To understand the "1000 in 1" phenomenon, you have to rewind to the 8-bit and 16-bit eras. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Nintendo and Sega cartridges were luxury items. A single game like Super Mario Bros. 3 could cost $60–$80 in 1990s money (over $150 today).
: The cost of staying safe in a world that has already ended. 1000 in 1
: Often, these "1000 in 1" collections relied on "padding." While the first 50 games might be unique, the remaining 950 were often duplicates with minor pallet swaps or different starting levels. To understand the "1000 in 1" phenomenon, you
If you were referring to a different "1000 in 1" story—such as the 1000 to 1: The Cory Weissman Story 3 could cost $60–$80 in 1990s money (over $150 today)
: For budget-conscious gamers in the 80s and 90s, these cartridges promised an entire library for the price of one game.
As the 90s transitioned into the CD-ROM era, the "1000 in 1" concept evolved. Floppy disks died, and suddenly you could burn 700MB of data for pennies.