I was looking for an old Dragon Magazine article in my handy dandy 5 CD reference I bought over a decade ago. While skimming through the April 1991 issue, I saw their “Role of Computers” section where they review computer RPGs. I’ve included a few screen grabs for your elucidation:
Blown up:
Full section:
The inside front cover of the magazine, that shows the date and other contents:
Now, I could be cheeky and leave it up to you to draw the same conclusion I did. I have very smart readers, so I don’t think it would be that tough. But just in case members of the lesser entertainment mediums blow through here, I’ll summarize:
In 1991, Secret of Monkey Island cost $70. That’s 20 years ago, and the cost of the game was HIGHER than what you’d pay now for a similar quality release.
It just goes to show you that the value of video games is not just great, but getting greater over time. No wonder the gaming industry is destroying movies, music, and all other forms of entertainment. We’ve got them beat on quality, depth of experience, AND price.
Yeah, every time I hear somebody complain about the price of games, I think back to buying Final Fantasy 1 for the NES the week it released. Cost me $69.99. It was the most expensive thing I had bought at that point in my young life. The fact that I’m -still- paying similar prices(and typically less) 20 years later is mindboggling.
Games are the best value for your entertainment dollar by far. Even a short 12 hour action game that costs you $60 is still a better bang for your buck than buying a dvd or going to the theatre. There is nothing that can compare to snagging a 50+ hour game like Dragon Age for $15 for value.
On the other hand, I think there’s starting to be some drawbacks to the prices being so low. Subscription fees. DLC. Microtransactions. I’m okay with all of those in theory, but companies seem to be hitting you at all fronts to make more money. Buy the game. Download the expansion. Pay the subscription fee. While you’re at it, wouldn’t you like a 2 hour xp gain buff for 50 cents?
I’d much prefer this method, because if I don’t really love the game, or if I only like it a little bit, I’m not on the hook for the DLCs, expansions, etc. If I paid $100 up front, and played it for 5-10 hours, I’d be unhappy.
I paide $50 for fallout (the original game) when it first came out and only played it sparingly. Now I have learned to get the most out of my gaming related expenses. Hope that the pre-order of TOR does not disappoint after launch.