A $100 base price on GTA 6 would be a bad idea for three reasons, says analyst

Grand Theft Auto 6 could be priced at $100 when it launches, said Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter just yesterday, but now another analyst has said a $100 price on GTA 6 is a bad idea.

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Alinea Analytics' analyst Rhys Elliott has come out reporting on why a $100 base pricing for GTA 6 isn't a good idea, going into a little more detail. His points include GTA Online being the "real cash cow" and that Rockstar moving players from GTA 5 with a higher price on GTA 6 would limit the GTA 5 to GTA 6 player acquisition.

He explained:

• The real cash cow is GTA Online and its recurring revenues, so limiting GTA VI's total addressable audience at launch to make a quick buck wouldn't be smart. Let's also not forget there's a cost-of-living crisis happening globally.
• Rockstar needs to move players from GTA 5 and a higher floor for the switching cost would limit the GTA5-to-GTA6 player acquisition. Players not budging from GTA 5 is probably one of GTA VI's biggest threats, one GTA hasn't really faced before. After all, live services are mostly zero-sum in today's oversaturated attention economy. Grand Theft Auto VI isn't just competing against competitors' games, it's competing with TikTok, Netflix, and even its predecessor.
• Rockstar can easily charge $100 (hell, $120) for a higher-tier edition of GTA VI with a week of early access, maybe with a shark card thrown in. Players with the disposable income to pay that will pay it. It's the best of both worlds, and it's the norm for AAA games these days. While ''higher price = more revenues'' makes sense on first glance, it just doesn't make sense from a business perspective when we zoom out a little.

He added: "And yes, GTA is an all-time top-grossing media property. GTA 5 alone has sold 215 million copies and counting. GTA 5 sold 358 K copies on PlayStation last month alone. So while Rockstar could charge $100 for the base version of GTA VI and the market could easily bear that price, it really shouldn't charge more than it needs to. Rockstar is a smart company with a lot of decision power for a developer under a publisher. I think they'll make the right call and give the base edition an $80 price tag".

Rockstar could charge whatever they want for GTA 6 and it'll still sell like crazy, but charging $100 for the base game would definitely piss off a few gamers. Rockstar and Take-Two would make piles of money selling the game for $100, but they'll also make piles of money selling it for $80. GTA Online is where the money printing is at, so keeping the price $20 lower than what they COULD charge for GTA 6 is a smart move.