Gaming isn’t exactly the cheapest hobby. Whether you are PC or Console, it still requires an investment of a few thousand Rands just to get started. What about the games? Forget sales and discounts, full priced titles are a rip off, A RIP OFF I TELL YOU! Are they really though? This 90’s Toys ‘R” Us advert certainly puts things into perspective.
The original advert was shared over at NeoGAF. Seriously, I don’t think gamers realise just how expensive gaming was back in the day. See for yourself!
The consoles seem to be alright. The PlayStation 1, Sega Saturn, and Nintendo 64 all tie for $199, so it really came down to personal choice. Don’t forget those optional extras! Want to save your game? Better grab that memory card for the PS1 at only $24.99! Oh the original Game Boy is $49.99? I’LL TAKE ONE OF EACH COLOUR!
The true shocker comes with the price of the games. Have you seen what Nintendo were charging for SNES stuff? The console was dirt cheap at $129.99, but it cost $69.99 for premium games! Just let let that sink in, this was around 20 years ago, and the SNES wasn’t even the current gen console. Unsurprisingly, the newer, disc-based stuff was a lot cheaper. PlayStation games were actually pretty darn affordable, coming in at $42.99 – $47.99 a pop.
This is not to say that gaming is cheap today, but rather, it could be a heck of a lot worse. If you had to step in to a time machine and attend this sale with say, $400, what would you buy?
Last Updated: July 28, 2014
Matewis Jubilai
July 28, 2014 at 19:39
According to https://www.resbank.co.za/Research/Rates/Pages/SelectedHistoricalExchangeAndInterestRates.aspx when the N64 was released the rand dollar exchange rate was between R4 and R5, so a N64 translates into about R1000 (I’ve no idea how much more it would’ve cost here though). The tough question is how much that was for the time 😛 Well, I distinctly remember being surprised the day in primary school when, at the snoepie, I learned that the price of a can of coca cola had risen to R2.50. Can’t remember what year it was though (perhaps 1997ish) which would’ve been around the time of the N64’s release. These days those fat cats at the snoepie probably charge around R7.50 for a can (googling price of a can of cola isn’t very useful), so if we use that as an approximate rule a N64 cost around R3000 in today’s money. Ok, but let’s try to be more precise. This site has south africa’s inflation figures from over the years: http://www.inflation.eu/inflation-rates/south-africa/historic-inflation/cpi-inflation-south-africa.aspx. Using the annual inflation rates instead of the average ones (obviously since I don’t have a clue why) on the R1000, the N64 cost around (sec. opening matlab…) R2466 in today’s money.
source : guy that bunked accounting in high school during matric and drew pictures of diablo characters in accounting class ( amazon 0.0 ofc ) in the years leading up to matric. In fact, I made a braai when I passed matric and ‘braaied’ my accounting books. I still have the ashes.
Ergo, there is a strong possibility I don’t know what I’m talking about…
HvR - Still dislikes Random.or
July 28, 2014 at 20:10
I call BS, Matlab takes minutes to load up.
Matewis Jubilai
July 28, 2014 at 20:38
Lol yeah if it’s a university campus version that first tries to connect to a campus server to verify the license or something. Used to take ages
Umar GAAAAHH!!!
July 28, 2014 at 20:41
Seems like a legit source. I trust a guy that draws diablo doodles in class over an over achieving nerd
Hammersteyn
July 29, 2014 at 07:43
I’d go to a school and find out what they charge but, you know, restraining orders and all that
Sith JJ
July 29, 2014 at 08:20
I can’t help but feel obligated to agree with you, seeing as how I approve burning accounting books.
If you want to be anally specific (as I tend to be) then you’d come up with a figure just over 3k. Considering the worth of the technology in that console at the time, compared to what we have today, the console was pretty darn expensive.
So yes. Agree. 🙂
Matewis Jubilai
July 28, 2014 at 19:39
According to https://www.resbank.co.za/Research/Rates/Pages/SelectedHistoricalExchangeAndInterestRates.aspx when the N64 was released the rand dollar exchange rate was between R4 and R5, so a N64 translates into about R1000 (I’ve no idea how much more it would’ve cost here though). The tough question is how much that was for the time 😛 Well, I distinctly remember being surprised the day in primary school when, at the snoepie, I learned that the price of a can of coca cola had risen to R2.50. Can’t remember what year it was though (perhaps 1997ish) which would’ve been around the time of the N64’s release. These days those fat cats at the snoepie probably charge around R7.50 for a can (googling price of a can of cola isn’t very useful), so if we use that as an approximate rule a N64 cost around R3000 in today’s money. Ok, but let’s try to be more precise. This site has south africa’s inflation figures from over the years: http://www.inflation.eu/inflation-rates/south-africa/historic-inflation/cpi-inflation-south-africa.aspx. Using the annual inflation rates instead of the average ones (obviously since I don’t have a clue why) on the R1000, the N64 cost around (sec. opening matlab…) R2466 in today’s money.
source : guy that bunked accounting in high school during matric and drew pictures of diablo characters in accounting class ( amazon 0.0 ofc ) in the years leading up to matric. In fact, I made a braai when I passed matric and ‘braaied’ my accounting books. I still have the ashes.
Ergo, there is a strong possibility I don’t know what I’m talking about…
HvR - Still dislikes Random.or
July 28, 2014 at 20:10
I call BS, Matlab takes minutes to load up.
Matewis Jubilai
July 28, 2014 at 20:38
Lol yeah if it’s a university campus version that first tries to connect to a campus server to verify the license or something. Used to take ages
Umar GAAAAHH!!!
July 28, 2014 at 20:41
Seems like a legit source. I trust a guy that draws diablo doodles in class over an over achieving nerd
Hammersteyn
July 29, 2014 at 07:43
I’d go to a school and find out what they charge but, you know, restraining orders and all that
Sith JJ
July 29, 2014 at 08:20
I can’t help but feel obligated to agree with you, seeing as how I approve burning accounting books.
If you want to be anally specific (as I tend to be) then you’d come up with a figure just over 3k. Considering the worth of the technology in that console at the time, compared to what we have today, the console was pretty darn expensive.
So yes. Agree. 🙂
Umar GAAAAHH!!!
July 28, 2014 at 20:37
I would love to buy a Saturn. I remember those crazy japanese adverts with that one crazy kung fu guy. Panzer Dragoon saga is one rpg that I would kill to play…
Umar GAAAAHH!!!
July 28, 2014 at 20:37
I would love to buy a Saturn. I remember those crazy japanese adverts with that one crazy kung fu guy. Panzer Dragoon saga is one rpg that I would kill to play…
Skyblue
July 28, 2014 at 20:50
A Sega Megadrive with a 6 button controller and a bunch of games like:
Sonic the Hedgehog
Jungle Strike
Super Streetfighter 2
Road Rash 2
Streets of Rage II
Contra Hard Corp
Or a SNES with:
F-Zero
Donkey Kong Country
Super Mario World
Zelda – A Link to the Past
Starfox
Or a PS1 with:
Driver
Tenchu 2
Gran Turismo 2
Metal Gear Solid
Skyblue
July 28, 2014 at 20:50
A Sega Megadrive with a 6 button controller and a bunch of games like:
Sonic the Hedgehog
Jungle Strike
Super Streetfighter 2
Road Rash 2
Streets of Rage II
Contra Hard Corp
Or a SNES with:
F-Zero
Donkey Kong Country
Super Mario World
Zelda – A Link to the Past
Starfox
Or a PS1 with:
Driver
Tenchu 2
Gran Turismo 2
Metal Gear Solid
Hammersteyn
July 29, 2014 at 07:42
Console gaming isn’t expensive. It’s the Rand that’s fucked. Thanks government,unions and the rest that wipes their fat asses on our currency.
Hammersteyn
July 29, 2014 at 07:42
Console gaming isn’t expensive. It’s the Rand that’s fucked. Thanks government,unions and the rest that wipes their fat asses on our currency.
Alien Emperor Trevor
July 29, 2014 at 07:44
I’d have spent it all on these, & used my R1 change to buy a Mighty Milk, a Bar One & 2 chappies.
Umar GAAAAHH!!!
July 29, 2014 at 08:07
Hehehehe 2 rand chappies….more like 1rand chappies and 2 fireballs
Kensei Seraph
July 29, 2014 at 08:35
I’d do what I did as a kid and use the R1 to get 100 chappies.
Might have to hop back in the time machine first though.
Alien Emperor Trevor
July 29, 2014 at 07:44
I’d have spent it all on these, & used my R1 change to buy a Mighty Milk, a Bar One & 2 chappies.
Umar GAAAAHH!!!
July 29, 2014 at 08:07
Hehehehe 2 rand chappies….more like 1rand chappies and 2 fireballs
Kensei Seraph
July 29, 2014 at 08:35
I’d do what I did as a kid and use the R1 to get 100 chappies.
Might have to hop back in the time machine first though.
Sith JJ
July 29, 2014 at 08:25
I remember Total Annihilation costing me R200 when it came out.
That’s quite a lot of money at the time. I think part in reason why game prices have gone down over the years is basic economies of scale. They just have so many more people to sell to these days.
Sith JJ
July 29, 2014 at 08:25
I remember Total Annihilation costing me R200 when it came out.
That’s quite a lot of money at the time. I think part in reason why game prices have gone down over the years is basic economies of scale. They just have so many more people to sell to these days.
Kensei Seraph
July 29, 2014 at 08:36
There’s so many things I’d rather do with that time machine.
I’d finally get to read Dawnbringer Volume 2.
Kensei Seraph
July 29, 2014 at 08:36
There’s so many things I’d rather do with that time machine.
I’d finally get to read Dawnbringer Volume 2.
Eric
July 29, 2014 at 09:03
And not a Dreamcast was advertised. Ever
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
July 29, 2014 at 09:15
Pour one out for SEGA’s finest.
🙁
Eric
July 29, 2014 at 09:03
And not a Dreamcast was advertised. Ever
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
July 29, 2014 at 09:15
Pour one out for SEGA’s finest.
🙁
Aussious
July 30, 2014 at 09:02
Cartridge based games where far more expensive to produce and sell compared to CD based games another reason why the PSX beat the N64 by a land slide. During the PS2 and later 360 era we have enjoyed an unprecedented feat where games retail for fairly great prices and offered great value for money. Now we are in the age of DLCs and DRMs where you pay R800 for a game with content still locked requiring additional money for purchase.
Aussious
July 30, 2014 at 09:06
I forgot to mention that almost a full year into this generation of consoles and there still no real system sellers or killer apps that can justify you upgrading to PS4 or Xbox. Not to mention that the games themselves offer very little in terms of technical wow factor as compared to previous generational leaps.
Aussious
July 30, 2014 at 09:02
Cartridge based games where far more expensive to produce and sell compared to CD based games another reason why the PSX beat the N64 by a land slide. During the PS2 and later 360 era we have enjoyed an unprecedented feat where games retail for fairly great prices and offered great value for money. Now we are in the age of DLCs and DRMs where you pay R800 for a game with content still locked requiring additional money for purchase.
Aussious
July 30, 2014 at 09:06
I forgot to mention that almost a full year into this generation of consoles and there still no real system sellers or killer apps that can justify you upgrading to PS4 or Xbox. Not to mention that the games themselves offer very little in terms of technical wow factor as compared to previous generational leaps.
Skoobaz
July 30, 2014 at 12:23
The price of consumer goods in this country roughly doubles every seven years.
Sovereign
August 2, 2014 at 11:26
considering that new consoles can be over 2X that price today, I’d say it’s about on par.
Edit: I remember getting the Pokemon Stadium bundle for my birthday when I was a kid. It was $150, and I had to do big time begging.