Are Video Games Today WAY Too Expensive?

In this video, I respond to the claim from My Retro Life that games in the 90s were way more expensive and a much worse deal than the prices of games today. With Nintendo's recent announcement of $80 digital games for the Switch 2, this analysis is more timely than ever.

I break down why comparing raw price tags across decades misses crucial context:

• Game prices never followed inflation - they maintained consistent price points through multiple console generations
• Technology products naturally get cheaper over time, not more expensive (unlike milk or housing)
• Digital games eliminate manufacturing, packaging, and distribution costs that justified physical game prices
• Modern games often segment content into base games, DLC, and microtransactions that drive the true cost much higher
• Digital games have zero resale value, unlike physical cartridges that could appreciate over time
• Modern gaming eliminates consumer protections like rentals and the secondary market

The emotional connection to physical games with manuals, box art, and cartridges created lasting value that digital downloads simply can't replicate. When we compare the complete value proposition of games then versus now, it becomes clear that gaming has become a worse deal for consumers, not better.

As the industry continues to push psychological price thresholds while delivering less tangible value, perhaps we shouldn't dismiss consumer complaints as entitlement but recognize them as legitimate concerns about diminishing returns on our gaming investments.

#GamePricing #Switch2 #RetroGaming #VideoGameEconomics #Gaming

What do you think? Has the value of video games improved or declined over the decades? Let me know in the comments!

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Opening
0:24 - Intro
4:35 - The Inflation Argument
7:35 - Development Budget Increase Fallacy
13:20 - Game Prices Have Stayed The Same
14:50 - The Real Purchasing Power of Consumers
21:20 - Physical Vs Digital Ownership Reality
28:46 - The Research Contradiction
36:56 - Final Fight Guy is not the 90s Equivalent of DLC
48:14 - High Priced Games in the 90s were Outliers
01:01:00 - Challenging the "Fully Developed Games" Argument
01:12:25 - Addressing the "Don't Buy It" Dismissal / Psychological Price Threshold
01:21:00 - Addressing the "Complaining is Entitlement" Claims
01:25:55 - Conclusion and the Emotional Meaning of Physical Games

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