Digital stores and bundles made games far more abundant and cheaper than the MegaPak era

GG Brief Editorial Desk · AI-assisted, source attributed

Steam-era digital distribution and frequent bundle deals have produced far more daily releases and lower effective prices than in the 1990s, so players can usually find almost any game and often at a discount. Physical compilation packs like MegaPaks belonged to an era when new releases were scarcer and many people bought games mainly at Christmas or birthdays. That shift changes how players discover and afford games and explains nostalgia for curated physical collections.

• More games now release each day than most people could play in a year.
• Games are cheaper relative to inflation than thirty years ago, even with modern £70 full-price titles.
• Frequent bundles and digital giveaways on platforms like Steam regularly reduce acquisition costs.
• In 1996, buying a new game every month was uncommon and many players primarily acquired games on holidays.