Why Are Gaming Consoles So Expensive

By Philip Woods

A common question many people will ask is why are gaming consoles so expensive. This is not a new question as it has been asked all throughout the history and development of consumer electronics gaming. One reason they ask this is due to worries about gaming consoles becoming obsolete.

So, why are they so expensive and can they become obsolete too quickly? The answer to this question is not one that will be found in the pages of any newsstand consumer electronics publication. Yet, many consumers have such questions due to the high cost of consoles and their accompanying games.

Why is this? Just step back and think about it. If you are an older gamer, you will remember the first actual game consoles that came out by Atari. People were amazed and dazzled just by seeing a couple of primitive paddles and a square 'ball' moving across their color screens, even though the image was in black and white.

At the same time, while some households may have had a home computer, these were just basically word processors, and were still more like an advanced typewriter. Then, almost out of nowhere, the Commodore 64 came out, which was not only a word processor, but could also play games from a floppy disk. There were far more options that Atari, including flight simulation, which was a totally new thing in gaming. This opened up the doors to many air-real combat games, as well as many other combat situations.

Technology began to change and alter in what seemed like an overnight fashion. The Nintendo soon debuted and it was a shocker to most. The world of Super Mario Bros. made its debut and it caught the imagination of gamers everywhere. They would soon revel in the world of the Nintendo and sales exploded.

Other systems and companies rose and fell, competing ferociously for power. Although Atari tried very hard to keep up, it soon faded from the spot light. It was replaced be others that came and went just as fast, like Intellivision, and ColecoVision. Out of the turmoil, it seemed that Nintendo, Sega, and Playstation came out on top with each having its own brand of features and controllers.

Things were also stirring for computer manufactures as well. Their graphics and sound on PC games became better, and people started being drawn back, with more interactive games, and ones that immersed you in a completely different world.

As the technology continued to advance, CDs were developed and so much information could be placed on them the advancements in graphics and sound were significant.

It continues to go back and forth between computer games and console games, Once upon a time, console as well as computer games were limited to one or two players. Then it became four, and then it changed to role-playing games. When the internet was born, this opened up a whole new world for the gaming industry. Now if you had a computer, you could play games with people from all over the world. Now, you have gaming consoles that connect to the internet as well. So when you are wondering who to blame for the high cost of consoles, look over at the computer section. - 30202

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here