Former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden believes video games are underpriced. According to him, prices should have gone up by $5 with each new generation, and when adjusted for inflation, games today are cheaper than they were in 1999.

The gaming industry is in a tight spot: development costs keep rising, inflation is biting into AAA budgets, and players aren’t happy about paying more. Despite years of work poured into each title, prices have long hovered around $60-$70—and only recently crept up to $80. Following Nintendo’s decision to hike its game prices, several insiders have weighed in with strong opinions.

Shawn Layden, former PlayStation exec, added his voice to the debate during an interview with PlayerDrive. He argued that, in reality, game prices haven’t kept up with inflation. “$59.99 in 1999 is equivalent to about $100 in 2025. So, your purchasing power relative to your cost of living is much lower now than it was before.” He added: “Still, companies have been reluctant to raise prices—they probably should have. Each generation should have come with a $5 software price bump.”

Layden’s comments haven’t gone over well. Critics pointed out that while development costs have ballooned, the gaming population has also exploded, and modern monetization through DLC and microtransactions means studios aren’t exactly struggling.

PS5 Sees Second Price Hike

On April 13, Sony hit fans with more bad news: the PlayStation 5 is getting yet another price hike. This time, it’s the Digital Edition that’s going up—rising to €499.99 across Europe. The only upside? The disc drive peripheral has been reduced from €119.99 to €79.99. And just days earlier, Sony also raised PlayStation Plus prices in 15 Latin American countries.

Source: 3djuegos