There are many reasons why the award-winning Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is so beloved by fans, and CEO of publisher Kepler Interactive—Alexis Garavaryan—believes that the game’s pricing was also a big factor. In a BBC interview, which you can check out below, Garavaryan explained that the RPG was priced at $50—cheaper than modern AAA games—as a deliberate decision so that players felt that it would be good value for money.
Garavaryan spoke about how Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ticks many boxes that one might expect from a AAA RPG, from its polished gameplay to the fidelity of visuals, as well as the quality of its voice acting and soundtrack. However, he also noted that the novel experience offered by the title’s narrative played an important role thanks to its blend of old-school turn-based combat with more modern takes on the fantasy RPG genre.
“I think historically there was always some sort of space in terms of the visual fidelity,” he said. “I think there is less importance given by players on how high the visual fidelity is when you play a video game today. I also think the size of the experience, the depth, the number of hours you get out of the content is maybe less important than how exceptional, how interesting, how novel the experience is.”
The publisher and studio had discussions about pricing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lower than its contemporaries specifically because potential buyers would then find it to be “respectful of their money,” as well as their time.
“I think ultimately we’ve seen a number of larger companies increase prices quite regularly,” Garavaryan explained. “We try to think, ‘what do we think the price should be?’ And then we price it lower, so that when players buy a game from us, they feel like they’re getting a bargain. We want them to feel like we are respectful of their money, respectful of their time, and that fundamentally, every time they buy a game from us, they’re getting a great deal.”
The price also helped set Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 apart from its contemporaries, noted Garavaryan. The modern state of the gaming industry has seen prices going up across the board, from individual titles to subscription services and even consoles. Despite this, there has also never really been a time when players have had access to so many high-quality games on a regular basis.
“I think we are living in an industry where players have access to exceptional video games on a weekly basis,” Garavaryan said. “If you want to deserve their attention, their money, I think you need to bring something to the table that’s truly great and truly special.”
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. For more details about the title, check out our review. Also take a look at why the studio doesn’t believe that a big team is needed to develop high-quality games. While you’re at it, take a look at our thoughts about the “Thank You” update released back in December.
