Gamers have spent years theorizing about the price of Rockstar Games’ highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 6. Many expected a massive $100 price tag. They were right about the Ultimate Edition. However, gamers were pleasantly surprised to learn that the standard edition will only cost $80. Furthermore, GTA 6 will not feature multiplayer at launch. Still, an $80 price tag seems reasonable for a groundbreaking new title. Yet, that same price feels offensive when publishers attach it to games that are a decade and a half old.
The True Cost of Nostalgia
Activision recently announced PS4 and PS5 ports for Call of Duty (CoD) Black Ops and Black Ops 2. The publisher confirmed these titles will release sometime this July. These are direct ports. They are not remasters or remakes. Recently, storefronts lowered the prices of these classic base games to $40 each. Consequently, fans and outlets expect the new PlayStation ports to cost $80 together. This base price is already divisive. However, the cost of the downloadable content (DLC) makes the situation much worse.
The recent storefront price drops also extend to the DLC. Black Ops 1 (BO1) map packs dropped from $15 to $10. Therefore, acquiring all BO1 DLC costs $40. Because the original Black Ops predated the modern content model, it lacks a unified Season Pass. Meanwhile, the Black Ops 2 (BO2) Season Pass dropped from $50 to $30.
If you want the complete experience for both upcoming ports, the grand total reaches $150. You cannot simply ignore the DLC to save money. These packs contain essential, highly demanded multiplayer maps like Kowloon and Grind. Furthermore, they include iconic Zombies experiences. Missing out on maps like Call of the Dead, Moon, Mob of the Dead, and Buried means missing a massive portion of the game. Fortunately, players do get one small victory. The BO2 personalization packs will now be free instead of costing $2 each.
CoD Black Ops vs. GTA 6
Ultimately, the pricing comparison is staggering. You can buy the brand-new, technologically advanced GTA 6 Ultimate Edition for $100. This premium package includes exclusive in-game shops and Vice City outfits. On the other hand, you will pay $150 to own the complete versions of two unchanged, 15-year-old games.
Currently, Activision has not announced a bundle that packages the games and DLC together. Therefore, superfans must prepare to pay a massive premium. For now, owning the definitive versions of the first two Black Ops games on PS5 requires a $150 investment. That is a hard pill for any gamer to swallow.
