Gaming On a Budget

Jul 9, 2011

For many of us an Xbox addiction can become a hard habit to break. With all the new games, and hardware coming out at an exponential rate it can be overwhelming to keep up. The industry is driven by profits and to keep the profits up they need to keep your wallet open. This isn’t all bad since we have seen tremendous improvements in both hardware and software over the past few years.

Like all purchases we make there is a cost/benefit ratio to be considered. Simply put, how much enjoyment do you get from each purchase you make, and crucially, how long does that enjoyment last?

Let’s look at a similar entertainment purchase, going to a movie. Here you are paying maybe $30 for two people to enjoy a movie that provides two hours of entertainment plus incidentals, such as popcorn and a drink. You could include additional items in the cost such as gas etc. and more value if you count talking about the movie with your coworkers around the water cooler. But to keep it simple, let’s just say two people for two hours.

2 X 2 = 4 Units of Entertainment (uE’s)

I know math S*&Ks, but I’ll keep it to a minimum. One last calculation for our example, 4 uE’s divided into the cost of $30.

[pmath] 3/4 = $7.50[/pmath] per uE

Remember than number $7.50.

Now let’s compare that to the cost of getting setup with an Xbox 360. Wow, we start out with $400 for a decent Slim model, ADD IN $60 for a game, $60 for Xbox Live for a year, $50 a month for a good Internet connection. This isn’t looking good. On an annual basis we are spending $1120 in the first year. OUCH!!!

Now, how many hours do you game each month? According to 360voice.com I played just over 45% of the days since 2006. Let’s estimate my playing time for one year. 365 days a year times 45%

[pmath]365 X .45 = 164[/pmath]

And assume an average of 2 hours per session (way low according to my wife). We get

[pmath]164 X 2 +/- wife=328[/pmath] hours per year

Now take the $1120 divided by 328,

[pmath]$1120/328 = $3.41[/pmath]

 

Get the picture, about half the cost of going to a movie ($7.50).

Now for the meat. How do you keep the cost down? As shown in my example I use only a single game in the calculation. Because I play primarily one game franchise Call Of Duty. A new version comes out each year. You should add in the cost of DLC (download content) to the annual expense just to be honest.

So here are the tips:

1. Keep the cost of internet service as low as possible, this may mean switching every year. When switching be sure to include the cost of renting or buying a modem. I currently rent the modem since it is cheaper on an annual basis to rent instead of buy. I am guessing that I will change providers next year. I have found that the new subscriber deals beat the cost of staying with the same provider even when the rental is included. For the foreseeable future I expect new technology to drive the cost of internet service down or at a minimum the speeds will increase for the same monthly cost. In some cases bundling services (with phone, cable, etc.) may be the best way to go as long as you are not signing a contract. I currently have bundled cable and internet service. This internet service is at 24MPS download (20-22 actual) and 3 MPS upload (2-3 actual). I get 30-75ms of ping time. The best data transfer rates I’ve ever had.

2. Be aware of the games you play and how long you will play them. Many of you know that buying a game and playing it for one or two months can be very expensive. I don’t expect most people to only buy one game a year like I do. Heck, I’m crazy, just ask my wife.± double xp weekend. A good option is the GameFly service if you really want to play more of the games out there but know you won’t be playing them very long. If a game does have staying power for you, you can always get a copy later and usually on sale. Two words of warning, if you use GameFly do like I do with Netflix and only have one game in your queue. That forces them to send the game you want the most. Otherwise, expect them to move down your list if your top game is very popular. Second, don’t buy collector editions of your games. If you want a collector’s edition, buy it and stick it in the closet. It really isn’t a collector’s version once you have opened it, remember the 40 Year Old Virgin, he got top dollar for the unopened items.

[pmath]Storage+Nerd / Time =Profit[/pmath]

3. Accessories, this is a tough one. I consider headsets like Turtle Beach or Tritons to be a requirement for the enjoyment of COD. I have to include that in my costs. Some of our friendly PIGS have also leaned towards the Avenger or the XtendPlay controller add-ons which those older gamers swear by. The list is almost endless. But since most are one time purchases, on an annual basis they won’t add a lot to the cost of gaming, as long as they aren’t an impulse purchase that ends up setting on a shelf in the garage (that’s for all the power tools I never seem to use^{+/-build a man cave} )

4. Buy your Xbox Live 12 month card and your 4000 points card online and at a discount. Recently a 4000 point card came up on Dealnews for $40.00, a $9.99 discount. A few times a year you can get the 12 month card for around $35.00, that’s a $24.99 savings. I use Dealnews, but Slickdeals has the same tips and an Iphone app. Don’t miss out on these deals, be ready to buy when there available.

 

[pmath]Deals+Use Them = Savings[/pmath]

 

I want to point out one other thing. Most of us don’t buy an Xbox 360 or other console annually. On average it’s more like once every five years. Additionally, if your whole family is involved the cost of a Kinect or multiple consoles works out. Just think how much your gaming cost goes down.

The social cost of gaming.

I’d like to mention how much my wife likes gaming. She doesn’t play online but she does know where I am and what I’m doing. And she prefers it to the alternatives, like bars, other girls, and (name your poison). I need to remember to take her out to a nice restaurant, I think I can afford it now, I just don’t know when I’ll have time with all the COD I’m playing.

 

[pmath]f (Happy Wife) ~right~ COD > {kappa=} * {poision?} / {Bar{[}{{infidelity/(happy wife_kappa)^kappa}}{]}} ~ Dinner  +/- prestige mode[/pmath]