Capcom Undecided On Next-Gen Game Pricing, Believes COVID-19 Impact Will Be "Limited"

Between the ongoing coronavirus crisis and the recession triggered by the resulting global shutdown, it's a tumultuous time for the video game industry. Capcom's quarterly Q&A reflects this uncertainty, with many answers boiling down to a "wait-and-see."

For one, Capcom has yet to decide whether or not to increase the prices of its next-gen games, saying that it will "consider our approach having analyzed both our strengths and weaknesses while closely monitoring industry trends." Publisher Take-Two has indicated that NBA 2K21 will cost $70 on next-gen consoles, which has led many industry observers to wonder if the price of premium games will increase from $60 to $70. However, Ubisoft has already indicated that their Xbox Series X and PS5 games will be $60 this fall, though future plans remain uncertain.

Speaking on COVID-19's impact on game development, Capcom said that it does not expect any "major deviation" from its medium-term plan, though there may be some adjustments to the release lineup. Given that notable games like Halo: Infinite have been delayed to 2021, this isn't necessarily a surprise.

While Capcom notes that first quarter (January to March) revenues have exceeded its internal projections--driven by strong digital sales for games like Resident Evil 3, with a ratio of 60% to 40% physical--the company believes that the current boon to video game sales is driven primarily by what it calls "the casual audience."

"As a publisher who creates content primarily for the core gaming audience, we believe that any effects to our business will be limited," it said.