Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games finally confirmed that a Red Dead Redemption port for the Nintendo Switch and the PlayStation 4 was on the way this week. However, this much-awaited announcement took an unfortunate turn, as excitement was dampened by the exorbitant price tag that accompanied it.
Fans have not held back their frustration at the steep $50 price point, which Take-Two Interactive’s CEO, Strauss Zelnick, has tried to justify. Following the company’s earnings call on August 8, IGN sought to gain insight into the reasoning behind the costly price of the Red Dead Redemption port, and this is what he had to say:
That’s just what we believe is the commercially accurate price for it.
Well, there you have it, fellow gamers. The rationale behind Take-Two’s $50 price tag for a 13-year-old game seems rather unconvincing, as the only explanation is that the company is following the trend set by other publishers. Many fans were hoping for a remaster or remake of the 2010 Western game, but instead, all we’re getting is a port bundled with the Undead Nightmare expansion.
Zelnick’s attempted to justify that the expansion contributed to the high price tag, saying it “was a great standalone game in its own right when it was originally released, so we feel like it’s a great bundle for the first time, and certainly a great value for consumers.”
How do we even begin dismantling this entire argument? Firstly, let’s address the fact that the upcoming ports won’t come with a multiplayer option, a key component of the original game. So, essentially, gamers are expected to shell out more money for an inferior experience.
Secondly, it’s worth noting that Red Dead Redemption and the Undead Nightmare expansion are already backwards compatible on the Xbox Series X and run flawlessly on 4K resolution. In contrast, these new ports lack any new features or visual upgrades. Whichever way you put it, it’s evident that Take-Two is simply looking for a quick, low-effort cash grab.
Sadly, we must shoulder some of the responsibility. Over the past ten years or so, we’ve demonstrated to game publishers that we’re willing to fork out any price they attach to a remake, DLC, or even part with 70 bucks for recycled titles like the NBA 2K and FIFA series.
Even when Rockstar Games pulled a fast one on us with the GTA Trilogy Remaster, many people still went ahead and purchased the game on Steam, despite the countless issues it was reported to have. Unless each one of us individually decides to put our foot down and say, “Enough is enough,” we can expect this trend to continue into the foreseeable future.
Would you be willing to part with $50 for the Red Dead Redemption ports on August 17? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
