Rockstar's announcement of a £350 ($400) collector's box for Grand Theft Auto 6, which notably does not include the game itself or even a download code, underscores a growing trend: high-end gaming is becoming a luxury item. The Grand Theft Auto VI: The Goodtime State – Vice City Collection contains a hat, a bag, sunglasses, a figurine, a poster, a mirror, and a swizzle spoon, among other items. With the game retailing at £70, players face a total outlay of £420.
Escalating Costs of Special Editions
Historically, special editions added modest premiums, such as £20-50 for a statue or steelbook. In 2009, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's prestige edition included night vision goggles for $150, and in 2015, Fallout 4's collector's edition shipped with a plastic Pip Boy wrist unit for $120. Some editions were PR stunts, like Saints Row IV's million-dollar pack with a Lamborghini, which nobody bought.
In the 2020s, high-priced merchandise has become more common, from a Balenciaga PlayStation tie-in line to £580 Pokémon Lego. This trend suggests that console games, played at home on a 4K TV, are now a luxury item. People who can afford up to £790 for a console and games may also afford an extra £350 for merch. Continual price rises from Xbox and PlayStation indicate companies are not worried about pricing people out.
Stratification of the Gaming World
This stratification has been happening for years, since the first smartphones. According to Newzoo, about 80% of players play for free or at low cost on mobile phones, while the remaining 20% account for a disproportionate share of spending on high-end consoles and PC. Merch boxes like this target that 20%.
The author expresses sadness at gaming becoming more of a luxury hobby. While games are more accessible than ever, with mobile games like Monopoly Go, the kinds of games that feel like worlds are increasingly locked behind a spending barrier. The scarcity of physical discs and cartridges also limits second-hand purchases.
One advantage of rising collector's edition costs is that it removes temptation to buy them, as the author notes. The price has eliminated any lingering desire to purchase more stuff.
What to Play and Read
Keith has been playing Silver Pines, a neo-noir detective drama with point-and-click adventure sensibilities. He describes it as a game to sit back and wallow in, with references to 80s and 90s neo-noir culture. It's available on PC, PS5, and Switch 2, with an estimated playtime of 12 hours.
Award-winning UK studio Ninja Theory has reportedly begun laying off staff, according to Xbox COO Matt Booty, as two agreements to keep the studio running have failed. Windows Central obtained a transcript of a meeting where Xbox CEO Asha Sharma referred to the next generation Xbox platform, Project Helix, as 'a family of devices' rather than a single console. GamesIndustry.Biz features an article on Zach Cregger's Resident Evil movie and its effect on the games, noting that movie and TV tie-ins keep franchises in gamers' minds.
Cozy strategy game Flame, Forest and Flood is launching on the same day as GTA, offering a tactical alternative. Trees Hate You is a precision platformer where you are attacked by nature. Football Manager 2027 arrives on 10 November, allowing players to lead Plymouth Argyle into the Premier League instead of a gang of drug dealers.
