OPINION: Tax time is the worst time to raise prices and, yep, Microsoft isn’t reading the room

Yeah, this is going to be a screed on game prices. Going to join the chorus of gamer boos on pricing. It’s a topic on PGM we’ve covered before (OPINION: New games prices need to come down across the board in 2025), and of course major companies don’t listen to PGM. They should. Everybody should. We’re actually here because we love games and gaming. We buy and play games. Every day.

But stay with me, there will be a spin at the end. Something nobody else is talking about while they’re buying pitchforks and torches.

I know, I know, gamers are pissed right now that Microsoft are jacking the price of the Xbox, accessories and their games to match Nintendo’s equally stupid $80 pricing.

We get the corporate three piece suit spiel: market conditions, market conditions, but wait, didn’t Microsoft just post an increase in earnings for fiscal Q32025? Yup, sure did.

“PC Game Pass revenue increased over 45% year-on-year, while Xbox Cloud Gaming set a new record this quarter, with 150 million hours played compared to 140 million in Q2.” – Microsoft was top publisher on Xbox and PS stores during Q3 | GamesIndustry.biz

Let’s not forget just how wealthy a company Microsoft already is, they have billions in their warchest. Billions and billions and billions.

Why is this irritating gamers? It’s the patently ridiculous blame game. You can read it in their announcement linked in the gravelly smooth quote below.

“We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development,” the company wrote in an announcement. “Looking ahead, we continue to focus on offering more ways to play more games across any screen and ensuring value for Xbox players.” – Xbox raises prices on consoles, controllers, headsets due to ‘market conditions’

This price takes effect, you got it, May 1, 2025. It’s like, yep we did it. We raised those prices. During the worst tax time of the year. Oh, and they are raising the prices of “some” of their first party games to match Nintendo’s stupid new $80 price point.

This author has been enjoying playing games we already have — for the most part — in 2025 (see: 2025 Resolution: Travel Back in Gaming Time – PlayGamesMore), continuing to celebrate the whole idea we have enough games as it is (see: With 270,000+ games, Gamers are hopelessly outnumbered + National Card Playing Day). Yes, my game spending — at least through the first four months — is way down over 2024 and 2023. Am not planning to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 (In 2025 is not having enough consoles produced to meet need on purpose or accidental?). But, hey, GTA is coming out later this year and will be one of the most expensive games of the year. And then there’s pinball, but let’s not even go there, because Stern is the game seduction master. We are considering several used pinball machines, but I’d be lying if said we are ruling out completely buying any more new pinball games in 2025 (because we aren’t).

The reality is my new game price comfort level has shifted down $10-20 to under $30, and preferably under $20. I’m not as likely to try new games as in many, many past years. I’ve come to the sad realization that console gaming is no longer a major gaming focus (After 40+ years, am no longer a console gamer). Bottom line: I am already practicing what I’m preaching herein. I’m not falling for the marketing conditions line. It’s not a lie, the prices for imports from China and other countries are a mess right now and that’s not a political statement, it’s a financial one.

Here’s the spin I promised. The markets will calm down, they always do, we’re not going into the Great Depression again. The sky isn’t falling, the world isn’t ending. I don’t believe it is, anyway. In fact, I fully expect the economy to improve. And the potential is dramatic, considering the amount of money companies are investing in building in America versus our over-reliance on cheap crap made abroad and energy we don’t need.

But here’s the question we all need to be asking.

When the market conditions improve will we see — finally — a reduction in game prices? Yes, that’s the golden question. Will the prices go back down? When? I sure hope these companies don’t just pocket the profit, because if they do, that’s when we really should reach for the flamethrowers.

Now, what do you think? What does your game spending look like in 2025 so far? You cutting back? Spending more? About the same?