A 1991 news report about parents angry over Super Nintendo shows little has changed in 20 years.
For one thing, the video, recently unearthed by Reddit, shows that many parents have always been confused and upset by the popular electronic medium. They’re still worried about their kids playing too much today.
Parents also still complain about the high costs of consoles and games. Back in 1991, a Super Nintendo cost $200, which according to various inflation measuring websites, amounts to $400 today. Pretty pricey. While it’s true the relative price of video game consoles has gone down – a Nintendo Wii is now less than $100, Microsoft’s Xbox costs $200 and Sony’s PS3 for $300 – journalists are still debating whether or not they cost too much.
Sales pitches claiming “Better pictures, sound and adventures” are still being used today; Activision is touting its latest blockbuster Call of Duty: Black Ops II, released Monday, as having the “best graphics [of] any other game.” Seems like we hear that for every game, every year, right?
Last but not least, journalists still don’t know jack about video games. The 1991 news report said, “Video games are hotter than ever this season!” And the media seems to report the same thing every year – starting well before 1991.
