Video Game Pricing

The cluster discusses whether video games are expensive or cheap relative to historical prices, inflation, playtime value, sales, backlogs, digital vs. physical ownership, and models like subscriptions versus one-time purchases.

📉 Falling 0.5x Gaming
4,209
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#2295
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
1
2008
12
2009
73
2010
121
2011
113
2012
186
2013
287
2014
222
2015
97
2016
158
2017
182
2018
160
2019
356
2020
335
2021
345
2022
409
2023
466
2024
288
2025
379
2026
19

Keywords

GOG.com AAA IMO RPG GTA M1 TM PS2 businessweek.com DLC games game steam pay buy play titles aaa price video game

Sample Comments

pjmlp Aug 28, 2022 View on HN

Because users actually pay for games.

ChrisKnott Feb 20, 2024 View on HN

It's not expensive compared to what games used to cost.

jeanlucas Oct 24, 2024 View on HN

roughtly 3600 games per dollar? I have over 30k games... Time to pay up

chalupa-man Nov 8, 2021 View on HN

> They're subsidised by the game prices. You still pay for it in the end.Initial game prices can be higher, but you can sell the games. Here in Australia it's common for new games to be $100 on console and $80-90 on PC. A month after release I can still sell a console game for $80, and often do, since I prefer single-player adventure/RPG type games which I will take 5+ years to replay if I ever do. That effectively means that games cost me $20 to play on a console or $80-90

matt_s Nov 22, 2022 View on HN

People complain about the prices of games but they are cheap when you weigh inflation and the amount of time you play. You could generalize it to any AAA studio video game at $60-70.Counter intuitive thought is to buy physical and then do a trade-in/sell on a marketplace if you don't like it. If you buy digital you are stuck with it, like it or not.

ChrisRR Jul 30, 2021 View on HN

I'd rather just pay for the games I'm actually interested in

ionised May 8, 2019 View on HN

Most games are still 'pay once upfront'.

dylan604 Feb 12, 2023 View on HN

Is it though? Games used to be a one time purchase. Now, it's multiple purchases just to play the one game

amelius Dec 29, 2019 View on HN

Why don't they sell games as a subscription without upfront costs? That would solve the problem for everyone.

rffn Jul 11, 2020 View on HN

I don't think that video the game price is going to change for me. I have a large backlog of yet-to-be-played games from bundles, sales, etc.I usually buy games below $20, many below $10. If it takes the AAA title a few years to get there, then this is fine. It gives them time to remove the nastiest bugs and combine all the extensions into a Game of the Year edition.