Halo 3 cost $60 million to make and market.
Halo Infinite cost >$200 million.
Games have just become so much more complex, detailed, and expensive to make that companies basically took the relatively minor cost of printing discs to keep prices down a bit longer.
Plus, why would one company make less money on their digital games if no other company is doing it and therefore pressuring them to? Companies will charge what people will pay for. If people paid $60 to drive to GameStop for a copy, why would they refuse to pay it to get the game more conveniently?
$60 in 2005 is $93 in 2023
Halo 3 cost $60 million to make and market.
Halo Infinite cost >$200 million.
Games have just become so much more complex, detailed, and expensive to make that companies basically took the relatively minor cost of printing discs to keep prices down a bit longer.
Plus, why would one company make less money on their digital games if no other company is doing it and therefore pressuring them to? Companies will charge what people will pay for. If people paid $60 to drive to GameStop for a copy, why would they refuse to pay it to get the game more conveniently?
I remember games costing $60 in the 90s as well.