We just spent a day for $60? The PC game price is $70? (Diablo 4)
We just spent a day for $60? The PC game price is $70? (Diablo 4)
In 1992, Street Fighter 2 on SNES cost between $70 and $80 USD. At the time, most game prices were driven by manufacturing cartridges, with Rom chips, custom chips, shipping, and other expenses making up a significant portion of the total cost. Switching to optical discs for systems like Saturn or PS1 reduced production costs considerably, while digital distribution eliminated both manufacturing and shipping expenses entirely. Today, companies still receive only 30% or less from platforms like Steam, similar to their earlier physical store deals. Inflation and development costs have been largely offset by savings in production and distribution, plus a surge in sales volume that keeps the per-unit price stable.
Despite the $50 cost, many couldn't afford it for the average player. Only dedicated enthusiasts would risk pre-ordering a full-price title without playing it. Even top-selling titles often slash prices soon after release. Publishers are raising standards again, similar to NV's GPU push, but in gaming the real danger lies elsewhere—piracy. In the final months before the crypto crash, GPU prices stay high due to limited supply. Only a handful of major farms still hold onto their stock. When demand drops and new models like $200 RTX 3080s hit, more cards follow. The same applies to games: companies charge premium prices for AAA titles, but once launch day passes, sales plummet. Low player numbers on multiplayer servers signal a failing product, harming the company's reputation.