I think the games became more popular because the hardware became cheaper and more capable. Before the early-to-mid 90s a PC or compatible might cost $2000, ou

I think the games became more popular because the hardware became cheaper and more capable. Before the early-to-mid 90s a PC or compatible might cost $2000, outside the budget for a lot of families. Buying a computer just for games didn't make sense when a specialized game system was so much cheaper.