Over the last 20 years, the word "thrift" or "thrifty" has slowly lost one of its best meanings. "Thrifty" means to shop wisely, economically. Now, an added perception means cheap, or "cheap-ass." "Man, that game is cheap-ass." Sure, thrifty still means to shop economically, but somehow that added image of a thrift store, or a rinky dink shop, replete with broken '70s robots, headless G.I. Joes, and old shoes, comes to mind. The fact is, Americans are obsessed with getting the most bang for their buck; getting the best value for their hard-earned money. And as gamers all know, games aren't inexpensive. Standard videogames sell for $49.99, with the occasional $39.99 title popping in every so often. Microsoft realizes that once a game sells past a certain point, and the company's standards are not set in stone like Sony's, it is considered for re-publishing in the Platinum Series. This means the box cover gets an unsightly green stripe, but more importantly, a newly affordable price tag of $19.99.
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