Red Dead Redemption, recently made its debut on the PS4 and Nintendo Switch platforms. However, the excitement surrounding the release was somewhat dampened, not by the game’s performance or graphics, but by its pricing.
Interestingly, this version isn’t a significant update or a full-blown remaster of the original game. Instead, it’s largely a straightforward port, albeit with some minor visual tweaks. Yet, the port carries a $40 price tag, causing a bit of a stir among fans who expected more for that price.
But the pricing debate doesn’t end there. Rockstar has introduced a bundle deal which includes both the port of Red Dead Redemption and its critically acclaimed sequel, Red Dead Redemption 2. This package is available for both the PS4 and Xbox platforms, with the latter having had access to the original game due to its backward compatibility feature. The sticker shock? The bundle is priced at a hefty $100.
A notable gaming commentator, Idle Sloth, was quick to spotlight this steep bundle price. This led to a wave of reactions from the gaming community, with many suggesting that a $60 price point would have felt more in line with market expectations. Especially since, when broken down, the effective cost of Red Dead Redemption 2 within the bundle mirrors its standalone price of $60. This means that gamers aren’t making any savings from purchasing the bundle, a departure from the usual value proposition of such offers.
While the ported version of Red Dead Redemption boasts some visual improvements, they aren’t substantial enough to warrant the combined $100 price for both games, at least in the eyes of many gamers.
This isn’t the first time the pricing for this port has been in the spotlight. When previously questioned about the $40 charge for the slightly enhanced version of Red Dead Redemption, Take-Two Interactive CEO, Strauss Zelnick, had defended it as being “commercially accurate.”
It remains to be seen how this pricing strategy will impact sales and whether further comments or adjustments will be made in response to the feedback.