Video games are fun, entertaining, and are one of my favorite hobbies. Unfortunately, video games are one of the most expensive hobbies to have. In this blog, I will look at expenses strictly from the viewpoint of someone who uses Xbox 360 for their gaming.
If you are just starting out, or if your Xbox dies for the 5th time, you will need a new console. Consoles range in price. For a refurbished Xbox 360, you will pay around $179.99 pre-tax. If you want the new Gears of War 3 ultimate bundle, it has an asking price of $629.99 at Game-stop. http://www.gamestop.com/xbox-360/consoles/gears-of-war-3-ultimate-bundle/93168 This bundle comes with an assortment of things that are completely unnecessary.
The next thing you will need is a game and a controller. A wireless xbox 360 controller goes for $49.99. A new Xbox game goes for $59.99. You can also buy used games for slightly cheaper which vary depending on popularity and age of the game.
If you are looking for an online experience to play with your friends or to see how good you are at Call of Duty, you will need an internet connection (approximately $40 to $80 a month depending on your service provider) and a Microsoft Gold Membership. The Gold Membership, the only way you can play online, ranges from $24.99 to $54.99 depending on 3 month or 1 year subscriptions. If you buy one year, it is much cheaper than buying 3 month subscriptions 4 times. Another problem for online gamers is the ability to connect to the internet. I have many friends who will not run a 300ft ethernet cable from their bedroom to their wireless network router, so they are forced to buy the "wireless network adapter". This costs anywhere from $50 used to $80-$90 new.
The problem with the video games as a hobby, is it is very expensive. I however, have started questioning why things are so expensive. With licensing and fees and disc production, it is feasible that a game can cost $55-$65 dollars. I do not believe however that a controller should be $50 and that a wireless adapter should be almost $100, when a regular wireless adapter for home computer use will run from $25 - $55 and does essentially the same thing. Microsoft requiring payment for online use is another hit to the avid video game fan. Sony offers their service for free and they are doing very well, which makes me start to feel that Microsoft is in it to take every dollar from the consumer they can get their hands on.
After analyzing the costs of merchandise and games and online access, I came across several articles about new "elite" gaming subscriptions. Some game companies are now planning on creating elite monthly memberships for online games such as Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 which will soon be released. http://www.mw3info.com/mw3-subscription-fee/
Another aspect of the price of gaming online is "one time activation." When you get a new game that has online capability, you receive an access code which lets you access online content and play online. For example, when I purchased the new Mortal Kombat for 360, It came with a code that I entered online. This is not a problem until you get to the secondary used game market. If you were to buy my used copy of MK, you would have to pay for another activation code. This in turn creates more profit for the gaming industry and more frustration and expenses for the gamer.
It is my belief that all of this expensive extra content, most of which is useless, is making the consumer weary of their spending on video games. It is definitely changing my view of the video game industry from one that puts out excellent entertainment to one that is purely driven by profit and could care less about the consumer. If you take an interest in video games and are thinking about making it a regular hobby, be ready for a hit to your checking account.
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