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Is gaming becoming to expensive?


Macca65

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its getting cheaper for me ;) didnt buy AW DLC, didnt buy BO3 or DLC... havent bought "next-gen" console... still playing the old IW titles though so certainly driving the cost per hour down on those.

Not to sound like a fanboy but you are really missing out on a great game imo.

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It depends on how far you want to take it. If you go all out, yes it can be a little ridiculous.

 

If you have a console plugged up to your tv, using the controller that came with it and the headset that came with it then not so much.

 

This thread gave me a pit in my stomach thinking about how much I've spent.

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its getting cheaper for me ;) didnt buy AW DLC, didnt buy BO3 or DLC... havent bought "next-gen" console... still playing the old IW titles though so certainly driving the cost per hour down on those.

I'm definitely headed the same way with COD. I preordered AW with the dlc and kind of got bored with it, but still pre-ordered blops3 but without the dlc. I forgot to cancel the digital pre-order do now I'm stuck with it. Now for the next COD I won't even pre-order.

 

The future warfare is really worn on me after AW. I liked AW, but would've preferred if they left that style to SHG. If IW does anything similar I won't be getting it.

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Gaming is the cheapest hobby I have.

I love photography (I'm not in Bagsta territory though!) and I also love music/guitars too! Even though I invest in more items for gaming, it's definitely the cheaper hobby out of the 3.

 

A high end camera lens (and just the lens alone!) probably equates to a PS4 gaming rig with top of the range controllers, headsets, gaming chair, NetDuma and a years worth of PSN. You'll still have enough change to buy and Xbox One and some other goodies to boot!

 

A high end guitar will cover the same and more. Some of the top shelf guitars are in the £3000+ realm. 

In a nutshell, gaming is cheap. You can bump up the cost with luxury items, but on the whole you'll get a lot of 'bang for your buck'.

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Gaming is the cheapest hobby I have.

I love photography (I'm not in Bagsta territory though!) and I also love music/guitars too! Even though I invest in more items for gaming, it's definitely the cheaper hobby out of the 3.

 

A high end Camera lens probably equates to a PS4 gaming rig with top of the range controllers, headsets, gaming chair, NetDuma and a years worth of PSN.

 

A high end guitar will cover the same and more. Some of the top shelf guitars are in the £3000+ realm.

 

In a nutshell, gaming is cheap. You can bump up the cost with luxury items, but on the whole you'll get a lot of 'bang for your buck'.

True

 

In perspective it's certainly the less expensive of my hobbies. I play pool and definitely have more in my cue case than I do in gaming

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I feel that gaming is a quite inexpensive hobby if you don't buy the latest and greatest hardware all the time. What I am more concerned about, which also makes games more expensive is the trend in which some game developers fully develop a game, and then extract items from it (especially pay to win) and sell them as microtransactions.

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To build on what I wrote earlier...

 

I am a proud nerd / geek, so gaming and new technology is just part of my life style. I have no kids, or significant other, so this is a hobby that all goes toward me in that respect. 

 

I love games :)

 

More importantly, I like collecting and playing games like others collect movies, stamps, albums, etc.

 

Yes, it can be an expensive hobby depending on how enthusiastic about it you are. However, normal mainstream "casual" gaming -- just the console + included peripherals + games + subscription service -- Isn't that expensive at all. If you are smart, you can get a lot of online deals for digital downloads and never pay full retail price if you know where to look? This includes new releases, not just sales of titles over a year old, too. Same goes for PC gaming... Which has actually come down even more in recent years. I bought "Just Cause 3" for only $28 USD from a legit, third-party key site. I've noticed a lot of multiplatform games aren't even touching the base $60 SMRP on PC... Which gives you the optimal graphics + 60fps if your hardware can render it. This includes big AAA titles like BO3, Fallout 4, etc. So, it appears gaming may actually start becoming even more affordable again depending on your interests? Hmm...

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The future warfare is really worn on me after AW. I liked AW, but would've preferred if they left that style to SHG. If IW does anything similar I won't be getting it.

 

same here. i hope to god IW doesnt do it as well. they are my favorite developer and their games by FAR play the best for me. i was regular modern day CoD, not some made up shit with people who have "super powers"  <_<

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same here. i hope to god IW doesnt do it as well. they are my favorite developer and their games by FAR play the best for me. i was regular modern day CoD, not some made up shit with people who have "super powers"  <_<

OH I hear that loud n clear, give me an M4 or AK47 and 3-5-7 kill streaks and ill be happy. I noticed that things connection wise and general game play started going down the pan when they introduced all the bells and whistles and cammos and stupid outfits to attract the younger gamers (who are not even old enough to be playing it).

Seriously if they are still using the same engine for modern cod games with all the extra bullshit it cannot be good.

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I think this is a great thread and interesting discussion.  I can't control myself I have to wage in on this one (so what else is new?).

 

Is gaming getting too expensive, is like asking if the grass is too long - depends on whether you want to cut it or not! :)  I believe the answer to this question can be dealt with in three points (if you haven't noticed I like "bullets"); and under one major heading:

 

Disposable Income

  • Limited Income - for folks on a limited budget, without question it can be very expensive, however they can limit what they spend to the bear essentials and get great value.  This is especially true if they shop around in places like eBay and retailers that sell used equipment.  The danger is that they get "caught up in all the hoopla and spend beyond their means.  As an example I just bought a brand new PS4 that normally sells for $500 in Canada for under $350 including our stupid 13% sales tax.
  • Cautious spenders - or as my father use to call them "just cheap", (no pun intended JC).  These folks have the money but just can't justify spending it on a hobby like gaming - often they restrict their kids and "bitch" about every cent spent; justifying their frugal behavior by criticizing the game play the servers etc.  I say stay home and count your money - and be alone!  Sorry if this sounds caustic but I have had unfortunate experience with an individual like this - example he would take his family to Dairy Queen for milkshakes and he would buy one for himself and have his wife, 2 daughters split the second one...
  • Adequate Disposable Income - these folks have the money and often like to enjoy through a diverse set of interests.  They want the best and are willing to spend to get it.  They enjoy and have a passion for all their pursuits and can at times go overboard and justify it by doing ratio analysis, like $/hour participating.  Works for me!

What I am trying to say is that as in most things in life "it all depends".  For me I have spent far too much on my interests but don't regret one cent of it.  There is something else to be said for gaming and I use myself as an example.  Seven years ago I found myself alone after losing a wonderful woman that had been with me for many years, far too early.  I have no desire to have another one in my life, when you have had the best why bother with the rest.  So my hobbies became more a part of my life.  Over the years I have had many interests that far surpass the cost of gaming:

  • Motorcycles - bought my first Harley in 1965, and in 2012 I had to quit riding and sold  my two year old bike that I had invested $30k in.  Unfortunately It was unsafe to keep going as my arthritis prevented me from working the clutch.  Since losing my wife I was spending between $500 and $1,000 a month over the season; we traveled almost every weekend and a couple of us are retired we often took off for a week at a time.  Not a cheap pastime.
  • Shooting - again a costly pass time as an IPSC participant I was often away - usually on my bike for weekend matches; something my wife and I enjoyed together (she had her own bike).  The cost of custom guns, self loading equipment and stuff is gross.  I sold my last gun a month ago - same reason - arthritis, just couldn't safely handle the shooting.
  • Cruising - My wife and I cruised two to four times a year.  Now although I have done one per year it is simply too costly to travel alone (often paying a full two person fare).
  • Gaming - no question it is costly; especially the initial investment if you go whole hog and get the gear - however for me I am money ahead which is important now that I am retired and on that awful "fixed income" thing!  By not riding, shooting and cruising my "hobby" costs are way down.  So this makes it easier to justify spending more to have the best - only wish it would help me play better :(

My whole point with this ramble is to say that I think if we keep things in perspective, stay within our means, gaming is good value for the enjoyment we get from it.  That's how I see it!

 

DB

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Gaming, IMO, is one of the cheaper hobbies anybody can get into these days... be it console, mobile, or PC... Because a lot of the hardware and games themselves have come down to reasonable levels. I'm not talking about GTX Titan-level graphics cards, or 4K HDTVs. You can buy a good gaming PC for under $1000 (even less if you go with AMD) and be able to play 95% of the games out there, just not at max settings, and even then... It depends on how good, or not the port is e.g. Batam: Arkham Knight vs. GTA V.

 

On the flip side, console and mobile (tablet, phone) gaming is VERY cheap because it's a fixed set of hardware. You can buy a PS4 or XB1 for less than $500... Including games + online services + peripherals -- And that will last you the life of the console which may be 10 years like the previous generation (I don't think this is true with XB1 and PS4, unfortunately, but I digress).

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I think this is a great thread and interesting discussion. I can't control myself I have to wage in on this one (so what else is new?).

 

Is gaming getting too expensive, is like asking if the grass is too long - depends on whether you want to cut it or not! :) I believe the answer to this question can be dealt with in three points (if you haven't noticed I like "bullets"); and under one major heading:

 

Disposable Income

  • Limited Income - for folks on a limited budget, without question it can be very expensive, however they can limit what they spend to the bear essentials and get great value. This is especially true if they shop around in places like eBay and retailers that sell used equipment. The danger is that they get "caught up in all the hoopla and spend beyond their means. As an example I just bought a brand new PS4 that normally sells for $500 in Canada for under $350 including our stupid 13% sales tax.
  • Cautious spenders - or as my father use to call them "just cheap", (no pun intended JC). These folks have the money but just can't justify spending it on a hobby like gaming - often they restrict their kids and "bitch" about every cent spent; justifying their frugal behavior by criticizing the game play the servers etc. I say stay home and count your money - and be alone! Sorry if this sounds caustic but I have had unfortunate experience with an individual like this - example he would take his family to Dairy Queen for milkshakes and he would buy one for himself and have his wife, 2 daughters split the second one...
  • Adequate Disposable Income - these folks have the money and often like to enjoy through a diverse set of interests. They want the best and are willing to spend to get it. They enjoy and have a passion for all their pursuits and can at times go overboard and justify it by doing ratio analysis, like $/hour participating. Works for me!
What I am trying to say is that as in most things in life "it all depends". For me I have spent far too much on my interests but don't regret one cent of it. There is something else to be said for gaming and I use myself as an example. Seven years ago I found myself alone after losing a wonderful woman that had been with me for many years, far too early. I have no desire to have another one in my life, when you have had the best why bother with the rest. So my hobbies became more a part of my life. Over the years I have had many interests that far surpass the cost of gaming:
  • Motorcycles - bought my first Harley in 1965, and in 2012 I had to quit riding and sold my two year old bike that I had invested $30k in. Unfortunately It was unsafe to keep going as my arthritis prevented me from working the clutch. Since losing my wife I was spending between $500 and $1,000 a month over the season; we traveled almost every weekend and a couple of us are retired we often took off for a week at a time. Not a cheap pastime.
  • Shooting - again a costly pass time as an IPSC participant I was often away - usually on my bike for weekend matches; something my wife and I enjoyed together (she had her own bike). The cost of custom guns, self loading equipment and stuff is gross. I sold my last gun a month ago - same reason - arthritis, just couldn't safely handle the shooting.
  • Cruising - My wife and I cruised two to four times a year. Now although I have done one per year it is simply too costly to travel alone (often paying a full two person fare).
  • Gaming - no question it is costly; especially the initial investment if you go whole hog and get the gear - however for me I am money ahead which is important now that I am retired and on that awful "fixed income" thing! By not riding, shooting and cruising my "hobby" costs are way down. So this makes it easier to justify spending more to have the best - only wish it would help me play better :(
My whole point with this ramble is to say that I think if we keep things in perspective, stay within our means, gaming is good value for the enjoyment we get from it. That's how I see it!

 

DB

Nice take. Sorry about your wife. It sounds like you two were made for each other. You're a lucky man.

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Hey DB, check out my post in sports about FPV quads. My uncle got me into it this summer who is also getting on in years and a motorcycle fanatic but picked it up because he got same sensation of speed and more of flight while remaining safely on the ground. It is pricey to get into though but can be done in stages.

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Hey DB, check out my post in sports about FPV quads. My uncle got me into it this summer who is also getting on in years and a motorcycle fanatic but picked it up because he got same sensation of speed and more of flight while remaining safely on the ground. It is pricey to get into though but can be done in stages.

 

Thanks I will.

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