Rockstar lifted the lid on a Red Dead Redemption port for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 earlier this week, and one of the major talking points since then has been the $50 USD price tag. Some fans feel it's simply too much for what appears to be a relatively simple port that's actually missing content, although Rockstar is referring to this particular release as a "new conversion".
Now, speaking to IGN, Rockstar's parent company Take-Two Interactive has defended this price point. Company CEO Strauss Zelnick mentioned how this amount is believed to be the "commercially accurate price" for a release like this. He also mentioned how the add-on Undead Nightmare added "great value" to this particular package, although he didn't confirm whether or not it was the reason behind the price point.
And as for the decision to choose a port over a remaster or remake, it's all done on a case-by-case basis, according to Zelnick. It depends on the "vision creative teams have for a title" and if there isn't one, reviving the game in its "original form" is often the best way to go about it. Other decisions factored into this choice can be linked to the platform, "how the label feels about it" and what the company thinks "the opportunity is for consumers".
Rockstar and Red Dead fans have taken aim at the newly announced version on social media and certain subreddits - labelling it a "lazy port", while some are even calling on other fans to "not buy" this upcoming release - as it seemingly does not feature any enhancements and the multiplayer has also been excluded.