Did the creators of ARC Raiders use “anchoring” on players? Developers accused of manipulating to normalize high skin prices

The developers released a broad selection of skins, and some players suspect a savvy sales tactic was used to market them.

ARC Raiders is a premium title priced at $40, yet the studio also began offering cosmetic items through an in-game shop. Individual outfits reached prices up to $25, which sparked significant backlash within the community.

Embark Studios reacted by announcing reductions to skin prices. While many celebrated what they called a “win” for players, user TheOnlyRealOne43 suggested a different interpretation — arguing the whole sequence was premeditated and that an anchoring negotiation tactic was applied to players.

The essence of this tactic is to present an initial price that influences decision-making — any later reduction is then seen as a concession by the seller.

Depending on the negotiation, this “anchor” can be an excessively high or unusually low figure (a selling or purchase price):

Anchoring as a negotiation method involves setting an initial price that steers the final outcome. By making the first offer, a seller can create a high anchor that shapes the buyer’s expectations and renders subsequent concessions more palatable. That first figure becomes a mental reference point that frames the entire bargaining range.

In TheOnlyRealOne43’s view, the ARC Raiders team deliberately posted inflated prices at first so they could later “respond” to player feedback by trimming a few dollars — landing at a price they claim was always part of the plan.

Source: iXBT.games