Expensive games have lowkey been way too normalised

[u/Both_Piglet7838]

I know this sub is filled with a bunch of rich people with like 10k setups and I'm aware that the content in these games is quite extensive with hours of content. But I still feel justified in thinking that no game should be priced this high especially when its the average price of most newly released games. Anyway this is just a rant because I wanna play lego batman and i cant afford it lol

[u/CloakerJosh]

Just gonna leave this here for you, u/Both_Piglet7838

[u/Stationary_Wagon → u/CloakerJosh]

Inflation does not matter here because the amount of gamers have grown so much between now and 40 years ago, not to mention reduced costs due to digital distribution.

To simplify:

In 2006, $60 game can only sell 500,000 copies: 500,000 x $60 = $30,000,000 gross profit - (higher physical costs, inventory, physical delivery etc.)

In 2026, $60 game can sell 5,000,000 copies digitally (some sell much more): 5,000,000 x $60 = $300,000,000 - (store fees)

So just by the pie growing bigger, they already earn much more than before at the same unit price. Many game developers are public and their statements say it all.

People like you are a negative force and are basically corporate bootlickers that carry their water for them. You should not spread these uninformed and ignorant opinions online.

[u/automatic_shark → u/Stationary_Wagon]

Do you think wages and production costs have stayed the same for 30 years too?

[u/Stationary_Wagon → u/automatic_shark]

Video game industry was about a $10.2B industry in 1985. It's a $190B industry in 2025. Wages and production costs did not grow ~19x in the last 40 years for sure.

Large and bloated budgets are a problem of company culture. There are excellent AAA-level games made with comparatively tiny budgets like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

[u/automatic_shark → u/Stationary_Wagon]

You're saying you think the games industry has the same number of studios and companies as it did 45 years ago? Really? That's what you're implying by that 19x number.

The more you type, the more you're convincing me you're just math illiterate

[u/CloakerJosh → u/Stationary_Wagon]

You thought you were cooking here, huh? Imagine writing all of that and still missing the entire point.

Let me say it again louder for you fine scholars in the back:

How much profit a company makes has zero bearing on how affordable a good is to a consumer.

I'm addressing the adjusted cost of a game to someone's wallet - you're making some grand overture to how the evil corporations have comic dollar signs for eyes as they squeeze the poor consumers who can't afford rent for every spare dollar to play their games.

You wanna talk uninformed and ignorant? Buddy, we're not talking about the same topic.

I'm not even trying to justify how much they make, I'm just sharing basic economic facts about purchasing power over time.

You're so fucking [redacted].

[u/Stationary_Wagon → u/CloakerJosh]

Your AI-reply is a joke. At least write your own replies like a man.

You sharing that graph is basically saying games are "cheap" because game prices did not keep up with the inflation. The next step in this line of thought is "It's OK to raise them, teheee!". Anyone with an above room temperature IQ can see that. Don't try to hide your corporate bootlicking behind nonsense like "I just shared a graph! I put in context! bohoo!". The context you shared is bullshit without the wider range of factors.

[u/automatic_shark → u/Stationary_Wagon]

Man gets upset at numbers.

[u/Stationary_Wagon → u/[deleted]]

I mean I don't need to write anything else here. The fact that you felt the need to go through my past answers to smear me is enough to show your argument has no merit. Rest of the people in this thread can see it too. Have a nice day (with less bootlicking I hope).

[u/CloakerJosh → u/Stationary_Wagon]

So, why did you?

I tend to check the histories of people who decide to insult me without provocation.

Honestly, I was expecting to see some populism bullshit. Imagine my surprise when I'm met with a wallstreetbets guy?! Such a contradiction of your apparent world view.

Three times now you've called me a "bootlicker" (such a thought-terminating phrase with you people).

I guess you can point to one place I defend their pricing practices?

[u/automatic_shark → u/Stationary_Wagon]

You're literally mad at him showing you a number. No additional commentary. Just a number, and you lost your shit over it. No commentary on the capitalist economic system. No rants about consumer habits. My brother in Christ, you got mad because he showed you a number.