• Aux@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    5 months ago

    Back in 1996 AAA games sold for $60 to $75. If we take the lowest price of $60 and adjust it for inflation, that would be $119 today. Computer games today are unrealistically cheap. And if you look at how much more effort goes into development, they’re pretty much free.

    • DrSteveBrule@mander.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      5 months ago

      I think there is a bigger market for them now though. What was the most popular video game in the 90s and how many copies sold vs the biggest games now? And now with steam and other sevices you don’t even have to manufacture as many discs. Even freemium mobile games are making billions in revenue.

      • Aux@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        5 months ago

        There’s a bigger market now for many products, but their prices are usually keeping up with inflation.

    • GeneralVincent@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      5 months ago

      Back in 1996, the average computer cost $2-6k adjusted for inflation. Now they are also much more difficult and complex to make, are much more powerful, and cost less.

      Yes, a bunch of effort has gone into development, but that development doesn’t disappear after the game is done. And now we have free, open source game engines that can be filled with assets made in free, open source 3d modeling software, using free, open source high level programming languages. A little bit of learning and the average person could make an early 2000s video game solo in a couple of weeks.

    • Holyginz@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      And yet they tend to be a worse experience, release before they are ready with DLC already ready to go, riddled with microtransactions and other awful issues. They aren’t worth more.