Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has once again defended the decision to make the NBA 2K21 next-gen price more expensive than its current-gen offering, prompting more ire from exasperated consumers who are struggling to understand the decision. NBA 2K21 is the latest release in the NBA 2K series that, while a serviceable basketball simulator that has some true bright spots, has done little to push the series forward and been met with reception indicative of that stagnancy, with many critics openly expressing a desire for something more innovative.
That reception might be partially why fans have been so negative about the decision on NBA 2K21 pricing for next-gen recently, even when the initial decision to change price based on which console the game appears on was made months ago. That decision prompted a greater discussion about video game prices heading into next-gen that has been at least a positive, worthwhile experience for consumers and the companies that market to them alike - but the root of it, NBA 2K21's pricing specifically, remains a much-maligned concept. Things got worse when Zelnick decided to defend the decision by stating that it costs a lot more to make games now, despite the industry being one of the most profitable entertainment sectors in the world.
In an interview with protocol, Zelnick tripled down on Take-Two's decision to charge more for NBA 2K21 next-gen copies. When prompted to explain the decision by the interviewer, Zelnick states that "the bottom line is that we haven't seen a front-line price increase for nearly 15 years, and production costs have gone up 200 to 300%." Zelnick, who represents a company that made nearly $3 billion USD in 2020, also stated that it delivers "bigger" games for $60 or $70 than it delivered for the same price 10 years ago.
Zelnick went on to state that Take-Two, which made $729.4 million in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2020 alone, doesn't want to maximize revenues as its primary goal. According to Zelnick, the goal is to deliver "the best entertainment experiences on earth" by delivering on "quality." As of this writing, NBA 2K21 has a 69 MetaCritic score, and a 0.9 user score.
While it's too early to tell whether or not the leap to next-gen will truly make NBA 2K21 suddenly worth 10 more dollars than its current iteration, Take-Two's decision to constantly double down on the decision is one that's too easy for consumers to feel unhappy about. Fan backlash hasn't seemed to alter the course for Take-Two yet, and it will be interesting to see if this struggle sets a precedent for next-gen pricing down the line - but for now, the NBA 2K21 next-gen price remains $70, and fans remain angry as a result.
Source: protocol