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‘Grand Theft Auto’ publisher says people are willing to pay $20 for iPhone games

Business Insider Contributor
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The case for the iPhone and iPad becoming platforms for premium, or “AAA,” games just got a whole lot stronger, says the CEO of Take-Two Interactive.

Pocket Gamer’s Mark Brown caught that on Take-Two’s recent earnings call, the CEO bragged about the success of the June launch of “XCOM: Enemy Unknown” on iOS, stating “consumers are willing to pay a premium price for a premium entertainment.”

“XCOM,” which originally came out on the PC and for consoles at $49 and up, costs $19.99 when purchased on Apple’s App Store. It joined the top 10 highest grossing apps its first week.

For those used to paying little-to-nothing for games on their phone, that price seems more than a little steep. But for gamers used to buying mobile games for Nintendo and Sony handhelds, buying a top-tier console title for $20 seems like a bargain.

With the success of “XCOM” and older “Grand Theft Auto” titles on iOS and Apple integrating game controller support into the upcoming iOS 7, it seems increasingly likely that game developers will take a serious look at Apple devices when deciding which platforms to launch their titles on.

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