this post was submitted on 30 Mar 2025
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I mean, is it that? Or are electronics getting to an unattainable price point? What 8 year old has $400+ for a console and $60 per game? Sure, parents will buy it, but it's out of range for many.
The Nintendo Entertainment System launched at $179 in 1983.
In 2025 dollars, that's $573.45.
Super Mario Bros. 3
which I think is probably the best NES game
ran for $50 in 1990. That's $122 in 2025 dollars.
What I find interesting is they never adjust for inflation wages. Like if you were making $60k a year in 1885. What would that be in today's money? That would be $178k. Or 118k for 40k in 1985. My question to everyone. are you making the 2025 values?
Your comment through me for a loop, initially I was thinking that due to changing baskets for calculating CPI/inflation that would account for wages, but that's really just cost for basic goods shifting. So I looked it up and found out there is the ECI (Employment Cost Index) which is tracking "inflation" for labor.
This site has the chart of CPI vs ECI and, not too surprisingly, they move mostly in unison. The chart does diverge from what I would expect (costs out pacing wages), but haven't had enough time to read into it.
https://www.bls.gov/blog/2023/more-ways-to-look-at-wages-and-inflation.htm
Yeah this goes back to 2005 and you see the devergince in 2008 if you go back to 1970 you will see a bigger devergince.
Not a lot of people were making $60k in 1985. And yes, wages today have absolutely fallen behind. I'm not even making $60k now.
Very true random selection of a secretary for a woman in 1985 would have been 16k and would translate to 47k in 2025. My point being when they show how expensive stuff was they never show what wages would be if adjusted. Not the person on this thread but when journalists do it they never want to show that value to show how screwed some people are. As they see they are still making the 1985 wage in the year 2025.
Any time you find a statistic that uses the term "real" on income, they're making that adjustment.
Here's Real Median Household Income in the United States.
bottom line, yes it's true, but also at the same time, luxury costs have been fairly consistant. People make more money, but housing, food, vehicle expenses go up, at the end of it, they have about the same amount left for entertainment today as they did 20 years ago. bottom line the increases to what we have to buy has left no room for growth in spending on what we want to buy.
However, the switch is only $300. It's raised prices ~$100 in 40 years. Versus the PlayStation started at $300 in 95, and is up to $500. $200 in 30 years.
I understand your comparison, but some companies have extended the starting price more than others.