Many people are interested in the question of how much do video games cost, and today we will understand this. Video games cost the same today as they did in 1995. Software distributor Chips & Bits Inc was then selling off an assortment of games at prices ranging from $ 25 to $ 50. Taking into account inflation today, the range is from $ 40 to $ 80 without delivery. In fact, it turns out that the price has practically not changed, but there is a small nuance: the games are better today, there is more choice, and we also live in an era of large-scale sales.
If you say that the budgets of games have increased today, you will be right only partially, in the short term. First-order project prices increased, outpacing inflation from 2008 to 2016. For example, GTA 4 cost $ 50, and GTA V was already $ 60. No, of course this single example does not reflect the overall situation of the PC market over the past decade. A noticeable gap is reflected primarily in the cost of the same game in different periods, and the scheme of a rise in price by $ 10 over 8 years is more complicated than it seems, and most of all affects the first buyers.
Difference
Let’s take a starting price of $ 50 in 2000. After adjusting for inflation, it turns into $ 70. Games now cost $ 60 each, with additional content: seasonal passes for $ 40 for some, for others for $ 20, and for others – rifle skins for $ 2 apiece. Each of them will sooner or later be on sale.
If you bought the 11 best games of last year (according to PC Gamer – approx. Shazoo) at full price, then you spent $ 520. If you purchase the Deluxe Editions of the same games, the total cost is $ 745. This is $ 225 spent on skins, expansions, weapons and other bonuses. For the same money, you can buy three games for $ 60, one copy of Overwatch and another for lunch (unless you live in San Francisco, of course).
Throwing aside all the expensive editions and buying games at the maximum discount, you will spend $ 288. The difference of $ 457 between the maximum and minimum purchase of eleven projects is quite significant.
On average, big budget games get a 50% discount for seven months after release. So, in less than a year, the price tag of $ 60 turns into $ 30, and the remaining $ 30 of the full price is compensated by those who took the game boosting at the start.
Money movement
Consider the price increase for Diablo 2 and Diablo 3.
* June 2000: Diablo 2 goes on sale for $ 50.
* June 2001: Diablo 2 price drops to $ 40, The Lord of Destruction is released for $ 35. Those who bought Diablo 2 at launch and then grabbed the full price add-on paid $ 85. Those waiting for the discount spent $ 75. Blizzard received $ 10 more from early buyers.
* May 2012: Diablo 3 goes on sale for $ 60.
* March 2014: Diablo 3 dropped to $ 20, Reaper of Souls released for $ 40. Those who bought Diablo 3 at launch and then grabbed the full price add-on paid $ 100; those who were expecting a discount spent $ 60. Blizzard received $ 40 more from early buyers.
Adjusted for inflation, Diablo 2 in 2001 costs more than Diablo 3 in 2014. Pay attention to how many variables are included in the price at the time of the start of sales. Buying at the start has always been more expensive than waiting for a sale, but today buying at a full price hits the wallet even more, and from a sale it comes out even cheaper. +Summing up the results, we can say that the price of games depends on many factors. Therefore, there is no exact answer here. However, don’t miss the opportunity to create character 3d now!
