You know, before this year, the average price for a video game based on the top 20 selling games was generally in the $40 to $43 range. Not bad – a split between $50 console games and $30 GBA games, with a slight lean towards the more abundant console games. Now, however, some companies are labeling $60 as the new $50, and it’s driven the average price for the top 20 selling video games up to the $46 to $49 range… and that’s before Guitar Hero games are factored in.

With the majority of Wii games priced at $49.99 and DS games staying in the $19.99 to $34.99 range, games for Nintendo platforms are keeping average prices at a bearable level. But people are buying those $60 360 and PS3 games at an increasing rate, and games like Guitar Hero III, Rock Band, and even High School Musical: Sing It! for the Wii are set to drive those prices even higher.

Remember when McDonald’s hamburgers were 15 cents? No? Well, they used to be. That’ll be you in about 3 game generations. “Remember when video games cost less than $100?”

Next-Gen