by SymphonieIt’s hard not to notice the extortionate price of video games these days. New console games often sit at a price of around $70, and in 2023 the average American family spent $435 on video games and gaming accessories. Gaming has been around for years and makes up a huge part of everyday life for many people, but what is it that makes them so expensive?
Budget-Friendly Alternatives
Gaming, as a recreational activity that can relieve stress and train the brain, should be accessible to everyone, despite their financial situation. However, many people find the huge price tags on new games to be an obstacle to their enjoyment. Luckily, there are multiple options for gamers on a budget.
Casino Gaming
Casino gaming is an incredibly popular pastime in the US, and for good reason. Most online casinos are accessible for free to anyone with an internet connection. Nowadays, many of these sites offer bet-free games where you can practice your casino skills with no monetary loss.
However, if you do want to try your hand at betting, there are multiple options to play big at $10 deposit casinos, making them much more budget-friendly than alternative forms of gaming.
Free Apps
Additionally, many smartphone users will have access to a whole library of free games within their phone’s app store. These games are often paid for through the advertisements you see in the game, meaning you can play without losing any money yourself.
There are multiple articles that are updated regularly, exploring the best free or cheap apps on various app stores, so there’s bound to be something for everyone.
Second-Hand Games
Luckily, there are many stores across the US that sell second-hand games for much cheaper prices. You can trade in your old games to these stores and receive cash or in-store credit, which can then be used to purchase more games.
This is a much more budget-friendly alternative to buying games at full price on release day.
Why are Games so Expensive?
However, these alternatives don’t fix the fact that many modern-day video games are incredibly expensive. Let’s explore some of the reasons for the high price tag of many of these games.
Game Development
One of the primary reasons for the excessive price of video games is the cost involved in the creation and development of the games themselves. Games now have higher graphics and more complex coding and are, in general, much bigger than they have ever been before.
These big games take huge amounts of work to bring to fruition. They involve teams dedicated to everything from art, writing, and coding, and all of these people need to be paid.
The Stagnant Pricing
Interestingly, the price of games hasn’t actually increased that much over time. They have always been expensive, even when the first consoles were coming out. For example, the first PS1 games were around $50, with the price they are now representing inflation.
However, the gaming
