If you take into account inflation right now, you'll find that you are probably paying similar or maybe even less money now for a PS3 or Xbox360 than the original NES or SNES when they first launched since what I understand they both launched around $200-300 at the time.
That's what I thought, but then I went back and did the math:
|System|-----------|Debut|------|Debut Price|-----|2005 Price|
|NES|---------------|1985|-------|$100|-------------|$177.47|
|NES Action Set|--|1985|-------|$199|-------------|$353.16|
|SNES|-------------|1991|-------|$199|-------------|$280.85|
|N64|---------------|1996|-------|$199|-------------|$241.55|
|GameCube|-------|2001|-------|$199|-------------|$215.82|
Only the SNES and NES action package come close to any of today's consoles. However, the NES action package came with 2 controllers, a light gun, Super Mario Bros, and Duck Hunt, while the SNES came with 2 controllers and Super Mario World.
I used the
Inflation Calculator.
Making tables sucks balls. >:o