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sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

I doubt that $0.50 was only $1.25 today, if you actually do the math, I think you’ll find it’s $2 or more.

I don’t know when this fabled $0.50 candybar was, but here are some inflation numbers given different start dates (source):

1970 - $0.50 -> $4.14
1980 - $0.50 -> $1.94
1990 -> $0.50 -> $1.22
2000 -> $0.50 -> $0.93

FWIW, I remember the big candy bars (king size or whatever) being $1 in the late 90s/early 2000s, so that absolutely tracks with current prices at $2 or whatever (just checked Walmart and that’s about accurate).

Here’s a decent article about inflation-adjusted game prices that shows a general downward trend. Here’s the most revealing chart, which shows nominal (sticker price; blue) vs real (inflation adjusted; orange) game prices:

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As a couple examples, here’s the purchasing power today of game prices for various consoles:

NES - $122
Super Nintendo - $136
PS1 - $97
XBox 360 - $91

At $80 per game, games are a little more expensive than the current gen, but only by a little, and that’s because prices are sticky in a given gen.

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Dariusmiles2123@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Finally I’m seeing someone giving proof that games were more expensive back in the days.

Of course the gaming market was smaller, but I remember my parents buying me shitty games for a really high price.

I’m not asking for a price increase, but clearly games were more expensive in the 80-90-00s.

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- sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Exactly. And the trend is downward, and that includes this $80 price point. Prices will likely stay flat for the Switch 2 generation, so by the end it’ll be below the current $70 price point in inflation adjusted dollars.
  
  Yeah, it sucks, and I get that. I wish games were cheaper too. But that doesn’t mean $80 is unreasonable.
  
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edgemaster72@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
You doubt they were a kid in 1990?

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- sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I doubt candy bars were $0.50 in 1990.
  
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  - hitmyspot@aussie.zone ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Candy bars were 30p in Ireland in 1990s and that equates to about $0.50. I went on a trip to the USA around then and most things, especially junk food, was cheaper.
    
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