As other games cost more, Mafia: The Old Country just got cheaper

Fans of gaming have been hit hard later when it comes to the cost of their hobby, with Nintendo breaking open the dam of game costs with $80 Mario Kart World. That move has led to Microsoft announcing that some of its first-party titles would cost $80 starting in the holiday season of 2025. But that's not the only new pricing trend hitting gaming; the other one is moving in the opposite direction in interesting ways. During a financial earnings call (via GameSpot), Take-Two revealed that the next entry in the Mafia series, Mafia: The Old Country, will cost $50, coming in under the $70 price tag that has been standard for a few years. That's not the only game coming in under the expected price this year, and if the other examples are anything to go by, it may just prove to be a smart move.

Mafia: The Old Country is a streamlined experience

Take-Two also confirmed that the series is moving away from the open-world genre

Alongside the announcement of Mafia: The Old Country being priced at $50, an FAQ was posted on the official website, also confirming that it will not feature an open world. If you are unfamiliar with previous games, they did feature open worlds you could explore, although much of the criticism towards previous games has been about the lack of open worlds. Instead, the FAQ describes the game as a "linear, narrative-driven game," which could explain the drop in price. Take-Two may have felt that the lack of an open world created a shorter experience, although the game's length has not been revealed, requiring them to charge less than previous entries. However, two 2025 releases that cost $50 might prove that a lower price can allow you to sell more copies, which creates more word-of-mouth sales in the future.

The best-rated game of the year only costs $50

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has seemingly benefited from a lower price

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a JRPG-inspired turn-based RPG from new studio Sandfall Interactive, is the highest-rated game on Metacritic so far in 2025. The game also costs $50, despite being an RPG that can take between 30 to 60 hours to beat, depending on how much side content you complete. That choice has seemingly worked out, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 selling one million copies in just three days. Now, the glowing reviews and launch on Game Pass certainly played a factor in the word-of-mouth of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, but it would be wrong to dismiss the price as well. Making the decision to buy a new game at launch is always tough, but asking for $50 instead of $70, or potentially $80, makes it that much easier for someone to take a chance on an unproven studio, regardless of the glowing reviews. Except for the price, the other example is almost the opposite of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Oblivion Remastered also costs $50 for some reason

It seems odd that Xbox would charge less for such a slam-dunk release

Charging less than standard for the debut title from a new, smaller studio makes sense for Sandfall Interactive and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Perhaps slightly harder to understand is Xbox, one of the main console brands and a prolific publisher, especially with its acquisitions of Bethesda and Activision-Blizzard, charging less for its games. Xbox has priced some games at less previously, with South of Midnight only costing $40, but the game in question here is The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered which released at a $50 price point. It isn't necessarily weird for a remaster to cost less than a new game, but this remaster is quite extensive, overhauling the graphics and improving some systems, like the leveling system. However, some new players have still found some aspects annoying.

Most games remastered or remade at this quality level typically carry a full-cost price tag, and a game as popular as this could have done that. But, the gambit has seemingly paid off, with Oblivion Remastered becoming the third best-selling game of 2025, according to Mat Piscatella, executive director and video game industry analyst from Circana, who tracks video game sales in the United States. That places it behind Assassin's Creed Shadows and Monster Hunter Wilds, and the feat is more impressive when you consider it's on Game Pass.

Does Mafia: The Old Country have the juice?

Will the $50 cost work on games that are just good?

An important question to ask about $50 games going forward is "will this work for games that are just fine?" Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 had incredible review scores and Game Pass to help it out, and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a known quantity that also launched on Game Pass. Mafia: The Old Country is a prequel to a series that people know and enjoy, but doesn't have the same level of love. It also won't be on any subscription services, so everyone playing the game will need to pay $50, which could also limit word of mouth marketing online, which has become important for games in recent years. If Mafia: The Old Country doesn't sell well, will 2K feel like it made a mistake and move away from the new pricing?

A lower price seems more helpful than harmful

Until a game comes along that goes for a lower-than-standard pricing and fully fails, it seems like a good strategy for games that are less expensive to make. Ultimately, if a game is good, it only benefits from more people playing it, so making it cheaper should help. That $50 cost also seems even more appealing with $80 games starting to appear more frequently, so as long as it makes financial sense for publishers, it will likely stick around.