The Daily Grind: How frugal are you in F2P games?

@ShivanSwordsman SOE did a triple point day the weekend before Christmas and a double point day a couple days later. They also did one just before the launch of F2P for DCUO and one Labor Day weekend IIRC. Sometimes you just have to pay attention because they don't put out a lot of advance warning.

@(Unverified)
You should't be allowed to own a keyboard.

@(Unverified)

Measley? Really? Well, not all of us feel that these games are worth the little amount of time that we have to put into them. And have you calculated how much you've spent on your game subs total? Lets take an average game... $50 box, then $15 every month therafter, with a new $50 expansion every 10 months. Sounds fair?

1 month: $50
3 months: $80
6 months: $125
10 months (after first expansion): $235
12 months: $265
20 months (after 2nd expansion): $435
24 months: $495
36 months: $725

I agreed with you at one point that $15/month was measley, but that was before I really looked at how much I spent in a game and what I truly got from it. I easily spent over $500 on WoW. I stopped playing a long time ago and looking back, it just wasn't worth it.

Now, if someone is consciously willing to spend over $500 on a single game, thats their hard-earned money and more power to them. However, I find it offensive that you would automatically assume a financial judgement on everyone else because you made that choice. It may only take me an hour or so to make the $15, but I still don't find it a good value. You know what I DO find a worthwhile investment? Diamond earrings for my wife. Worth every penny. They cost about the same that I spent on WoW, she'll have them all her life, and they look great on her.

Its not a matter of being cheap, its a matter of being smart with your money and realizing the value for what you spend.

@Ocho

Almost any hobby will cost you much more than 500$ per 2 years.

@Ocho

This is why Iove EVE Online took me 4 months before I started doing well enough to pay for it in ISK. Oh and free expansions. :P

@smartstep
"Other people get ripped off, we should too!"
Hahaha, wow.
As someone who primarily plays singleplayer or non-MMO multiplayer games I feel sorry for the reasonable part of the MMO crowd, I really do.
To get insulted for not wanting to get ripped off is horrible.

@Ocho

League of Legends has reported players spending on average $200 every 3 months.

@(Unverified)

Huh? You mad?

I did not insult anybody.

@smartstep

Haha that is true, and I will not deny that on gaming overall I spend over $500/2 years... however, that is on my entire gaming budget, systems, new games, etc. and not just one one specific game.

@(Unverified) Which is stunningly ridiculous in my opinion. If it is one thing that I will complain about the F2P market, its the bend toward P2W. People will spend $ to be able to beat other players. However, for this do we we blame the game companies? This is more of a grey area. I don't like how casinos will use psychological tricks to get people to hand over all of their money, but the person still makes the decision to pull the handle on the slot machine. I don't like how cigarettes are a known carcinogen and are still subtly advertised toward children... but you still have to whip out your wallet to buy a pack. I don't like how F2P games offer P2W options... but its still the decision of the player to buy them or not.

In this effect, I think both sides have to take some accountability. You just can't fully blame them for selling a product that people obviously have a demand for.

@Ocho That's my philosophy, too. Though I did spend a bit more the first month I played Runes of Magic. (Damn those enticing grab bags!) Otherwise, though, I've stuck to the $15/month price point.