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For decades, video games have been a go-to hobby for Alyx Green. But in recent years, Green has felt priced out.<\/p>\n
Instead of buying the biggest releases, the Illinois graduate student has opted for cheaper alternatives from smaller studios or turned to board and card games. In some cases, the 31-year-old watches videos of others playing hot games on YouTube in lieu of actually playing.<\/p>\n
“The price has been going up,” Green said. “It’s just hard to keep up.”<\/p>\n
U.S. consumers have for years grappled with “funflation,”<\/a> used to describe the sharply higher prices for live experiences like concerts <\/a>or sporting events<\/a> that were halted during pandemic lockdowns.<\/a> <\/p>\n Sticker shock first felt by consumers outside the home is now following them into their living rooms. After a wave of price hikes from some of the world’s largest companies, including Amazon<\/a>