EA Defies Industry Trend: No Plans to Raise Video Game Prices

In a recent financial call with investors, EA CEO Andrew Wilson firmly stated that the company has no intention of increasing the prices of its games, despite competitors like Microsoft and Nintendo moving towards $80 price points. Wilson emphasized EA's commitment to providing "incredible quality and exponential value" to its player base, highlighting the success of their co-op adventure game Split Fiction, which has sold an impressive 4 million copies.

Wilson elaborated on the evolution of EA's business model over the past decade, noting a significant shift 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, but it’s a significantly smaller part," he said. Today, EA's offerings range from free-to-play games to deluxe editions, catering to a diverse audience with varying price points.

"At the end of the day, whether we're doing something that costs a dollar, or we're doing something that costs $10, or we're doing something that costs $100, our objective is always to deliver incredible quality and exponential value for our playerbase," Wilson reiterated. He stressed that combining quality and value has proven to be a successful strategy for EA, leading to a strong, resilient, and growing business.

CFO Stuart Canfield added that EA's current pricing strategy remains unchanged, reflecting no adjustments in their financial guidance.

This announcement comes as a relief to gamers, especially following Microsoft's recent decision to raise Xbox prices, including controllers, headsets, and some games. Microsoft's price increases for consoles and accessories are already in effect, and while game prices remain unchanged for now, new first-party Xbox games are expected to cost $79.99 during the holiday season.

The trend of increasing game prices is evident across the AAA gaming industry, with prices escalating from $60 to $70 over the last five years. Nintendo has also announced $80 price tags for upcoming Switch 2 exclusives like Mario Kart World and other Switch 2 Edition games. The Switch 2 itself is set to launch at $450, a decision that has sparked debate among fans, though analysts suggest such pricing is inevitable given current economic conditions.

Given EA's stance, fans can anticipate that the next iterations of EA Sports FC, Madden, and Battlefield will maintain the $70 standard edition pricing.

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