As I watched my girlfriend buy my LIVE account another $10 in MS Points, I wondered... Why the hell is she paying for this crap? I mean Dynasty Warriors 7 Costume and Weapon Packs. She spent over $30 on DLC for a game that we bought for $25 used at Gamestop. I wondered the whole time about the real cost of games and how much I have spent on getting content on some of my purchases.
The biggest example I can think of is the recently released Forza Motorsport 4. Like the limited edition whore I am, I bought the Limited Edition on launch day. That was $80. Two days later I go and plop down another $30 in MS Points for the Season Pass. Right there I have a $110 game. Turn 10 had recently announced that they would be releasing the exclusive pre-order cars as DLC. Well, I just had to have the two cars I really wanted that I missed out on. So I dropped another $2 each for the two cars. Bringing my total for the game up to $114.
I have spent more than that on a single game, but that was for big Limited Editions that came with cool swag. Then I think about those games... and many of those I have spent money on DLC! When you add it up, the true price of a game is much higher than the price you pay at the register. Do you need all this DLC to enjoy the game? No, not really. Does it help extend the life of the game? Yeah. Is anyone forcing you to buy it? No, but they throw it in your face with all the news and ads about it.
Even getting into a game later on can pull up these extra costs. The DLC is still there, and many times you’ve heard that the game isn’t complete with out the DLC. Mass Effect 2, which I bought used, has the Arrival DLC really shows that you may need to buy the DLC to get the whole story. The new story element takes place between ME2 and ME3... actually ME3 is supposed to start with you facing consequences after Arrival. So... I guess I have to get that huh. Another $7 to the cost of the game. No doubt that Arrival is a good piece of game content, but why not just make it part of the game. Like an extra mission in New Game Plus. Will I still buy it and enjoy it? Hell yea.
The advent of the Online Pass has also changed the price of games, particularly used games. You have part of your game locked unless you bought the game new or you buy the extra $10 to $15 Online Pass. That can quickly eat away any savings that you got by buying used. This can make your $45 or $50 used game come right back up to the full $60 price. You can also kiss borrowing the game from a friend since the Pass is a one time use code, although you can totally go without the Pass. I skipped out on buying the Cerberus Network for ME2.
There is not only the price associated with the cost of a game, but also the amount of time it takes up. In two of my most recent purchases, Battlefield 3 and Forza 4, I have put a total of over 120 hours into the two games. That is more than 3 weeks of work at my actual job. And if you factor in the number of hours that I have lost sleep over playing these games, the cost becomes staggering. Now that is just two games over the span of three months. That doesn’t include the other games I played during that time, nor does that include any future play time and investment.
This topic also begs the question of is it all worth it? In my opinion it is. Not only are video games a hobby of mine, it defines who I am. What I do and how I spend my time help define me. Because of my interest in racing games, it has led me to better follow professional racing and the car industry. I have better conversation pieces with friends and some coworkers about my gaming. I have a way to communicate and play with friends that I don’t often see face to face. Would I trade this time for anything else? Not by a long shot.
The true cost of games is whatever you think it is. I can always make more money, and time is what you make of it. I decide to spend my time gaming. For me the cost is worth it, if a bit high at times.
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