COD Black Ops 6 Price Sparks Outrage Among European Fans

The recent increase in price for COD Black Ops 6 has caused a commotion among European fans and ignited a worldwide discussion. While the game is priced at $70.00 in the United States, the digital base game costs a staggering 79,99 Euros ($86.10) in Europe, with the Vault Edition being even higher at 100,99 Euros. This spike in price for COD Black Ops 6 has left European fans outraged and the rest of the world anxious about what may come next.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6: Price Concerns Gamers Everywhere

In-game screenshot from the trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 — Image via Activision

The gaming community has traditionally invested in physical copies of games, which come with discs, manuals, art books, and collectibles. However, the rise of digital copies has brought about a new perspective. With the incorporation of monetization in games and high day-one prices, there has been a renewed discussion among gamers regarding the perceived value for money they are receiving.

COD Black Ops 6 stands out as a one-of-a-kind case study for several reasons. The franchise’s notable price hike, carefully determined by Microsoft, sets it apart. The game’s pricing was based on the purchasing habits of loyal fans of the franchise. Furthermore, the game will be available on Day 1 through Game Pass, enticing fans to subscribe rather than paying the steep cost for the game.

Although Microsoft does not receive the same initial payment from consumers who subscribe to Game Pass, they are able to save revenue that would otherwise be lost on other platforms such as Steam. Furthermore, a Game Pass subscription solidifies a consumer’s loyalty to Microsoft’s ecosystem. Ultimately, Microsoft benefits regardless of how a consumer “purchases”COD Black Ops 6.

Ironically, Call of Duty Black Ops 6 has become the top pre-ordered item on Steam, demonstrating that despite the higher price point, a large number of fans are still willing to purchase the game. This success serves as evidence of the effectiveness of Microsoft’s pricing strategy. Could this be a sign of future price increases for AAA games globally? Will we see the base game prices rise and special editions reaching hundreds of dollars?

Should We Expect More Price Bumps for AAA Titles Worldwide?

The Total War: Warhammer III - Thrones of Decay Steam store page — Image via user bimbambam on Reddit

In recent years, the gaming industry has been discussing the possibility of increasing prices for AAA titles due to rising inflation and development costs. As a result, some publishers have already raised their prices from $60 to $70 in 2022. This new price point has become the standard for AAA titles. However, with the release of Black Ops 6, we are now seeing regional price increases that are higher in the local currency compared to the USD starting price. For example, the Thrones of Decay DLC for Total War: Warhammer III had significant price discrepancies across different countries, leading to criticism of Sega’s handling of regional pricing from fans.

Therefore, it is difficult to predict if there will be a uniform price hike globally, similar to the one that sparked backlash from European fans over the COD Black Ops 6 price. However, it is likely that publishers will begin setting their prices based on the inflation rate of the region where the game is being sold, resulting in different price points depending on your location.