If anyone was in doubt just how much of an effect Trump administrations tariffs were going to have subsequently all over the world. Nintendo and the American consumer pre-orders of the Nintendo Switch 2 are going to make you horrifyingly shudder. For anyone around the world that’s being gleeful and easy that they’ve gotten their pre-order in. That’s just not how universally the world works and we shouldn’t ever take pleasure in that. Sooner or later everyone around the world is going to be affected in some way. If not right now, then in the future by extension.
Our hobby is becoming more of a luxury item than it ever has done and somewhat priced out. And sure, Trumpism is having a substantial effect. However, consequentially over the last few years isn’t this just where gaming is? If Sony can get a slide on game prices and PS5 hardware ‘PS5 Pro’ then effectively your Nintendo’s are going to follow suit. The industry at large is all over the place. Some people may consider what it is they’re actually paying for when it comes to these prices in the form of a ‘console’ and the ‘closed-platform’ as a whole and the result will be looking elsewhere for a better deal.
This is exactly why the vision of the next Xbox is particularly intriguing to me. As I stated on Bluesky a few days ago. This isn’t a coincidence. The industry has been on a slippery slope the last few years. Factor in the live service focus and a less than pristine generation from Sony this time around with PlayStation. It’s going to take a lot of pandering and a great recall of nostalgia to bring people back with the PS6. Another note to consider, if we’re not willing to pay the higher prices for games and the like. Does that mean future PlayStation game experiences might get affected by that? If game production costs continue to rise how do you negate the risk?
Something will need to change somewhere. That ultimately means, the conditions within the market might dictate that need for change a lot more quicker. It also means that we’re going to see less risk taking unless these game budgets are cut significantly. I think somewhere down the line people are going to have to make a decision on if they want to pay those higher costs or look to subscriptions like Game Pass.
Don’t get me wrong, a lot can change in the next three or whenever the next generation hits. However, the market conditions are going to have a negative effect on where we are at if this continues being a thing. It got me thinking a lot about the future of this industry and just how Steam might have a bigger part to play for consumers on consoles than people actually think.
When all the dust settles and everything is done. A lot of us are going to have to potentially change our buying habits or look at alternative options. A lot already are. The Steam Deck is a big thing as is the PC. There are alternatives. It’s just going to be interesting how this overall story arc continues to go. If anything, we can say to people. Vote with your wallets, but also when you have this sort of market volatility going on it’s going to impact more in the grander scheme of things everywhere inside and outside of gaming.
Ultimately, what that means is consumers are going to need to get smarter but also the industry as whole is going to have to look at many things within itself to continue to attract players. Interesting times, nonetheless. If not, volatile. Hang tight folks, this could get interesting very fast because gaming companies are going to have to innovate and find ways to retain your custom. Especially if sales start to become affected.