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Am I the only one who can't afford $15 a month anymore?
John.A.Zoid
Member Posts: 1,531
I have an average Job where I get paid paid double the average wage here which is higher than most of my mates and they do ok jobs like repairing PC's and stuff. I have bills which are increasing and I have petrol costs and then I have costs like going out on the weekend and buying beer which is a social must here in the UK cause if you don't drink then you ain't getting laid and you wont be having fun as alcohol is out culture here.
I can only afford to live without my parents because I have a room mate and we split the bills and it costs us nearly £3000 a month betwwen us just to live and that leavs us with a tiny amount of cash each every month. I'm talking in the hundreds and I buy games and I just bought a new motorbike and I have other things to pay for and I can't really afford them things onto of the bills that just allow me to live.
My point is that $15 is like around £10 or whateveer the economy is now and that buys me 3 beers or food for a few days or a tank of petrol on my motorbike. That £10 is vital for me and I've just found myself deciding between subscribing to an mmorpg or doing something else I need with it and everything else wins out over the mmorpg.
I'm just wondering who else feels the same and if the free 2 player model or micro transactions which let me play for free but buy something when I can afford to will catch on in a big way.
Comments
I can afford it but it definitely hurts a lot more now when you buy a game that isn't worth the initial box fee let alone 15 a month. I find myself a lot more critical where i spend my money. I can buy a lot of hot pockets and cheetos for 15 bucks
This has got to be a joke right? How can you complain about 15 bucks a month for unlimited recreation for a month and you spend how much on beer and new toys? Gaming is recreation like anything else and your blowing oddles of cash out the door on other crap and then complaining about 15 bucks a month? I just can't believe this is for real, honestly man... If you don't make enough to cash to eat your cake, your roomates cake, your neighbors cake, and our cake, then you ought to start being more responsible and deciding were you really want to spend that extra recreational cash.
Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box. ~ Italian proverb
Not to find invasive or offensive; but are there no small luxuries in your life that can make up for that cost? It's really akin to a pizza a month or a few bags of tostitos. I can't see how 15 bucks cut into anything vital.
That said, I believe it'd be best to evaluate your subscribing habits; are you ever auto-charged for your monthly cycle not play an MMO until maybe a week or two after that date?
I keep a good amount of subscriptions; be it MMOs or whatever and have made it a habit to manually renew every month for things; if even it nets a day or two of subscriber time (usually actual weeks for an MMO nowadays).
All and all its like you said; 15 bucks can get you 3 beers. I think the companies are trying to create products that are worth more than 3 beers a month though, so if an MMO isn't, I think you have bigger problems with an MMO than the fee.
Well, I think that life is full of choices.
I noticed that you didn't mention anything about investing for retirement or buying a condo or house.
My initial guess (and only a guess) is that you are about early to mid 20's?
Your salary will most likely go up. Eventually you will be dropping several hundred (or more?) without even thinking about it and wondering where your money is going though you won't really be hurting.
15 dollars really is not a lot. You can forgo the 3 beers over the course of a week in order to pay the subscription if things are really bad.
but as I said, it's all about choice.
When I was younger (and a lot more "poor") I used to debate whether I should buy really cheap food like lentils and rice so that I could go to the movies on the weekend. Lentils and rice are very healthy for you but eventually you get tired of that and of course of making that choice.
I live in the boston area which is also expensive.
But knowing that I make a decent salary but not a huge salary I have made choices. I don't have a car or car payments or gas payments. This way I use the public transportation and then use that money to do things that I want to do.
But there are things that I have to be mindful of, keeping on top of bills, making sure I do invest for retirement, making sure that I am mindful of my health.
This is what life is about. Do you have cable? Do you go out to eat every night? People make choices. This is what it's about.
Unless of course you are filthy rich, then those choices don't seem to matter for piddley stuff like this ; )
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No you aren't the only one. There are people losing their jobs every single days since the US hit a recession. That $15.00 a month goes towards putting food on the table for their families.
I usually run two or three MMOs at a time. I'm not a pro-gamer or in the industry or anything, but I really like gaming. Lately there hasn't been a whole lot to triplesub for so money hasn't been an issue. But it usually never is.
I figure three games runs me less than $50 a month. My cable T.V. bill is higher than that and I don't even watch it. If things ever got tight, I know there is a lot of fat around my budget I could trim immediately and still pay for three MMOs because they are that cheap and fun. Heck, if I ever got haircuts (don't pay for them, to me that's stupid) that alone might be close to $50 a month right there. I don't watch first run movies ever, I can wait til they get to Netflix. Some people have to see a new one each month or pay almost $20 twice to see the big blockbuster so it's just priorities. Just gas, food, snacks and movie ticket would pay for several MMOs easily, with enough for home snacks.
You probably just need to prioritize better and see what you have but really don't need. Could be texting, could be cellphone usage, that extra cheese on the pizza, the great beer instead of the "good" beer... lots of ways to trim what you don't need if gaming is more important than that.
I'm having a hard time identifying with your post personally, but it's not a slight.
EDIT: About the F2P, based on what you said about "having" to buy drinks or else you won't have fun, I can ASSURE you that you do NOT want to go the F2P model. They start cheap, but to have any fun after awhile, you have to spend money and usually people who described what you did personally, will end up spending way more than the usual $15/month. I guarantee that if you went that route, you'd have to sell your motorbike.
"TO MICHAEL!"
Yes if you work,you would be in the minority if you can't find 15 bucks of free cash.I would bet more than 90% waste 15 bucks a month on something foolish,so the decision is where you want to waste your money,but if you want to play a P2P game,you can find the cash.
You of course realize 15 bucks a month is 50 cents a day,,umm i am pretty sure even a paper route can afford 50 cents a day.When you think about it,the developers bandwidth alone,would barely be covered by 50 cents a day.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
Some people have no job so 50 cents a day would be a luxury for them.
Good for me then, i don't drink any kind of alcohol or beer. I socialize a lot but drinking is no no for me as i am very serious about my health. Like many said life is about making choices. You choose beer over mmo so be happy with that choice. Getting laid is always better then playing games locked up in a room. But again i don't agree that you have to drink to get laid, that's really immature thinking.
I run two subs a month and still save a lot of money, i have a steady relationship and don't go looking for girls in bars, all that saves me a lot of money.
Is this really john.a.zoid? £3000/2? a month is inhibiting for sure. Beer costs are also inhibiting if you are drinking out instead of buying pints at a local store, the mark-up is usually 200%, almost criminal, but what some bars need to survive. Brew culture is not limited to the UK. There are a few things you can do separated from MMO's. One, drink water or soda until you see the person you want to socially impress, then buy the pint. Drinking culture (out of the home) is a process of self control. You will probably have more luck if you are sober-ish, than if you are completely wasted after 5 pints at £4 a peice. Then again perhaps you just want to get drunk. Petrol for the bike is cheaper than running petrol through a car. Since GB experiences a nasty winter, my guess is you can't run the bike year round (I can't).
Do you smoke? There's a mmo sub in 3 days.
John, I think a little of this is about choice (minus the rent, that is non-negotiable, my guess is you are in London). When you find something you want to play, you will make the proper choices in order to pay the sub. If not, you shouldn't be playing it perhaps. I agree with you on the box plus sub thing though. I really bleeping hate that.
Best.
Played (more than a month): SWG, Second Life, Tabula Rasa, Lineage 2, Everquest 2, EvE, MxO, Ryzom.
Tried: WoW, Shadowbane, Anarchy Online, Everquest, WWII Online, Planetside
Beta: Lotro, Tabula Rasa, WAR.
The U.S., no offence, is not the only location of the recession.
Played (more than a month): SWG, Second Life, Tabula Rasa, Lineage 2, Everquest 2, EvE, MxO, Ryzom.
Tried: WoW, Shadowbane, Anarchy Online, Everquest, WWII Online, Planetside
Beta: Lotro, Tabula Rasa, WAR.
I think perhaps for some people who run relatively tight budgets that 15$ is not alot of money per se but it is the deciding factor on whether or not you have a social life in the real world or in game. You have to decide if your gaming buddies or your drinking buddies are worth more which to me personally is just a small sign of the economic downturn. Perhaps we can all spend our money better and cut corners when need be however one can not deny that they are more attentive to the prices of the things they less often spend on.
It's not so much that I absolutely cannot afford it, but I choose not to. I was once a scubscriber, but I am just not as willing to turn loose of the cash like I once was.
My biggest gripe with the subscription model is that it does not adapt to my play habits. My habits are sporatic. For a couple months I may play alot, but then I may drift away and only play occasionally. If it's good I will come back a couple months later and start heavy again. I simply like to mix it up. I get tired of playing the same game all the time no matter how good it is. The subscription model does not account for this. If I am a subscriber and I am not playing, then I am still charged the full monthly rate. What if I go on vacation...sorry still the full rate. I only want to be charged based on how much I play. I would like a billing system where they adjust based on your playing. Maybe charge so much an hour. Or 0-5 hrs is one price, 5-10 hrs is another price, 10+ is another. I hate to be a subscriber and feel like I am required to be playing all the time or I am wasting money.
But I suspect companies don't want to do that because it's more complex. Not to mention they are hoping you forget you are still subscribed and sock you for several months at the full price without incurring the server load you would add if you were playing. I would not be suprised if there is a significant number of that 11 million WoW subscribers that play little to none.
Anyway, climbing down from my soapbox. Sorry for the rant.
Marcus
Some people have no job so 50 cents a day would be a luxury for them.
Okay, you are on a crusade. That mentality is fine, okay, perhaps even helpful, had this not been a *gaming site*. The OP stated he has a decent paying employer, and is meeting his month to month obligations. We know the economy sucks at the moment right? Evangelize all you wish, you are not making a difference by posting this here.
Played (more than a month): SWG, Second Life, Tabula Rasa, Lineage 2, Everquest 2, EvE, MxO, Ryzom.
Tried: WoW, Shadowbane, Anarchy Online, Everquest, WWII Online, Planetside
Beta: Lotro, Tabula Rasa, WAR.
The U.S., no offence, is not the only location of the recession.
Ofcourse it isn't but since I live there I can only relate to what is happening there at the moment.
As a lot of people are saying, it's a matter of perception and priorities. When compared to many other forms of entertainment, mmo's are a bargain. 15 bucks a month for access nearly 24 hours a day is actually not bad. That is less than the cost of two evening movie tickets. Or as stated above, a pizza. So if you're really concerned about making the sub fee, just take a look at your daily expenses. For example I used to stop at 7-11 every morning and buy a frappacino. At two bucks each, five days a week, you have 10 bucks a week. That's 40 bucks a month, enough for two mmo subs. I hit the snack machine at work for about two bucks a day. Again, that works out to about 40 a month. Once I did the math like that I started doing things like buying a box of candy bars and a case of water at the store. Then I take a candy bar and a water to work with me. This cuts out my need to hit up the snack machine. After adding it up, it cut my price by at least half. The moral of the story is that "afford" is a relative term. I live paycheck to paycheck, if I wanted more money I could have it. But I like having internet, xbox live, my girlfriend's WoW sub, Netflix, and premium movie channels. If push comes to shove I can trim a couple of those things. But I'm enjoying myself each month, so I roll with it.
Well gotta agree with most other posters here. Fifteen bucks a month is relatively a small amount of cash. What is that...a cost of a couple beers at the pub? But why post here about that...? Are you trying to have us convince you that it is well worth the money to play?
Sounds to me like the OP is more interested in his social life and RL fun at the moment to bother with MMOs. Why not just simply take time off from MMOs untill you are ready to settle down and have the time/money to play? Not like you will really be missing much....come back in 2010 and maybe we'll have a decent MMO to play..=P
I cant but its because I have no job. Before posting this eliminate the drinking is needed to socialize part from your life and you will find the $15 monthly for the game. Get a girlfriend willing to go third base with you to get laid or even home base then beer will not be necessary.
People say drunks make normal hard choices easy like going to bed with the wrong gender.
Man, I havent read pass the title. But anyone saying they cant afford it is god damn stupid. 15$ is one dinner. Skip a dinner per month and you can afford it.
Im so tired of stupid people.
-------------------------------------
Before: developers loved games and made money.
Now: developers love money and make games.
15€ or like isn't too much per month realy.
It all depends on what you spend money. Probaly quite a lot could be trimmed down, if you wanted. Could easily cut it down, I could eat cheaper take-out food (from 12.20 to 8-3,5). On other hand I don't have much problems even at my current income level(about 250€ a month(and some savings) and some cash from parents for food and recreation(also this is Finland which isn't the cheapest country to live in...). Also, this might be due me being somewhat asocial...
Personaly I have start loosing intrest in MMORPGs more of burden than entertaiment, still now one beta is quite entertaining and it's free...
I guess I should never move to the U.K. I don't drink so I'd never get any action.
Seriously though if a $15/mo MMO subscription is seen as a critical spending decision you have bigger problems to solve.
That way, if he gets angry, he's a mile away and barefoot.
Some people have no job so 50 cents a day would be a luxury for them.
Get a quarter off 2 random strangers every day, and you've got your MMO paid.
It must suck to live in Europe. Maybe you should contact your representative and tell them to lower your taxes.
$15 dollars could buy me over a month's worth of food here (Top Ramen FTW)
Damn, I really wish I'd done the same. I actually wasted my time reading the whole damn thread.
$15/month? Please. You don't even have to skip freaking food to accomodate that.
Oh, and to the guy saying you have to play 24/7 to make the $15 not feel "wasted", what? Compare the time to cost ratio for the entertainment an MMO gives. Go to a movie, you're spending $10-15 per person easy, if you buy any food or drink especially. That's 2 hours, if the movie runs longer than average anymore. So you can play your MMO for 2 hours, and it's as cost-effective as a movie outing (speaking of which, there's gas involved to get there). If you really want to break it down, MMOs in their current form cost subscribers less than $.03 per hour counting every hour in the day. If you play 2 hours per day it costs $.25. Yeah, a quarter per hour. That's a whopping $.50 per hour, if you play one hour per day. Did you buy a USA Today? Buy a coke from a drink machine? Did you smoke 2-3 cigs today (yeah, smokes for premium brands are between $4-5 now)?
Actually, it's SHOCKING how cheap games are still. I remember SNES games running $30-50 almost 20 years ago. The prices are not really different anymore. Given what games offer these days, it's even more shocking, especially given inflation over the past 20 years. Amazing to think that gaming is the one thing that's not really scaled in cost through the years. I say be grateful that PC games are only $50 with a $15/month, because in all reality it's amazing they've stayed as cheap as they are, given rising costs everywhere else.
"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it."
George Bernard Shaw
What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
Oscar Wilde
Wow, there are some real soon to be disallusioned people in this thread.
$15 a month is rather significant for some and insignificant for others. Insulting someone because they are questioning the value of subscription fees is ridiculous and childish.
My fiance was laid off two months ago and my contracts have been steadily reducing since last year. I can afford to pay $15 a month for numerous subscriptions, but the day my fiance was laid off I became a lot pickier and cancelled all but one subscription. $15 may not seem like a lot of cash to everyone, but considering how many MMO players have multiple subscriptions it all adds up fast.
If nothing else then the not so stellar economy is a good excuse to start demanding higher quality games for the same subscription fee. Almost every company seems to think they can release crap and charge us $50 for the box and $15 a month and that needs to change if we want to see worthwhile MMOs developed.