 ]
- GTA VI is scheduled to go on sale for PS5 and Xbox Series X and S. [ 2 , 3 ]