This marks the beginnings of what may become another disgusting new trend in video game profiteering.
The new Hogwarts Legacy video game has been getting a lot of heat due to a history of transphobic comments perpetrated by the creator of the IP, J. K. Rowling. I don’t care to add anything to that conversation at the moment, but there is something else controversial about this release that few are talking about, and that is that the release date of the game was effectively paywalled.
If you still wanted to play the game, you were given the option to play several days “early” via upgrading your purchase to the “Deluxe” edition which came with a few other perks as well. There is no such thing as an “early” release. If the game is finalized, and is being released to the public, that is the release date. Perhaps “Premium” release date would be a more accurate term, though obviously less sugar coated, but to call it an “early” release is just a lie. The game was released on February 7th, but if you wanted to play it at release, it’d cost you an extra $10. If you did not want to pay that, then you’d have to wait until Friday the 10th to play.
Why do those three days matter? Well, impatience aside, in those three days, the internet becomes flooded with spoilers and details about the game. A game release is the equivalent of an “event” among gamers, both in online communities, and among real life friends. By creating two separate release dates that are divided by financial barriers, the event of a release is being segregated into those who can afford it, and those who cannot. Not to mention, those who can stomach being exploited, and those who’d prefer to resist in protest.
This marks the beginnings of what may become another disgusting new trend in video game profiteering. Imagine if every release going forward was segregated in such a way. Imagine if 3 days turned into a week. That all depends upon the success of this tactic, future examples and their statistics will serve to determine the sweet spot for how long to make you wait and how much to charge in order to maximize profits, and the “event” of a video game release as we know it today will cease to exist. It will become divided between those who can/do pay and those who cannot/wont.
Hogwarts Legacy is not alone among recently announced big releases to adopt this new concerning profit scheme. Diablo 4 not too long ago announced that its deluxe version will also feature early access to the game for a $20 upcharge. This is even more concerning, given that Diablo 4 is an online competitive ARPG where a head start can mean a leg up in dominating PVP zones at release.
Forza Horizon 5 offered 4 days early access for a whopping $50 extra and also features online competitive multiplayer. Battlefield 2042 featured a Gold Edition for $110 that granted players an ENTIRE WEEK’s early access. The microsoft and EA titles probably aren’t surprising given their track record. Unfortunately even publishers like Sega are getting in on the milk pie, paywalling the release date of Persona 5 Strikers by 4 days for an entrance fee of $10.
As a kid who grew up playing video games since the early 90s, it’s truly sad what today’s industry has become. I fear that because most kids these days weren’t alive back then, they don’t know any other reality than the one that exists today, and that fact enables companies to keep pushing the boundaries of what is and isn’t acceptable. The demand of shareholders of these gaming conglomerates for increased profits year over year will continue to drive video game companies to abuse us more and more, until video games become unrecognizable. It hurts to watch your favorite franchises become grotesque money-sucking monsters, but at some point you have to accept that what you loved is no longer and just hope you’ll at least get to the remains burn.