RICHMOND, Va. — Local gamer Jessica Milton is appalled by the trend of increasing prices in video games, and has vowed never to spend $70 on a game unless it’s a $130 collector’s edition of Regiment Squad Team 5 that comes with a cool 7-inch figurine of the game’s main character, Clint Hardcastle.
“You need to have ethics as a consumer. Personally, I refuse to encourage the gaming industry’s greed. That’s why I’ve made the promise to never spend more than the standard $60,” said Milton, holding the Hardcastle figurine. “It’s just that it’s Regiment Squad Team! I bought all the games in the series so far. The developers are the only ones not trying to destroy the gaming industry with anti-consumer practices, so I have to support them. Also, it’s a collector’s item, so it will definitely be worth a lot more in the future. I’m essentially making money when you think about it.”
Milton’s friends were skeptical about her purchase, calling it hypocritical.
“I don’t get it. When I paid $70 for Tears of the Kingdom, Jessica told me I was complicit in the destruction of gaming by evil capitalists,” said Elise Sheppard, a longtime member of Milton’s Discord friend group. “How does adding a figurine, game manual and stickers for $60 extra make it better?”
The game’s developers, BattleSpit Games, announced the collector’s edition of Regiment Squad Team 5 in May alongside the standard, gold, platinum, deluxe, ultra-deluxe, and hardened editions.
“As development costs go up, we strive to make sure prices reflect the value we put into the games we make,” said a spokesperson for BattleSpit. “However, our collector’s editions bring the added value of a hunk of painted plastic to stick on your shelf and look at occasionally — and we think that’s priceless.”
When asked to comment on the game itself, Milton promised a full review as soon as she gets around to actually playing it.
