That doesn’t take into account the move to outsource production to countries with cheaper labor. Sure it can be inline with history but the profit margins are so wide the companies are practically scalping the buyers.
Comment on Game Consoles Are Pricing Themselves Out of Relevance
colournoun@beehaw.org 2 weeks ago
The Atari 2600 was priced at $189.95 in 1977, which is equivalent to at least $1010 today. I think the current pricing is in line with history, although the chip and memory shortage certainly won’t help. I’ve always gotten more enjoyment from PC gaming, anyway.
ElectricAirship@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
t3rmit3@beehaw.org 2 weeks ago
This is an oversimplification that ends up being deceptive by coincidence, because hardware is supposed to drastically reduce in price as it becomes standardized and mass-produced, and game consoles and computers both did this.
That we’re now back to the point where a console costs nearly the same as the adjusted cost of the very first, hyper-niche, hyper-bespoke hardware units in the 80s, is a HUGE regression. Prices aren’t “in-line with” the Atari prices because that’s just how they scale, they’re there by chance as they spike upwards due to supply constraints driven by AI.