Nintendo recently stirred discussions in the gaming community with its announcement that the upcoming title, Mario Kart World, will be priced at $80 in the United States. This pricing marks a significant milestone not just for Nintendo, but for the entire video game industry, which has traditionally reserved prices above $70 for deluxe collector editions or digital bundles that come with various downloadable extras.
The trend of increasing console game prices has been a consistent theme over the past four decades.
When evaluating the $80 price point against historical data, it aligns with trends observed in game pricing over the last decade and a half. Inflation-adjusted prices reveal that contemporaneous titles were often priced similarly. In light of recent economic conditions—including the heightened inflation rates in the last five years—the price of $70 that previously set a new mark in 2020 has lost some of its purchasing power.
The Numbers Behind the Trends
The 1983 price of $34.99 for the game Centipede on the Atari 2600, when adjusted for inflation, translates to approximately $90 today.
Historical records illustrate that premium titles like The Legend of Zelda had significantly higher price tags compared to other NES games in the 1988 Sears catalog.
In 1993, the price for Streets of Rage 2 was notable for its higher cost, reflecting changes in the market.
The evaluation of Mario Kart World’s $80 price begins with historical price comparisons. This analysis built upon previous research from 2020, utilizing advertisements and retail flyers documenting game pricing since the Atari era. For more recent titles, data from news articles and archived storefronts were referenced to assess the listed prices.
The focus on maximum asking prices for mainstream games in each genre aimed to filter out the influence of bargain sales or discounted items. Outliers, like the famously high-priced Genesis version of Virtua Racing, were excluded to maintain accuracy. By compiling prices from various genres, a representative “basket” of major releases was established for each year analyzed. For instance, in 2020, the high price of NBA 2K21 at $70 balanced with other titles priced lower.
The standard price point for N64 games in 1997 was approximately $70.
By 2008, the prevailing price for new disc-based games settled at around $59.99, which continues to be a familiar price point.
Data collection covering 21 years dating back to 1982 facilitated the construction of price comparisons. The nominal prices were normalized to February 2025 dollars through the use of CPI statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A comprehensive dataset is available for public review in a Google Sheet.
A Look Back
At first glance, the $30 to $40 prices of 1980s cartridges might seem appealing. However, adjusting for inflation reveals that even today’s $80 games can be a bargain for gamers who experienced the high costs of game cartridges back in the day.
In the 20th century, new cartridge games often commanded prices above $100 in today’s currency due to significant manufacturing costs and limited competition. Popular titles frequently retailed for the equivalent of $140 or more.
The introduction of CD-based consoles in the late 1990s led to a decline in prices. By the early 2000s, top games were around $50, gradually rising to $60 by the end of that decade. Yet when adjusted for inflation, those early 21st-century prices approached $90 in current terms, surpassing the anticipated $80 for Mario Kart World.
During the 2010s, inflation began to diminish the value of the consistent $60 price point, which held steady throughout the decade. However, when adjusted, the average prices from 2013, 2017, and 2020 align closely with $80 in 2025 dollars.
Understanding Today’s Pricing
The spike to an $80 price tag appears abrupt, but given the rampant inflation after the COVID-19 pandemic, it almost seems inevitable. Following years of stable inflation around 2 to 3 percent, the Consumer Price Index surged by 4.7 percent in 2021 and a staggering 8 percent in 2022. Annual rates have since remained above the threshold that was once deemed high.
This means the $80 price today equates to approximately $65 for a game in 2020. Nintendo’s $60 release of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in 2017 effectively amounts to about $78 now, a title that sold a record 67 million units. Similarly, Mario Kart Wii launched at $50 in 2008, equating to around $74 in today’s market.
While many gamers may feel squeezed by these increasing prices, the nature of monetary policy indicates we are navigating an environment where such inflation affects all sectors, as Nintendo Vice President of Player & Product Experience Bill Trinen recently reflected.
For context, Nintendo is also providing a $499 bundle with the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World, effectively pricing the game at $50 when bought together, presenting a more affordable option for gamers apprehensive about the standalone price.
Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser emphasized in a recent CNBC interview that the company does not aim to set a new pricing benchmark with the $80 tag on Mario Kart World. However, it is likely that other major game publishers may follow Nintendo’s lead, potentially elevating baseline prices for high-profile game releases.
In retrospect, NBA 2K21 was an early adopter of the now-common $70 price point five years ago. Looking forward, Mario Kart World could similarly establish $80 as the new standard for premium gaming titles.
