Kalypso Media, known for series like Tropico and Patrician, will now sell all its new releases at lower prices. This move was made possible due to a significant increase in digital sales.
On June 11, the German company announced its plans on its official website. Kalypso Media decided to implement a new policy as a result of the further move towards digital sales and increased revenues during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The publisher implemented new rules on June 1. By lowering prices, Kalypso Media wants to pass its profit margins back to players.
“Currently, we do not expect this trend to reverse even after the pandemic. Most of our fans buy or stream games, primarily, digitally, so it is very likely that sales of physical products will continue to decline, saving us costs in manufacturing, logistics and distribution,” the company’s CEO Simon Hellwig said.
Prior to the new policy, Kalypso Media sold games at a recommended price of $49.99 for PC and $59.99 for consoles. From now on, all new titles from the publisher will be sold for $39.99 and $49.99 respectively.
Disciples: Liberation is one of such games, as it is now available for pre-order on Steam at a new price and a 15% discount.
Kalypso Media’s decision arrives amid the ongoing changes in pricing policy in the games industry. After the launch of next-gen consoles, publishers increased a recommended price, with many new games now selling for $70. Of course, these changes were met with criticism from players across the globe, so Kalypso Media’s new strategy really stands out.