So, you think that I am an ungrateful elitist or behind the times? Maybe. You think that maybe I am just cheap? Most definitely. You can think whatever you like, but the fact is BioShock, the freshly-released game for the Xbox 360, is on sale at your local GameStop for $59.99. Now you might not think this is a big deal, in which case you are probably enjoying the game as we speak. But some of us are on a little bit tighter of a budget.
This poses as a problem for someone like me, a relatively poor college kid, but I have an answer. While you were out purchasing brand new Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 games for $59.99 a piece earlier this month, I invested about $120 and was able to buy an entire system, as well as several games and accessories.
Recently in my move to the city, I lost the custody battle of my Nintendo 64 … sad, but true. But don’t cry kids, I was able to repurchase the system with two controllers, the expansion pack, rumble pack, and memory card — as well as Perfect Dark, GoldenEye 007, Star Wars: Shadow of the Empire, Star Wars, Episode 1: Pod Racing, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, Donkey Kong 64, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Starfox 64, and last but certainly not least The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time.
The result: We’ve been having people over to our apartment and holding GoldenEye tournaments and I am able to come home after a stressful day at school and play my beloved Zelda before work. This is definitely my favorite purchase of the last few months. I realize many of you still already have or might not be interested in owning a Nintendo 64, but you must open your eyes to the possibilities! Think of all the consoles you missed, whether you couldn’t afford them as a child or maybe you were born a little too late.
I realize I am lucky and have a local shop with four convenient Maryland locations stocked with cartridge-based consoles and plenty of games to go along with them. But, there are many great places to find consoles are all around you — check Craigslist, yard sales, thrift stores, pawn shops, as well as classified ads.
Some may complain that it’s just videogames today, that they are far too expensive. Unfortunately that is not true. Game consoles have always been relatively expensive at release. In 1977, the Atari 2600 was released at the price of $199, typically bundled with two joysticks, two paddle controllers, and the cartridge game Combat (later replaced with Namco’s wildly successful Pac-man). The Atari 2600 will be 30 years old this fall and according to the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER), if the Atari was released this October instead of 30 years ago, it would cost $647.48!
Similarly, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was also released in the U.S. in October, but in 1985. The system was bundled two different ways — kind of like Xbox 360’s core system for $299.99 and the premium including a 20GB hard drive for $399.99 released in November of 2005.
The first NES bundle was called the Control Deck and was priced at $199.99. It included the console, two controllers, and a copy of Super Mario Brothers. The Deluxe Set, for $249.99, came packaged with the console, a Robotic Operating Buddy or Famicon Robot, NES Zapper Gun, and two games: Gyromite and Duck Hunt.
Today those prices, according to AIER, would be $383.32 and $477.91 respectively, a measurable amount cheaper than that of the PlayStation 3 (retailed on release in November 2006 at $499.99 for the 20GB hard drive model and $599.99 for the 60GB model).
The point is, you cannot argue games are more expensive. If you look at the release price of the Nintendo Wii in December of 2006 ($249.99) and compare it with modern day prices of classic consoles, it is more than $100 less expensive. So let us be thankful that Nintendo understands that the financially-challenged want to play new games too. And because you can buy the upcoming Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 at several different prices — $59.99, a $69.99 special edition, and even a $129.99 Legendary Edition — the very low price of $249.99 for a brand new Wii console, a Wii remote, and game seems like nothing … at least to me.
January 3rd, 2008 at 8:12 pm
woot - did I just see an advertisement photo for the Atari 2600 yay!
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:27 pm
I too am on a tight budget for gaming lately. I am a father of two small children and games are not the number one priority for me. So when I do buy a new game, I have to know that I am going to like it before I shell out $60 for it. But I am one who has never thrown away a system in my life. I still have my NES and my Genesis. My SNES, N64, and PS1. And they are all still connected in different rooms in my house. My new systems (Wii, PS3) in the main room, my older next gen systems (XBox, PS2, Gamecube) in my bedroom, and my old systems (NES, SNES, Genesis, N64) in my kids room. All it cost me to maintain all these systems was two $24 hubs that I bought at a local EB and a library of old games that thankfully I never traded in. I never did get why someone would trade in a game. In this way, I am able to enjoy a plethora of games without having to buy every single new game that comes out.
January 4th, 2008 at 10:36 am
I am this way. I am typically 2 years behind when it comes to video games, for two reasons. One, stuff that’s 2 years old is WAY cheaper (I got Beyond Good and Evil for $6). Two, I only end up playing high quality games. 2 years is plenty of time to get some feedback.
I have a little more money now so I am starting to get more current. Yay for the Wii being so reasonably priced.
January 4th, 2008 at 11:38 am
YAY Kyle you became a member!!
I usually buys games after they have been released for awhile and are reduced in price. I may love my games, but I need money to eat too. Some games can wait.
January 4th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
YEAY FOR KYLE!!!! Get your wifey on here too!!!
I have the mentality that I can only play one game at a time
(or I usually do) so I never buy games as soon as they come out either. I figure by the time I am ready to play them, they will be cheaper. Cheaper = good!
January 7th, 2008 at 6:55 am
I can definitely see where you’re coming from as the only next Gen system I… sort of own and had a chance to play on was the Wii my dad got for Christmas.
Also a starving student I find my enjoyment for games in bargain hunting, not only am I find great titles at $29.99 and less but its actually a lot of fun to go to places you wouldn’t think necessarily to find the titles you’re looking for and flip through stacks and dig through bins and then it jumps out at you, the gem you were looking for!
So I say grab a friend (not someone who is going to snatch something you have your eye on and run to the cash out before you) and go game hunting! Its a really enjoyable way to spend an afternoon
March 5th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Yeah, I’m liking the Wii right now. I have a few Virtual Console games. Plus Brawl is coming soon.