I have to admit, the $100 price of the GTA VI Ultimate Edition surprised me. With so much discussion around the rising cost of big games, I expected most players to stick with the cheaper $80 standard version.
Apparently, that is not happening.
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick recently revealed that pre-orders for the Ultimate Edition are currently stronger than those for the standard edition. He did not give exact numbers, but his comments make it clear that early buyers are leaning toward the more expensive package.
That is interesting because the $100 price has already attracted plenty of criticism. A lot of the extra content included with the Ultimate Edition appears to focus on cosmetics and customization rather than major new gameplay. For a single-player game like GTA VI, I can understand why some players would question whether those extras are worth another $20.
Still, the people ordering the game this early are probably not average buyers. They are likely the biggest GTA fans, and those players may be more comfortable paying extra to get the premium version.
The bigger story here is the price of GTA VI itself. The standard edition is expected to cost $80, which puts the game among the most expensive major AAA releases. The Ultimate Edition pushes that price to $100, making it even harder to ignore the changing cost of new games.
I also would not expect GTA VI to receive huge discounts shortly after launch. Zelnick pointed out that Take-Two kept GTA V at its regular price for a much longer period than most entertainment releases. While retailers can choose to lower the price, doing so means they would have to give up part of their own margin.
In simple terms, I would not count on finding GTA VI at a massive discount a few months after launch.
For now, the pre-order numbers suggest something quite different from the online criticism. Players may complain about the $100 price, but some of the most dedicated GTA fans are still willing to pay it.
The real test will come after launch. If players feel that the Ultimate Edition offers enough value, Take-Two’s pricing strategy could prove to be a very successful move. If not, the backlash over the price could become much louder.
