A new market study suggests Rockstar and Take-Two could maximize profits by sticking with the standard $70 price tag for their upcoming blockbuster.
Gaming industry analysts at Midia Research have published a new report titled “The Grand Theft Auto VI Recipe for Success,” breaking down why Take-Two Interactive should price the game at $70. Using the Gabor-Granger pricing method and surveying over 2,000 U.S. consumers, the firm concluded that a $100 launch price — as suggested by Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter but opposed by Alinea Analytics’ Rhys Elliott — would actually hurt both sales volume and total revenue. In contrast, the industry-standard $70 price point would maximize demand and align with consumer expectations.
The research showed that 79% of respondents interested in Grand Theft Auto VI would “definitely” or “probably” buy the game for $50, while 16% would still buy it for $150. Among superfans, the willingness to pay $150 was almost twice that of the average gamer (9% versus 5%), yet still not enough to offset the overall drop in demand. According to Midia Research, the optimal $70 price point would persuade around 8.6% of U.S. adults to buy the title — roughly 22.9 million units sold, translating to about $1.6 billion in revenue.
“Our research shows that Grand Theft Auto VI will make more money at the standard $70 price than at $100. Pricing it higher would actually leave revenue on the table,” explained Perry Gresham, Head of Data at Midia Research and co-author of the report. “Once prices go beyond the optimal threshold, sales volume drops faster than the extra dollars you gain from those who still buy.”
“Nearly 59% of surveyed players expressed interest in buying GTA VI,” added Brandon Sutton, gaming analyst and co-author at Midia. “That massive appeal makes it the perfect case study for understanding how gamers perceive fair pricing — and a cautionary tale for developers tempted to push prices too high in the future.”
Grand Theft Auto VI is slated for release on May 26, 2025 for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series.
Source: WCCFTech
