That means $80 spent on a game today has the same value as about $65 spent on a game in 2020, as hard as that might be to believe. That also mean the $60 Nintendo charged for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in 2017 is worth about $78 in today's money; and that game went on to sell a franchise record 67 million units at that price. You can make a similar historical argument for Mario Kart Wii, which sold 37 million units after launching at $50 in 2008; the equivalent of about $74 in today's money.

While many gamers' incomes and/or wealth haven't kept up with that level of price increase in recent years, the cold logic of the money supply and monetary policy means "we're unfortunately living in an era where I think inflation is affecting everything," as Nintendo Vice President of Player & Product Experience Bill Trinen recently told Polygon.

It's important to remember, too, that Nintendo is offering a $499 bundle with the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World packaged together. That bundle values the game at just $50 (compared to the $449 a la carte hardware), providing a bit of a relief valve for gamers that might balk at paying $80 for the game on its own. We may have to see at least one other example to judge whether the gaming market is ready to pay $80 for a baseline game.