A big question in the next-gen console race has been - with development costs soaring and games getting progressively more complex, how much is this all going to cost after all? Well, there’s hints of some bad news from Kaz Hirai (speaking in the latest PSM magazine) for everyone saving up for a Playstation 3:

“generally speaking, over the past twelve years or so, there has been a consumer expectation that disc-based games are maybe $59 on the high end to $39 on the low end. So, what I can say now is, I think it would be a bit of a stretch to think that we could suddenly turn around and say ‘PS3 Games now $99.99.’”

He then continues:

“I don’t think consumers expect software pricing to suddenly double. So, the quick answer is that we want to make it as affordable as possible, knowing that there is a set consumer expectation for what software has cost for the past twelve years. That’s kind of the best answer I can give you. So, if it becomes a bit higher than $59, don’t ding me, but, again, I don’t expect it to be $100.”

So let’s see what’s really said here - Sony is basically going to take the fact that consumers have an expectation of a ~$59 price point into account, but in the end they’ll make it as affordable “as possible”? That sounds suspiciously like the logic behind the pricing for the PS3 console, which may not be a good thing. If Sony has to convince us that there’s a good reason to pay more for their games as well as their console, they may have a long battle ahead of them (especially with many of their formerly exclusive titles rumored to appear on other systems - Assassin’s Creed for one, or GTA 4).

We’ll definitely be listening closely when the final games pricing structure releases.