Final Fantasy VII Remake is also bringing next-gen game prices to PC
$70 is the new $60
Final Fantasy VII Remake is finally headed to PC on December 16th, as announced during The Game Awards. That's great news, but there's a catch: Square Enix are selling it at the next-gen console price of £65/$70/€80.
Maybe this isn't a surprise. The version of FFVII Remake coming to PC is the "Intergrade" release created for PlayStation 5, which has extra visual polish and a photo mode. There has been a push to raise the price of games on PlayStation 5 from the previous $60 standard, and the Intergrade edition - and other console exclusives like Returnal - are $70 on the console.
So far, however, publishers who sell next-gen console games for $70 have continued to sell the PC versions for $60. Call Of Duty: Vanguard, for example, is $10 cheaper on PC than it is on console. Square Enix are the first to change that, and it's not only the Epic-exclusive FFVII Remake Intergrade. Their new action game Forspoken, due in May 2022, is listed on Steam for the same price. Both games also have even pricier "deluxe editions" that include DLC and other cosmetic items.
Relative to other forms of entertainment, videogames have a pretty good cost-per-length ratio. That kind of calculation assumes that you're going to play every game you buy to completion, however, and I know that, for me at least, that's simply not true. There is a good chance I would play FFVII for six hours, enjoy my time with it, and then never go back. It's impossible to justify the cost in those circumstances.
At the same time, games don't stay at their launch cost for long, there are plenty of new games launched at far lower prices, and the rise of subscription services like PC Game Pass increases the number of affordable games still further. I find myself ambivalent: I can't imagine ever paying £65/$70 for a PC game, but then I don't think I'll ever have to, either.