I’ll say it loud: AAA game pricing has officially left planet Earth. Every new blockbuster feels like a fever dream—one where publishers prod us to see just how much we’ll cough up before we flip the table. The moment GTA 6’s price tag started swirling around the €100 mark (no, that’s not a typo), the market became a caricature of itself. So when Take-Two quietly unveiled Mafia: The Old Country for €50, it was like seeing a black cat in the Matrix. With €70 now treated as “standard” and Nintendo gleefully slapping €90 on Mario Kart World, Mafia’s price looks almost rebellious—and frankly, it casts the rest of the industry in an unflattering light.
Let’s not kid ourselves: game pricing has become untethered from any sense of reality. The very idea that GTA 6 might cost €100 sent the internet into collective shock. At this rate, owning two new games a year means choosing between your favorite pastime and your weekly groceries. So when Take-Two dropped Mafia at €50, I had to double-check the announcement to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.
This is the very same publisher that’s practically joined at the hip with Rockstar, the folks apparently set on transforming GTA 6 into a “luxury collectible.” So what does Mafia’s price really tell us? One thing, plain and simple: the notion that AAA games must be €70 or more is a fairy tale. If Take-Two can deliver a sprawling, high-polish Mafia at €50, what are we really paying for with those €70–€100 juggernauts? Is it actual development cost, or just a premium because they think we’ll swallow it?
Of course, defenders of the status quo will point to inflation, massive teams, and ballooning costs. Those are real concerns, sure—but when Take-Two and even smaller studios (like those behind Split Fiction or Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) prove you can launch ambitious games for less, the “impossible” argument falls apart. If Mafia can undercut the €70 crowd by a solid €20 without trimming ambition or shine, what exactly are we buying into with those pricier games? Is it substance, or just surplus?
And then there’s Nintendo, who seem dead set on seeing just how far they can push their loyal fans. Mario Kart World for €90? That’s not “premium,” that’s just pushing your luck. You can’t seriously argue Mario Kart costs more to develop than Mafia. Sometimes, publishers charge more for one simple reason: because they can. And as long as we let them, why would they ever stop?
But beyond the price tag, there’s a message here. Mafia: The Old Country at €50 is a rare sign that some publishers still respect their audience—a courtesy that feels extinct amid today’s “charge until they squeal” mentality. It proves you don’t need to perpetuate a broken system to deliver a blockbuster experience. That’s not just good for us, it’s healthy for the industry’s future too.
Is this a one-off? Maybe. It could be a calculated effort to earn goodwill before a crowded release season. But the bar has now been set—and it’s lower than the industry wants you to think. The next time a publisher tries to justify a €70 or €100 sticker, you can point to Mafia and ask, “If they can do it, what’s your excuse?” The “premium experience” defense is looking shakier by the day.
Looking ahead, I hope Mafia’s bold price point rattles the AAA establishment. If a €50 blockbuster sells like hotcakes, maybe, just maybe, the industry will finally rethink what “fair” really means. Or maybe it’ll take a few more €90 disasters before the message sinks in. Either way, gamers are paying attention—and we’re not about to shrug off sticker shock without a fight.
What do you think? Is Mafia’s price a game-changer, or just a fleeting anomaly? Ready to cast your vote with your wallet? Bring your hottest takes (and wildest predictions) to the comments—just don’t forget your calculator.
Mafia: The Old Country’s €50 launch busts the myth that AAA games need astronomical prices. If Take-Two can deliver a true blockbuster for less, it’s time for the rest of the industry to step up—or risk losing players to smarter, bolder competition.