It’s not that we want games like Assassin’s Creed Shadows to fail—most of us love gaming and want to see great titles succeed. But when big publishers consistently make anti-consumer decisions, it’s important for the community to speak up. If we don’t push back, we risk normalizing practices that hurt us as players in the long run.
A lot of people point to the hype around upcoming releases like the Switch 2 and say, “Where’s all the negativity now? It’s already sold out.” But launch-day sellouts don’t tell the whole story. Historically, every new console sells well at launch. The real question is how it performs over time, especially if concerning trends continue.
Look at what Nintendo is doing: they’re charging $90 for a remaster bundled with DLC—content that many would expect to be priced far lower. Meanwhile, Xbox just released Oblivion, nearly remade and packed with all its DLC, for $50. That’s almost half the price for significantly more value. So should we just sit back and accept Nintendo charging almost double, or is it fair to question this pricing strategy?
It’s not just one game—it’s a pattern. Nintendo has been making several anti-consumer moves: physical editions costing more than digital, while also raising the price of digital games. And this isn’t happening in isolation. For years, the standard price for a new game was $60. That held steady for over 15 years. Then it jumped to $70. Now, just four years later, we’re seeing $80–$90 price tags depending on the edition, platform, and whether it’s digital or physical.
These things add up. The industry is slowly training consumers to accept higher prices and fewer benefits, and when we don’t speak out, we’re essentially giving them permission to continue. This isn’t about hating companies or wanting products to fail—it’s about holding the industry accountable so it stays healthy, fair, and respectful of its audience.
We all want to enjoy great games, but we should also care about how they’re made, priced, and delivered. If we don’t ask questions now, we might not like the answers the industry gives us later
