Game platform prices

[Dr Mordrid]

Think of this when comparing platform prices;

The initial price of the Atari 2600 in 1977 was $199.95 USD. Adjusted for inflation it would cost $665.51 in 2006 dollars.

Most Atari 2600 games ran between $20 and $30. If you take the average of $25 and adjust that for inflation to 2006 dollars you get $83.21 per game.

US Federal Reserve inflation calculator:

http://www.minneapolisfed.org/Research/data/us/calc/

[Jammrock]

Yes, but the Atari didn't have competition.

[Dilitante1]

my allowance then was 50 cents.... 8P

[rylan]

Yeah but computers also cost a boat load back in the 80s and early 90s.
The price of electronics normally drops dramatically over time due to advances in technology, particularly when microchips and memory are involved. It cost a ton to make a microprocessor and the memory for that game system back then. Now its fairly cheap.
For example, we had a 386 computer around 1990 (I think) that cost $3K. That would be 4.6K in today's dollars with that inflaction calculator. Nobody spends that much for a computer... even a super high end PC system is half that.

My conclusion: PS3 is still insanely overpriced

[ND66]

.....
For example, we had a 386 computer around 1990 (I think) that cost $3K. That would be 4.6K in today's dollars with that inflaction calculator.

Did yours fell off the truck????


EDIT: Monitor & mouse not included!
.

[rylan]

Well it could've been a year or two after that ad... I forget. Yeah no monitor. Maybe the price I remember was a bit low
But that just would make my argument about game systems like the PS3 being overpriced even better! haha

[Taz]

But that just would make my argument about game systems like the PS3 being overpriced even better

Depends on what you mean by overpriced, if you mean Sony are making a huge profit on each one then that's probably not the case and those original PC manufacturers were probably making much bigger margins.

[agallag]

I know I spent about $2500-3000 on a 286 in '89 or '90. I've never spent anywhere near that amount on a computer since.

[rylan]

I meant overpriced compared to how other similar technology (computers etc) have drastically dropped in price. A computer that was $2500 back then would get you a monster of a system now for the same $2500, but a game console that was $200 back then won't get you anything new now for that same $200.

[lowlifecat]

We spent around 10K$ for a 386dx25 with (OMG!!!) 4mb RAM and a 20' monitor around that time frame.

that was my dad's highend autocad workstation. that thing was so fast you could hear tires squeeling whenever you turned it on.

[borat]

Yeah but computers also cost a boat load back in the 80s and early 90s.
The price of electronics normally drops dramatically over time due to advances in technology, particularly when microchips and memory are involved. It cost a ton to make a microprocessor and the memory for that game system back then. Now its fairly cheap.
For example, we had a 386 computer around 1990 (I think) that cost $3K. That would be 4.6K in today's dollars with that inflaction calculator. Nobody spends that much for a computer... even a super high end PC system is half that.

My conclusion: PS3 is still insanely overpriced

The thing is although PC's are cheaper now, high end graphics cards seem to be getting pricier and pricier. You can spec a new 8800 GTX up to about $1000 right now. I dont remember a G400 costing anywhere near this on launch. And before everyone says 'but you can get last years card for $50' remember that you can also pick a PS2 up for peanuts these days too.

[Taz]

As borat has said entry level PC's may have dropped in price dramatically but certain components have gone the other way. How much would a Blue-ray drive cost on it's own?

[spadnos]

The thing is although PC's are cheaper now, high end graphics cards seem to be getting pricier and pricier. You can spec a new 8800 GTX up to about $1000 right now. I dont remember a G400 costing anywhere near this on launch. And before everyone says 'but you can get last years card for $50' remember that you can also pick a PS2 up for peanuts these days too.

The 8800GTX is around $650 at NewEgg. That's actually significantly less than some of the early Matrox (and Number Nine) cards - like the Impression 3/V. I think that one was in the $1300 range when it came out. Here's an interesting Byte article from 1994 - only a few of the 2M cards are less than the 8800GTX is now.

- Steve

[Claymonkey]

The most expensive video card I've ever bought was the g400max and that was what a $250 card? I've never been able to justify more than that. Heck, the main reason I ever became an AMD guy was because I couldn't see spending $300 on a processor as a college student.