River_Rat_459
08-27-2010, 23:28
This turned out to be a pretty interesting article. I'm actually kinda surprised that someone took the time to do the math. The original source is here: http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/gaming-s-greatest-values/1408251
There’s no doubt about it: in the age of $60 video games and $300 gaming consoles, playing games sure seems like an expensive pastime. But taken hour for hour, just how much value does a video game offer, compared with other forms of entertainment?
Take a night at the movies. Say, Avatar -- 162 minutes long, and at maybe $10 a ticket, if you live in the sticks. That puts it at around $3.70 per hour’s amusement, before counting popcorn, drinks, and the fact that you probably want someone to go with. Half an hour’s work, at minimum wage, per hour of R&R. Not too bad.
But movies aren’t exactly renowned as a cheap way to have fun. So let’s see how the DVD market compares. A quick shuffle through Amazon for a really, disgracefully good deal reveals the retailer is currently offering all six seasons of The Sopranos, in a monster 30-DVD set, for $170.99. Doing the math, that breaks down to about $2.06 per hour -- a fair bit cheaper than a night out at the movies, and you get to keep the DVDs at the end (although you might need a new bookshelf to store them).
How do some of the most popular games of the last few years match up? Let’s find out.
Uncharted 2 [PS3]
Street price: $36.99
Hours: 10
Value: $3.69/hour
Uncharted 2 is one of the most cinematic experiences video gaming has to offer, but at not far short of four bones an hour, it’s not one of its best values. Unless its multiplayer really grabs you, you could be done with Uncharted 2’s story, gripping and beautifully told as it is, in under ten hours. From a value perspective, you can do better.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 [Wii]
Street price: $39.54
Hours: 20
Value: $1.97/hour
One of the most critically acclaimed games ever made, Mario’s latest tour de force is nothing short of stunning. But in value terms, well, let’s just say you’re paying a bit of a premium for that big name. Moustache tax, perhaps. Brilliant though it is, budget-minded gamers might do well to look for a longer game.
Demon’s Souls [PS3]
Street price: $39.55
Hours: 55
Value: $0.72/hour
Now we’re getting somewhere -- but we hope you’re up for a challenge, because Demon’s Souls will give you one. It’ll give you over 50 hours of them, in fact. Punishingly difficult (but relentlessly fair), 55 hours is, if anything, an underestimate of the time you’ll sink into this addictive action-adventure once it really gets its hooks into you.
Fallout 3, Game of the Year Edition [X360, PS3, PC]
Street price: $56.99
Hours: 100+
Value: $0.57/hour
Much has been written about the virtues of Fallout 3 -- some of it by us -- so we won’t repeat it here. Suffice it to say that this version includes one of the biggest games out there, plus five of its downloadable expansions, for what, comparatively speaking, is a pittance.
Final Fantasy XIII [X360, PS3]
Street price: $34.17
Hours: 60
Value: $0.57/hour
The Final Fantasy games are renowned for their long campaigns, and although XIII isn’t the longest by any means, it’s the most readily available for current hardware. And a sixty-hour campaign is nothing to sneeze at.
Super Smash Bros: Brawl [Wii]
Street price: $44.99
Hours: 77 hours, 12 minutes
Value: $0.57/hour
How can we be so exact about the time you’ll play Super Smash Bros.? Because, thanks to Kotaku, we know that’s the average amount of time Brawl owners have logged with it. It’s the most-played Wii game out there, in fact, and certainly one of the system's best deals.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars [iPhone]
Street price: $9.99
Hours: 20
Value: $0.50/hour
Rockstar games are typically lengthy, but Chinatown Wars on the iPhone has the double advantage of being both lengthy and cheap. With all the socially irresponsible fun of the Grand Theft Auto titles on the “real” consoles, but at a fraction of the price, Chinatown Wars ain’t just good times, it’s good value, too.
World of Warcraft [PC]
Street price: $1000
Hours: 4,862
Value: $0.21/hour
Yeah, we can hear you complaining about those numbers from here. But take the price of Warcraft and its two expansions, add on all those monthly fees, and, assuming you’ve been playing the game since day one, you’ve spent at least a grand on it. Market research boffins Nielsen (and they ought to know) found in 2007 the average Warcraft player clocks about 17 hours a week. That’s enough to make it staggeringly good value.
There’s no doubt about it: in the age of $60 video games and $300 gaming consoles, playing games sure seems like an expensive pastime. But taken hour for hour, just how much value does a video game offer, compared with other forms of entertainment?
Take a night at the movies. Say, Avatar -- 162 minutes long, and at maybe $10 a ticket, if you live in the sticks. That puts it at around $3.70 per hour’s amusement, before counting popcorn, drinks, and the fact that you probably want someone to go with. Half an hour’s work, at minimum wage, per hour of R&R. Not too bad.
But movies aren’t exactly renowned as a cheap way to have fun. So let’s see how the DVD market compares. A quick shuffle through Amazon for a really, disgracefully good deal reveals the retailer is currently offering all six seasons of The Sopranos, in a monster 30-DVD set, for $170.99. Doing the math, that breaks down to about $2.06 per hour -- a fair bit cheaper than a night out at the movies, and you get to keep the DVDs at the end (although you might need a new bookshelf to store them).
How do some of the most popular games of the last few years match up? Let’s find out.
Uncharted 2 [PS3]
Street price: $36.99
Hours: 10
Value: $3.69/hour
Uncharted 2 is one of the most cinematic experiences video gaming has to offer, but at not far short of four bones an hour, it’s not one of its best values. Unless its multiplayer really grabs you, you could be done with Uncharted 2’s story, gripping and beautifully told as it is, in under ten hours. From a value perspective, you can do better.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 [Wii]
Street price: $39.54
Hours: 20
Value: $1.97/hour
One of the most critically acclaimed games ever made, Mario’s latest tour de force is nothing short of stunning. But in value terms, well, let’s just say you’re paying a bit of a premium for that big name. Moustache tax, perhaps. Brilliant though it is, budget-minded gamers might do well to look for a longer game.
Demon’s Souls [PS3]
Street price: $39.55
Hours: 55
Value: $0.72/hour
Now we’re getting somewhere -- but we hope you’re up for a challenge, because Demon’s Souls will give you one. It’ll give you over 50 hours of them, in fact. Punishingly difficult (but relentlessly fair), 55 hours is, if anything, an underestimate of the time you’ll sink into this addictive action-adventure once it really gets its hooks into you.
Fallout 3, Game of the Year Edition [X360, PS3, PC]
Street price: $56.99
Hours: 100+
Value: $0.57/hour
Much has been written about the virtues of Fallout 3 -- some of it by us -- so we won’t repeat it here. Suffice it to say that this version includes one of the biggest games out there, plus five of its downloadable expansions, for what, comparatively speaking, is a pittance.
Final Fantasy XIII [X360, PS3]
Street price: $34.17
Hours: 60
Value: $0.57/hour
The Final Fantasy games are renowned for their long campaigns, and although XIII isn’t the longest by any means, it’s the most readily available for current hardware. And a sixty-hour campaign is nothing to sneeze at.
Super Smash Bros: Brawl [Wii]
Street price: $44.99
Hours: 77 hours, 12 minutes
Value: $0.57/hour
How can we be so exact about the time you’ll play Super Smash Bros.? Because, thanks to Kotaku, we know that’s the average amount of time Brawl owners have logged with it. It’s the most-played Wii game out there, in fact, and certainly one of the system's best deals.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars [iPhone]
Street price: $9.99
Hours: 20
Value: $0.50/hour
Rockstar games are typically lengthy, but Chinatown Wars on the iPhone has the double advantage of being both lengthy and cheap. With all the socially irresponsible fun of the Grand Theft Auto titles on the “real” consoles, but at a fraction of the price, Chinatown Wars ain’t just good times, it’s good value, too.
World of Warcraft [PC]
Street price: $1000
Hours: 4,862
Value: $0.21/hour
Yeah, we can hear you complaining about those numbers from here. But take the price of Warcraft and its two expansions, add on all those monthly fees, and, assuming you’ve been playing the game since day one, you’ve spent at least a grand on it. Market research boffins Nielsen (and they ought to know) found in 2007 the average Warcraft player clocks about 17 hours a week. That’s enough to make it staggeringly good value.