an_idol_mind
Explorer
Measuring purely by inflation, it seems gamers are probably getting a decent deal. In my case, at least, I can't judge by inflation.
I was 11 years old when I first got into gaming. At that time, I had a lot more disposable income than I do now. I could buy supplements pretty rarely because my parents were taking care of food, clothing, bills, and so on. Even in college, I didn't have to worry about much more than food and books, so I could continue investing a lot of money in my gaming hobby.
Now I'm heading into my late 20s, paying off school loans, getting married, and looking to buy a house. As a result, my disposable income is not nearly what it once was. Add in the fact that I also play video games and read comic books, and the amount of money I have to spend on entertainment gets split between three different hobbies. So while the teenaged me could have bought the $100 Castle Whiterock with a few weeks' worth of savings, the adult me looks at it then goes on his way without even considering making it a purchase.
It's not that games are too expensive these days; it's that I can't afford to invest a lot of money into RPGs anymore. I imagine that's a problem WotC and other companies are used to facing -- last generation's cash crop is this generation's misers. That's why it's good from a business perspective to reinvent the game every once in a while to shift the market back toward the younger demographic. Younger gamers have more entertainment dollars, while older gamers simply can't afford to plunk down $50 for a new hardcover book every couple of weeks anymore.
I was 11 years old when I first got into gaming. At that time, I had a lot more disposable income than I do now. I could buy supplements pretty rarely because my parents were taking care of food, clothing, bills, and so on. Even in college, I didn't have to worry about much more than food and books, so I could continue investing a lot of money in my gaming hobby.
Now I'm heading into my late 20s, paying off school loans, getting married, and looking to buy a house. As a result, my disposable income is not nearly what it once was. Add in the fact that I also play video games and read comic books, and the amount of money I have to spend on entertainment gets split between three different hobbies. So while the teenaged me could have bought the $100 Castle Whiterock with a few weeks' worth of savings, the adult me looks at it then goes on his way without even considering making it a purchase.
It's not that games are too expensive these days; it's that I can't afford to invest a lot of money into RPGs anymore. I imagine that's a problem WotC and other companies are used to facing -- last generation's cash crop is this generation's misers. That's why it's good from a business perspective to reinvent the game every once in a while to shift the market back toward the younger demographic. Younger gamers have more entertainment dollars, while older gamers simply can't afford to plunk down $50 for a new hardcover book every couple of weeks anymore.
