With games becoming more and more expensive to make as time goes on, figuring out how to price them is undoubtedly a daunting task for publishers that have to balance profitability with giving players a fair, reasonable deal.
As with any business, a part of that process is manipulating what a price feels like versus what it actually is. And according to a theory from one of the lead developers on one of 2025's best, most-popular games, the difference between the perception and the truth can actually be quite significant.
