Avian Gamers Network :: View topic - What does WoW *really* cost?

Avian Gamers Network http://www.avian-gamers.net/forums/

What does WoW really cost? http://www.avian-gamers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=18477	Page 1 of 1

Author:	Rocklar [ Fri Dec 21, 2007 3:42 pm ]
Post subject:	*What does WoW really* cost?**
Ok, I went serious geek mode today and totalled up the cost of purchasing the game, expansion and subscriptions. FYI, detailed payment history may be found in your account information - this shows free days they gave early in the life of the game as well as referral bonuses. I've paid, all said and done, $592.65 to play World of Warcraft from 11/23/04 until today. Then I totalled up all the /played responses for current characters. Between my 10 characters on Dalaran, 3 on Maelstrom and 3 on Skullcrusher, I've played a total of 95 days and 10 hours of World of Warcraft. There are no 'bank' characters in this list, just one AH-centric character (40 priest). Combining these totals shows me that World of Warcraft is the absolute cheapest form of entertainment with your clothes on (and I'm not completely sure how some of you play so maybe I shouldn't use that disclaimer). World of Warcraft costs me $0.26/hour of gametime or you could say that I get 3 hours and 51 minutes of gameplay out of a dollar. Cheaper than a movie. Cheaper than an arcade (unless you're reeeeeal good). A book might be close but most aren't very 'replayable.' I think we can discount cable and satellite with their monthly costs. Broadcast TV is obviously cheaper considering no cost but ... what about the quality? Even though I try to kill the statistician in me, he insists I point out that I've played a number of character for not insignificant amounts of time (Deck, a hunter for one). Since they've been deleted, their /played is not available. However, their time would only make the per hour game cost lower. Further, my totals do not consider computer costs So, just thought I'd share this as I've been wanting to do it for a while. Use it to justify your continued play, another account, whatever. Oh, yeah...and post your own!

Author:	Arindel [ Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:18 pm ]
Post subject:
GO ROCKY! Release your inner Min-Maxer Had to pput some Christmas Spirit into the reply too. I think I migth be afraid to see my number of hours

Author:	Angelus [ Fri Dec 21, 2007 5:48 pm ]
Post subject:
When you break it down like that, the $15 per month seems like nothing. But I always rationalized the cost compared to 1 night out at the movies. Not a bad price point at all.

Author:	iJasonT [ Fri Dec 21, 2007 7:44 pm ]
Post subject:
yep. The way I think about it is if a $15 monthly subscription keeps me from going out to a bar even 1 night a month then it paid for itself. I don't play a lot but I do play at least 3-5 evenings a month - a tiny fraction of what I used to play. Even so, if I feel the urge to play and my account it up I have no problems re-upping just to play that one, maybe 2-3 subsequent evenings. $15 is 2 drinks out in a bar in DC.

Author:	Xenus [ Sat Dec 22, 2007 5:25 am ]
Post subject:
those are expensive drinks this post would be great for people who think mmorpgs cost too much, most people that try to prove that end up showing that its actually cheaper then most things oh, and merry christmas everyone

Author:	sylvanien [ Sat Dec 22, 2007 10:38 am ]
Post subject:
Happy Holydays everyone! I know many of you might have already forgot about me, since i had to cancel my suscription about 9 months ago due to laboral reasons (No internet at all where i was going to work at), and although Rocky has a point, and as valid as it is and i agree with it now, it does not consider other variables, such as those i was subject to back when i was a student, like: a monthly income of less than 100 US dollars, spread over the many expenses a student has, but well, anyway, nhat i think of it, the addiction was strong enough for me to get the monthly money

Author:	Arindel [ Sat Dec 22, 2007 12:56 pm ]
Post subject:
Granted it doesn't take into account your available "discretionary" income, but that is the whole point, if you have to decide if you are to eat food or have shelter, then gaming and a pc would probably be much further behind. Moge's point about having 2 drinks is dead on and I bet a typical weekend night could easily go well beyond that... I think I recall what it used to be like. When I was a weekend Warrior (back around the time they invented dirt), I would still spend 50-60 dollars a night on just drinks for a single night out (Boston circa 1990-1995). And that's without trying to take a date.

Author:	Arindel [ Sat Dec 22, 2007 4:01 pm ]
Post subject:
Assuming the same cost, my 107 days (yikes!!!! be nice to know how much afk time was there). My cost comes to 0.205 per hour + (you'd have to prorate the cost of havcing an internet connection too) which comes close to 10% of the time over 3 years...don't let our wives see this

Author:	slugeater [ Mon Dec 24, 2007 11:03 pm ]
Post subject:
You must take into account additional costs such as part of your internet fee and PC maintenance, but MMOs are really cheap when compared with other forms of entertainment even if you're a casual player. that said, I'm probably over 200 days now, I had 100+ already at the release of burning crusade with my now retired warrior, and have two active 70 characters with raid gear.

Author:	moonraker66 [ Tue Dec 25, 2007 11:00 pm ]
Post subject:
I remember checking my /played after the 1st year and I had played just a tad over 2 months in that 1st year alone.

Author:	Alokorben [ Wed Dec 26, 2007 8:27 am ]
Post subject:
Arindel wrote: Assuming the same cost, my 107 days (yikes!!!! be nice to know how much afk time was there). About 106.75 of those hours...

Author:	Angelus [ Wed Dec 26, 2007 1:41 pm ]
Post subject:
Alokorben wrote: Arindel wrote: Assuming the same cost, my 107 days (yikes!!!! be nice to know how much afk time was there). About 106.75 of those hours... ZING!!!

Author:	Arindel [ Wed Dec 26, 2007 1:53 pm ]
Post subject:
Alokorben wrote: Arindel wrote: Assuming the same cost, my 107 days (yikes!!!! be nice to know how much afk time was there). About 106.75 of those hours... LOL! Well, Roran only had about 12 days played...

Author:	sylvanien [ Wed Dec 26, 2007 10:28 pm ]
Post subject:
Arindel wrote: Granted it doesn't take into account your available "discretionary" income, but that is the whole point, if you have to decide if you are to eat food or have shelter, then gaming and a pc would probably be much further behind. Well, it actually was my total income, although I must note that i do not Live in the US and that my country´s average income is around 2 USD per day, anyway, i managed to get the cash since things are much cheaper here, for example (and since drinks seem to be the central point of this topic now), 1 drink down here can cost 0.5 USD ( one beer) or 5 USD ( a small fishbowl filled with enough booze to get you a hangover to remember, or to forget... depending on the point of view...) so, online gaming fees are a bit larger when we compare the the 2 countries.

Author:	Mantison Tau'rus [ Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:06 pm ]
Post subject:
I went ahead and did this for the characters I have left, and I have deleted MANY characters in their 20's and 30's over the years... Of the 7 characters I have left on 2 servers, it is a total of 101 Days, 12 hours played. Costs for the monthly fees, the game, and the expansion come up to approx. $560 bucks. That comes down to $.23 per hour.... not too bad, hehe. Man, thats alot of hours... 2436 !!?!?!?! Wow.

Page 1 of 1	All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group http://www.phpbb.com/