CNN's Money column has calculated the probable cost of fully enjoying the XBox 360 when it's launched later this year.Although Microsoft haven't announced an official price for the console, CNN go with an industry guess of $399 for their calculation and add $1000 for a new high definition television, a low $250 for a surround sound system and an estimated price of about $60 per game for a total of $1,709:
Obviously, the HDTV and home theater system are luxuries, but the fact remains that the price of gaming is at a crossroads. Development costs, which have been escalating dramatically through the course of this generation of game machines, are expected to spike as new machines come on the market -- and the teams required to develop games will grow exponentially.
Covering the cost of those expenses could conceivably come from in-game advertising or charging for online play. But both of those are unproven revenue generators. Retail price increases would quickly cover additional expenses.
Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710 via Joystiq
