Playstation 3 NOT the most expensive system

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sega saturn x

Playstation 3 NOT the most expensive system

Postby sega saturn x » May 23rd, 2006, 9:46 pm

[QUOTE=Funkmaster V]

I find it interesting, and none of you will, that my 2 favorite systems of all time were the actual cheapest and the adjusted cheapest system: The 7800 and Gamecube

 

They were also third place systems

 

Cousin Vinnie

[/QUOTE]

Ha, you and me both pick the bronze medalists I suppose.  Cube and saturn for me.


Gunstarhero

Playstation 3 NOT the most expensive system

Postby Gunstarhero » May 24th, 2006, 6:19 am

The inflation argument is a bogus one. Why? Because the sticker price of games has stayed exactly the same throughout the past 28 years of gaming history. $50-70. Neo Geo excluded.

 

If the games were costing us $200 a piece, like the inflation argument suggests, then some of you may have a point. That's not the case obviously, so you all lose and I win.

 

It's true however that the PS3 is not the most expensive console ever, but you don't need an inflation graph to know that, if you know anything about Neo Geo and 3DO. But, the price of PS3 is still absurd, especially when there are going to be 2 cheaper alternatives available when it launches.


bluemonkey1
Posts: 2444
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Playstation 3 NOT the most expensive system

Postby bluemonkey1 » May 24th, 2006, 8:20 am

Gunstar you are wrong.  Those prices are also affected by other externalities.


John Rowland

Playstation 3 NOT the most expensive system

Postby John Rowland » May 24th, 2006, 1:17 pm

[QUOTE=Gunstarhero]The inflation argument is a bogus one. Why? Because the sticker price of games has stayed exactly the same throughout the past 28 years of gaming history. $50-70. Neo Geo excluded.

 

If the games were costing us $200 a piece, like the inflation argument suggests, then some of you may have a point. That's not the case obviously, so you all lose and I win.

[/QUOTE]

 

Wait a minute, you're right!  Video game prices have not gone up!  Inflation doesn't exist!  Call up the Chairman of the Fed and tell him NOT to raise interest rates, inflation is under control, and we have proof!  Video games!  All we need to do is eat video games, live inside video game keep cases, and ornament our bodies with video game artwork!  Eureka!

 

Seriously, just because the price of one good hasn't gone up doesn't mean you can throw the inflation argument out the window.  I think what we are observing with video games is "price stickiness", meaning that people are used to paying these prices, and producers are reluctant to change that.  CDs, for example, quickly became much cheaper to produce than cassettes, but prices did not go down because people were used to paying more for them.

 

We have seen this reluctance with video game prices too, and it is only with this generation that producers are attempting to raise prices across the board, and people are already raising hell. 

 

In your world video game prices are exactly the same as they were back in the 80s.  Inflation, however, tells the rest of us that video games are actually cheaper than they were 20 years ago.


Alienblue

Playstation 3 NOT the most expensive system

Postby Alienblue » May 24th, 2006, 1:27 pm

Gunstar may be wrong but he has a valid point. As I've been saying, TECHNOLOGY KEEPS PRICES OF ELECTRONICS LOW OR LOWER THEN IN THE PAST. A Vhs in 1982? $1,289. Today? 60 bucks. A complete IBM PC compatible computer system back then with MEGS of Memory and a hard drive? $50-100,000. IF you could have made one at all! That is why a 4K game cart cost $40 in 1982, and a multi-meg game DVD costs roughly the same in 2006.

My prediction: IF the PS3 comes out as planned (remember, they could ALWAYS change their minds, drop blu-ray and such and lower the price) I believe the price will drop to $300 or less within a year. If it doesn't, Sony is screwed.

sega saturn x

Playstation 3 NOT the most expensive system

Postby sega saturn x » May 24th, 2006, 5:08 pm

I don't really get the point of this thread.  Anyone who knows anything about games already knew the ps3 wasn't the most expensive.  And try telling average joe consumer with a 400$ and 200$ system sitting next to the ps3 "hey 600 is really a steal look at my chart, hey where are you going?"  The consumer says what's to expensive, you can throw all the graphs and charts at them you want but I can't think of anyone who's going to say.  Only 600, why compared to the 1000$ I paid for my VCR twenty years ago that's a bargain!  The reason I say this arguement is bunk is because it wont effect who buys what.  Most people will call it to expensive and the tech junkies or sony whores will buy it no matter what.


Alienblue

Playstation 3 NOT the most expensive system

Postby Alienblue » May 24th, 2006, 7:09 pm

Ok, one more thing about inflation and I'll let the rest o' you rant, ok? Inflation is GEN-ER-AL! The OVERALL cost of goods does go up faster than our paychecks (as a straving artist I sympathize!) .... but, guys, it ISN'T JUST VIDEOGAMES. Lots of things are as cheap or cheaper than in the past. Examples: In 1970, Matchbox cars cost 99 cents. Today they cost 79 cents at wal*mart!!! Why? Tooling is cheaper. Plus, the molds can be re-used. In 1978 i disnctly remember Candy bars going up to FIFTY CENTS! Today-you guessed it, on average still around 50 cents. GOLDFISH, Common-in 1973, 39 cents. Today-yup, 39 cents! They breed like rabbits and THERE ARE MORE OF THEM TO SELL! One last thing-NOTHING IS WORTH ANY MORE THAN WHAT SOMEONE WILL PAY FOR IT. I learned that collecting. My catalog might say a stamp is worth $40, but if ten people Look at it and the highest offer I get for it is ten bucks-THEN IT IS WORTH TEN BUCKS!-rant over!

Atarifever1
Posts: 3892
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Playstation 3 NOT the most expensive system

Postby Atarifever1 » May 25th, 2006, 5:46 pm

[QUOTE=sega saturn x]

I don't really get the point of this thread.  Anyone who knows anything about games already knew the ps3 wasn't the most expensive.  And try telling average joe consumer with a 400$ and 200$ system sitting next to the ps3 "hey 600 is really a steal look at my chart, hey where are you going?"  The consumer says what's to expensive, you can throw all the graphs and charts at them you want but I can't think of anyone who's going to say.  Only 600, why compared to the 1000$ I paid for my VCR twenty years ago that's a bargain!  The reason I say this arguement is bunk is because it wont effect who buys what.  Most people will call it to expensive and the tech junkies or sony whores will buy it no matter what.

[/QUOTE]

I'm just wondering how this chart would look changed to one that only listed systems that were in the top three selling consoles of each generation (thus eliminating things like the Neo-Geo and Cdi, which weren't exactly casual gamer sytems; I's also sadly eliminate the DC) and then listed them as a ratio of the price of each system:the combined price of the other two systems that generation (thus making the basket of goods you are comparing for inflation purposes a basket of competing systems).  Bigger numbers would indicate poorer value.  I know it would look bad for the PS3 that's for sure. 

I know, that wouldn't really mean anything, but hey, I sometimes spend days at a time manipuating data so they don't mean anything anymore.  That's what they teach you in psychology.  That and how to bury the data that's really not good.


Leo Ames

Playstation 3 NOT the most expensive system

Postby Leo Ames » May 25th, 2006, 6:07 pm

"The reason I say this arguement is bunk is because it wont effect who buys what. Most people will call it to expensive and the tech junkies or sony whores will buy it no matter what."

You just sound angry that someone is trying to halfway defend Sony instead of Nintendo. In all likelyhood, Sony will win the upcoming console wars and Nintendo sales will resemble Game Cube sales, if not worse. Bad news for us, but you might as well accept it. I'm pulling for the 360 anyways, since it's at a reasonable price point, and will offer the things I want, and seems to have a excellent chance of taking market share away from Sony, though Sony will likely still beat them.

 

"I'm just wondering how this chart would look changed to one that only listed systems that were in the top three selling consoles of each generation "

 

Would look the same, just ignore a few of the consoles (Channel F, Neo Geo, cd-i, 3DO, Atari Jaguar, and the Sega Dreamcast).


sega saturn x

Playstation 3 NOT the most expensive system

Postby sega saturn x » May 25th, 2006, 7:37 pm

[QUOTE=Leo Ames]

"The reason I say this arguement is bunk is because it wont effect who buys what. Most people will call it to expensive and the tech junkies or sony whores will buy it no matter what."

You just sound angry that someone is trying to halfway defend Sony instead of Nintendo. In all likelyhood, Sony will win the upcoming console wars and Nintendo sales will resemble Game Cube sales, if not worse. Bad news for us, but you might as well accept it. I'm pulling for the 360 anyways, since it's at a reasonable price point, and will offer the things I want, and seems to have a excellent chance of taking market share away from Sony, though Sony will likely still beat them.

 

[/QUOTE]

Oh man you TOTALLY caught me.  But for your charming idea to be true I would actually have to care who wins the console wars.  And I don't, as long as nintendo keeps making those platformers I love so much I don't care what place they are in.



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