Bethesda CEO wants more games from 20 to 30 euros

Many games are overpriced and it would be good for the industry if games became cheaper. So says Bethesda Softworks’ Todd Howard, the great man behind The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. This game is of course worth sixty euros.

In the upcoming issue of PSM3 magazine stilt Howard that 60 euros is ‘a lot’ of money for a game. “I’ve thought for a long time that games are too expensive, although I don’t put us in that category – but $60 is a lot of money for entertainment,” Howard said. “I think it’s good news that in certain markets – PC, iPhone, mobile – prices are falling. But it would also be good if the industry offered more games for 20 or 30 euros, because for 60 euros I’m not going to play a game Try it out. It’s not just about the financial investment, it’s also about the time investment. It’s something different than grabbing a movie.”

Howard holds the title of game director at developer Bethesda Softworks and heads the team developing the RPG The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The game should be released in November.

Howard is not the first to exhaust pipe about the high price of games. For example, Olivier Comte, CEO of publisher Namco Bandai, already announced in 2010 that he thinks the traditional price point of 60 euros is too high. Given the development costs, the price is good for publishers and retailers, but according to Comte, the price is too high for consumers. THQ chief executive Brian Farrell also made similar statements last year.

That the price of games can be reduced without endangering the revenue of publishers, according to a study by developer Valve. In late 2008, Valve conducted an experiment on its download platform Steam, encouraging publishers and developers to experiment with the price of their games. That research showed that much more profit can be made on the sale of games if prices go down.