GPX | 1,403 Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 From a recent discussion from another thread, I’m curious to know what was/is the most expensive game to have ever sold at retail at RRP (Recommended Retail Price)? Here I’m specifically referring to the standard version, and not any of the limited editions, double/triple packs or anything to do with added extra items other than the game itself. What was the most expensive game you ever purchased at retail? Or you had witnessed but never purchased due to its sheer astronomical price? My personal answer is Streetfighter 2 purchased at the not-so-cheap price of $130 AUD back in 1994. Taking into account inflation over the period of 30 years…that’s…a very expensive purchase! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPX | 1,403 Posted July 7 Author Share Posted July 7 I forgot to add, FF3 (SNES) was sold at retail for $70USD back in the 90s, according to @Tanooki. Which would be comparable to the $130AUD of the SF2 sold at retail from a similar period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanooki | 5,103 Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 Well I think I also said in that Chrono Trigger was higher. I solidly remember that one, I refused to buy it the year it came out in 1995 because at that rate both the Virtual Boy was arriving, but most importantly the N64 was originally slated that year so I was conserving my money and being pretty picky. I was fairly regular going into Target and the $80 price tag I found disgusting and it stuck with me. They never ran out of copies either. I've seen some comments online when I went to make sure my memory wasn't playing tricks that some stores like the mall based ones were $5 higher yet ($85.) Within 1995 I slowed up a lot for new game buying having just grabbed Killer Instinct, Dracula X, Yoshi's Island, and DKC2 (I checked a fandom wiki for SNES 1995.) One I can't quite remember is Street Fighter Alpha 2. I believe it came out at $60 but maybe $70. I just remember it arrived within weeks of Super Mario 64 so of course I got the new system and game instead. And whatever I paid for Mario I specifically remember it being $10 higher. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ankos | 539 Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 (edited) According to this catalog there were games for $89.99 https://archive.org/details/RetroGamingProductCatalogs/Diehard GameFan Catalog Issue %233/page/n3/mode/1up?view=theater Edited July 7 by Ankos 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulpa | 3,684 Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 (edited) Probably the Neo Geo AES carts. They were $200 each in 1991. Action 52 had an MSRP of $199, but I don't think anyone ever paid that much. Most who said they bought it back in the day said they paid substantially less through the Home Shopping Network where they were heavily discounted. Also, the original Steel Battalion for xBox was $200 retail, but that included the huge controller. It was kind of a limited release, but it was the main game. I guess by the OP that doesn't really count, but I remember everyone talking about it. Edited July 7 by Tulpa 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkTone | 1,009 Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 @Tulpabeat me to it. Steel battalion was the first I thought of. As for personally, I got MW2 for the equivalent of $90. Not sure if it counts though, used a £50 voucher i got for my birthday towards it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elprincipe | 147 Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 Probably Street Fighter II for the SNES same as you, I believe that cost me $75-80 (U.S., not Australian dollars, of course) when it came out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fox | 1,759 Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 What's up with Stanley Cup on SNES costing $80 when everything else cost $50 or $60? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sp1nz | 667 Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 Virtua Racing and Phantasy Star IV on Sega Genesis had $99.99 MSRP. I have zero recollection if our household ever got some higher than usual MSRP games or if I noticed them in shops back in the day. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefaultGen | 5,723 Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 There’s probably interesting stuff on the edge of being a game, particularly for super niche or wealthy audiences. Prepar3D, a Lockheed Martin flight sim, is $350. A permanent license for the golf sim GSPro is $550 (vs. $250/yr to subscribe). Some chess training programs are in the $100s. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Pac | 7,850 Graphics Team · Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 I was going to say something like Guitar Hero World Tour or Rock Band because the peripherals were part of the game and not a bonus, but that probably doesn't count here. Consumer arcade machines like Arcade 1-Up cabinets probably fall out of what might be considered a "game" here, too. [T-Pac] 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doner24 | 1,223 Moderator · Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 How about the Exertainment game/controller (bike)? Anyone have any idea what that retailed for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloves | 12,241 Administrator · Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 Does anyone know what the Singer Izek retailed for? Doesn't really fit the term "game", but now I'm curious. I've seen some *really* expensive sewing machines and a "high tech" one from the 90s might have been quite the price tag if the machine itself was of quality build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegularGuyGamer | 2,042 Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 1 hour ago, doner24 said: How about the Exertainment game/controller (bike)? Anyone have any idea what that retailed for? @theirontoupee or @attakid101 might know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabonga | 2,532 Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 I remember being aghast at the new crappy Genesis cardboard boxes (with equally crappy manuals) both for the quality and the increased prices - IIRC they were $85 (at least for SFII and PSIV). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanooki | 5,103 Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 20 hours ago, Ankos said: According to this catalog there were games for $89.99 https://archive.org/details/RetroGamingProductCatalogs/Diehard GameFan Catalog Issue %233/page/n3/mode/1up?view=theater I wouldn't believe that, looking at the prices there they're all inflated by 10 or more a piece from what I remember. Then again sometimes I wonder if some stores behaved like fast food -- priced for the local economy. But given I was in southern California all those decades that doesn't line up or the prices would have been out of control compared to most states. I just recall clearly mall shops went for more money, especially those that knew they could get away with it like Captron and other mall chain types. Toys R Us but far more so KayBee were ripoff farms. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverspoonGaming | 346 Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 I just remember Virtua Racing on Genesis being $90 when it was released which would put it near the top if not for the Neo Geo AES carts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Count | 594 Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 Anybody know what the three Panesians MSRP was? I suppose the spirit of the discussion is only licensed, retail games, game-only. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanooki | 5,103 Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 Hmmm pricing maybe was suggestive? I remember both Virtua Racing and Phantasy Star IV being like $99.99, or at least most definitely Virtua Racing due to the SVP chipset. I know PS4 was supposedly the same, saw some advertising on it months ago if that, old commercial and things that GTV on YT did with a retrospective on the game (did the 4 titles over time.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPX | 1,403 Posted July 8 Author Share Posted July 8 On 7/7/2024 at 1:57 PM, Tulpa said: Probably the Neo Geo AES carts. They were $200 each in 1991. Action 52 had an MSRP of $199, but I don't think anyone ever paid that much. Most who said they bought it back in the day said they paid substantially less through the Home Shopping Network where they were heavily discounted. Also, the original Steel Battalion for xBox was $200 retail, but that included the huge controller. It was kind of a limited release, but it was the main game. I guess by the OP that doesn't really count, but I remember everyone talking about it. I totally forgot about the Neo Geo! One would presume that indeed Neo Geo would likely be the most costly of all (at least for consoles). Wonder what Neo Geo game was the most expensive retail price, and how many people actually bought it?! Though in the spirit of a genuine discussion, I guess I was talking about games where they were sold at maximum dollars and people were buying in the mass (which was why I mentioned SF2 in the OP). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPX | 1,403 Posted July 8 Author Share Posted July 8 On 7/7/2024 at 10:50 PM, T-Pac said: I was going to say something like Guitar Hero World Tour or Rock Band because the peripherals were part of the game and not a bonus, but that probably doesn't count here. Consumer arcade machines like Arcade 1-Up cabinets probably fall out of what might be considered a "game" here, too. [T-Pac] I think if the game was sold only with the peripherals and never was sold without the peripherals, it has merit to this discussion. Though I think with your examples, I’m quite sure they were sold on their own, without the peripherals. @Tulpa mentioned Steel Battalion, was it ever sold without the controller? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPX | 1,403 Posted July 8 Author Share Posted July 8 1 hour ago, Tanooki said: Hmmm pricing maybe was suggestive? I remember both Virtua Racing and Phantasy Star IV being like $99.99, or at least most definitely Virtua Racing due to the SVP chipset. I know PS4 was supposedly the same, saw some advertising on it months ago if that, old commercial and things that GTV on YT did with a retrospective on the game (did the 4 titles over time.) Do you happen to remember Sonic and Knuckles RRP? I reckon that could have been one of the more costly Genesis/MD game for its time due to the bigger case and special cart. I also think the Mega CD games might be in the running for the more costly game prices as I do recall the console was initially sold in Oz for around $700-800 AUD. Unfortunately, it had put me off from buying with the gigantism price, and I don’t remember any of the game prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabonga | 2,532 Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 1 hour ago, GPX said: Do you happen to remember Sonic and Knuckles RRP? I reckon that could have been one of the more costly Genesis/MD game for its time due to the bigger case and special cart. I also think the Mega CD games might be in the running for the more costly game prices as I do recall the console was initially sold in Oz for around $700-800 AUD. Unfortunately, it had put me off from buying with the gigantism price, and I don’t remember any of the game prices. At least over here the prices for games weren't way out of line IIRC with Genesis and SNES ones. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulpa | 3,684 Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 On 7/7/2024 at 6:56 AM, doner24 said: How about the Exertainment game/controller (bike)? Anyone have any idea what that retailed for? According to this, $3500. But IIRC, both games were available separately on their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulpa | 3,684 Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 2 hours ago, GPX said: @Tulpa mentioned Steel Battalion, was it ever sold without the controller? Not that I remember. I think it needed the controller, as there was something like 40 separate inputs. Even the rerelease had the controller, with different color buttons distinguishing it from the first release. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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