That monetization in video games is not at its best is not new to anyone. Although it is true that video games are becoming more and more expensive and their price is not adjusted to the cost they entail, that does not mean that everything is worth it. The economy of gamers is also not adjusted to the work they do, or to the inflation we have suffered in recent years. Which is something that studios should also take into account, especially the larger ones.
That doesn’t seem to be the case. Not when it has been leaked that Blizzard has done a survey asking about possible pricing for a future Diablo IV expansion. One of those potential packs being in the $100 range.
According to information from VG247, youtuber Bellular News has leaked a confidential survey sent by Blizzard about Diablo IV DLC prices. In this survey, Blizzard offered four possible DLC packs, with prices at $50, $70, $80 and $100. All of these packs include the expansion, but they all come with different benefits. For example, the $100 pack would include a hero skin for all classes, a unique non-horse mount, premium in-game currency, and a pair of cosmetic wings.
All this, of course, does not imply that they will go ahead with these plans. What this survey implies is that they are interested in finding out what players value when it comes to buying DLC. Whether they would spend more money for a higher perceived value, and to what extent, in order to know where to put the total cost of these packs in the future. And how to set them up.
This does not detract from the fact that prices are exorbitant. But it’s also nothing new. Blizzard hasn’t exactly been known for taking pro-consumer measures for a long time now, and all of this only cements this impression. And while we’ll still have to wait and see what materializes, it doesn’t take away from the fact that something is fishy at Activision Blizzard’s headquarters.
