As for game prices, in fairness to the industry prices have actually come down since 2000.
AAA Games on consoles in 2000 were around $50; that is $92 now due to inflation. Games went up to around $60 on consoles in 2006, that is around $93 now due to inflation. By 2019 they were still $60 but inflation eroded the value, and that had become equivalent to $73 today. When they then went up to $70 in 2020, that would be equivalent to $84 now.
So a nominal price of $100 is not as unreasonable as it sounds. It’s higher than games were in 2000 but in the future if static would erode back to equivalent to $90 in probably 3-4 years.
But the problem is people do not think in terms of inflationary value, and instead in terms of nominal value. And the bigger problem is most peoples earnings are squeezed by inflation and we have not been having pay rises to account for the inflation, so games are more expensive as proportion of income.
Glad you had that last paragraph, because inflationary justifications are just hand waving when people’s income isn’t keeping pace. It’s not based in reality.
I’ve been buying games since the mid-90s. They’ve always been $50. But as the last paragraph states, people don’t give a shit about what the price should be based on inflation. They care about what they can afford.
The fact that game prices have stayed the same for so long and people still feel strapped to purchase them just shows how wages haven’t increased. Not that we needed anymore proof.
“publishing director”. So Marketing.
As for game prices, in fairness to the industry prices have actually come down since 2000.
AAA Games on consoles in 2000 were around $50; that is $92 now due to inflation. Games went up to around $60 on consoles in 2006, that is around $93 now due to inflation. By 2019 they were still $60 but inflation eroded the value, and that had become equivalent to $73 today. When they then went up to $70 in 2020, that would be equivalent to $84 now.
So a nominal price of $100 is not as unreasonable as it sounds. It’s higher than games were in 2000 but in the future if static would erode back to equivalent to $90 in probably 3-4 years.
But the problem is people do not think in terms of inflationary value, and instead in terms of nominal value. And the bigger problem is most peoples earnings are squeezed by inflation and we have not been having pay rises to account for the inflation, so games are more expensive as proportion of income.
Glad you had that last paragraph, because inflationary justifications are just hand waving when people’s income isn’t keeping pace. It’s not based in reality.
What games were 50 buck in 2000 ???
All new releases?
https://i.imgur.com/Luq1opM.jpeg
This is an ad from Best Buy in 2000. You can see in the next to last picture, Diablo 2 and Microsoft Flight Sim 2000. Both releasing at $49.99.
Most of them.
I’ve been buying games since the mid-90s. They’ve always been $50. But as the last paragraph states, people don’t give a shit about what the price should be based on inflation. They care about what they can afford.
The fact that game prices have stayed the same for so long and people still feel strapped to purchase them just shows how wages haven’t increased. Not that we needed anymore proof.