# inflation

The gaming industry is undergoing significant transformation as hardware price hikes and inflation impact both consumers and developers. Viral successes like Meccha Chameleon highlight a growing divide over what defines gaming in an era of mass-market appeal. These shifts underscore the urgent need for adaptation, innovation, and community resilience amid economic and cultural turbulence.

High-profile franchises delivered mythology-shifting reveals and celebrity casting, but release timing and pricing pressures set the real agenda. Crystal Dynamics pushed Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis to February 2027 to avoid Grand Theft Auto VI, while Mina the Hollower sold 300,000 copies in three days and hardware costs jumped, including a 51% Steam Deck OLED increase in Korea. The signal is clear: strategy, not spectacle, determines who shows up.