MMOs: Are the Fees Worth It?

About.com's gaming site has an interesting article about the relative hourly value of MMOs compared to other forms of entertainment. It's provocative considering the number of people who refuse to "pay to play".

Subscription-based MMOGs typically sell for between $40 and $60, provide one month of access with the game, and charge $10-$15 per month after that. You won't find many people who play for less than 10 hours a week, so the first month may cost upwards of 1 dollar an hour, but after that they're paying under 50 cents an hour, or a fraction of that if they play more regularly. It's also common for MMOG players to stay with one game for months or even years, rather than buying a new game every month or two, which makes a monthly subscription a bargain in some cases.

Versus Movies

Going out to watch a film on the big screen is hard to compare to gaming, but the finances of it are pretty straightfoward. 2 hours of entertainment for a minimum of about $10 plus popcorn. Live performances such as plays and concerts tend to be considerably more expensive. If you rent a movie and watch it at home the cost drops to as little as a couple dollars an hour, bringing it within range of certain types of gaming.

Versus Television

With a good antenna most people can enjoy television for free. If the crystal clear reception and selection that comes with cable is desired, the going rate is somewhere near $50 per month. Given the tremendous amounts of time people spend in front of the TV, this is another very affordable kind of entertainment costing well under 50 cents an hour for most of us.

Thanks to MMOsite.com for the heads up.

Head to the link above for the rest of the article.

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