Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Are MMOs the most expensive genre?

TheScavengerTheScavenger Member EpicPosts: 3,321
edited September 2017 in The Pub at MMORPG.COM
Are MMOs the most expensive genre?

Look at GW2, BDO or many MMOs. You can spend 1000s or more on the cash shops in each MMO. Star Citizen you can spend 10s of thousands if not 100 thousand or more on various ships and bonuses.

In the years I've played WoW+buying WoW expansions, I could have bought hundreds of steam games (even more if wait on sales)

Now look at a game like Skyrim Special Edition. Ignoring the paid mods they put back in that you can freely ignore...buy game+ALL expansions for 60 dollars. Countless mods for free on Nexus adding immense amount of content...for the low price of 60 dollar one time payment. Cheaper on steam sales.

I've probably spent over 5,000 dollars on WoW, with some cash shop items (pets), collector edition expansions AND monthly payment...think of how many games I could have bought instead for that price or even a brand new, top of the line PC.

Are MMOs actually the most expensive gaming genre to take part in if you want to experience the whole game and have ALL the content?

It didn't used to be that way btw. I played Asheron's Call AND Ultima Online at the same time...was very cheap. AC was 10 dollars a month, think UO was the same, get ALL content, and no cash shop to spend 1000s of dollars on. Old MMOs were very cheap compared to even the new "free" MMOs today since you weren't locked out of content or items if you wanted 100% of everything the MMO had to offer.

When did MMOs become such an expensive gaming genre to be a part of? Was it after WoW or was it happening before that?

My Skyrim, Fallout 4, Starbound and WoW + other game mods at MODDB: 

https://www.moddb.com/mods/skyrim-anime-overhaul



Excession
«1

Comments

  • EldurianEldurian Member EpicPosts: 2,736
    edited September 2017
    If measuring by mean spending or top amounts spent it's going to be cash shop games. This includes most MMOs but also most phone games and a handful of other titles. If measuring median spending it's probably going to be subscription games, and most subscription based games are MMOs.

    So depending your mode of measurement MMOs have either always been expensive or became expensive with the cash shop wave.
    immodiummaskedweasel
  • postlarvalpostlarval Member EpicPosts: 2,003

    When did MMOs become such an expensive gaming genre to be a part of? Was it after WoW or was it happening before that?
    They're only as expensive as you make them, like with any hobby.
    KyleranMrMelGibson
    ______________________________________________________________________
    ~~ postlarval ~~

  • Scientist86Scientist86 Member CommonPosts: 1
    edited October 2017
    Well said, I'm playing the Path of Exile sometimes and I spent only a few dollars on Exalted Orbs (I wanted, but I did not have), but my friend spends a lot of money on the orbs.  Mhmmm maybe some day you'll buy Exalted orbs, so best it's buy here https://odealo.com/games/path-of-exile/
    Post edited by Scientist86 on
  • PhryPhry Member LegendaryPosts: 11,004
    MMO's don't tend to be all that expensive, the goal after all is to keep players playing, and paying, long term, though lately the exception to this seems to be those games that are F2P and then it becomes very expensive as paywalls and content accessed only through microtransactions, and a whole raft of other cash shop 'incentives' really do add up.
  • AnthurAnthur Member UncommonPosts: 961
    For me they are the cheapest genre. I only need one great MMO and that's it. Only since most MMOs suck I spent more and more money on short lived single player games. Which is much more expensive than a monthly subscription. I usually spent next to no money in cash shops. If the cash shop is p2w I don't play the game anyway. And I don't care about costumes and stuff.
    Blaze_RockerMrMelGibsondeniter
  • Panther2103Panther2103 Member EpicPosts: 5,766
    To me it's not that expensive of a genre. Because I put in as much as I want to. In gaming you can spend ALOT in many different things. Look at Overwatch, or CSGO. In CSGO you can go buy a skin for a gun that is well over 1000 dollars of real money. Same idea with overwatch and spending 100's on lootboxes. I know people who have done that. 

    In terms of hobbies, even spending a lot on games it's still cheaper than a lot of hobbies. I've played tabletop Warhammer 40k and just getting a starter army that is somewhat decent costs 400+ dollars. Or Magic, I play magic and just the other day went to the card shop with a friend, who traded in 3 cards for in store credit, and got over 350 dollars. 3 cards. That's insane.
    MrMelGibson
  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,346
    The price tag isn't so much a function of the genre as it is of the business model and how willing you are to be a whale.  There was a story a while back about how some guy embezzled millions and then spend about $1 million to try to "win" at some stupid pay to win mobile game.
    MrMelGibson
  • IceAgeIceAge Member EpicPosts: 3,115

    I've probably spent over 5,000 dollars on WoW, with some cash shop items (pets), collector edition expansions AND monthly payment...think of how many games I could have bought instead for that price or even a brand new, top of the line PC.

    13x12x15 = 2340$ for WoW monthly payment since WoW launched ( 13 years ago ) + 6 ( expansions ) x .. 60$ = 360$ . 

    So we have 2340+360 = 2700 USD 

    So , it would cost you around 2700 USD if you played WoW from the beginnings, up until .. now ( which I doubt you did this ) .

    Now, IF you really spent 2700 USD for monthly fees and expansions ( which again, I doubt ) , the rest up until , and I quote you , "over 5,000 dollars" , are your own fucking problem. 

    Now, if ...15-17$ per month , for gaming, you find to0 expensive, then .. go play Solitaire or something.

    And no , no other game can compete with WoW in terms of content. Be it Single Player games , MMO's, etc. 

    About the .. "but .. I could of bought a new PC for that money , or many other games". Well , you didn't. You like(d) WoW, so you did what you though to be, the right thing to do at that time. 

    Stop crying. 
    PhryExcession

    Reporter: What's behind Blizzard success, and how do you make your gamers happy?
    Blizzard Boss: Making gamers happy is not my concern, making money.. yes!

  • TheScavengerTheScavenger Member EpicPosts: 3,321
    IceAge said:

    I've probably spent over 5,000 dollars on WoW, with some cash shop items (pets), collector edition expansions AND monthly payment...think of how many games I could have bought instead for that price or even a brand new, top of the line PC.

    13x12x15 = 2340$ for WoW monthly payment since WoW launched ( 13 years ago ) + 6 ( expansions ) x .. 60$ = 360$ . 

    So we have 2340+360 = 2700 USD 

    So , it would cost you around 2700 USD if you played WoW from the beginnings, up until .. now ( which I doubt you did this ) .

    Now, IF you really spent 2700 USD for monthly fees and expansions ( which again, I doubt ) , the rest up until , and I quote you , "over 5,000 dollars" , are your own fucking problem. 

    Now, if ...15-17$ per month , for gaming, you find to0 expensive, then .. go play Solitaire or something.

    And no , no other game can compete with WoW in terms of content. Be it Single Player games , MMO's, etc. 

    About the .. "but .. I could of bought a new PC for that money , or many other games". Well , you didn't. You like(d) WoW, so you did what you though to be, the right thing to do at that time. 

    Stop crying. 
    Well I didn't do the math, I just said "probably" over 5,000. I've bought every collectors edition (which is more than 60, I think they were like 100 each dunno) and every pet in the cash shop. 

    People have spent far more than that in BDO/Archeage and many cash shop focused MMOs. Even EVE Online, someone spent a huge amount of money to boost his character. I'd have to find the article on it, but he spent quite a lot to max out all his skills or whatever it was. And people send way more than I did on WoW for Star Citizen, and that game isn't even out. 

    I still love MMOs, but it is definitely an expensive hobby in the gaming genre if you want 100% of everything possible in the MMO. In a singleplayer game, you get 100% of everything for 60 dollars or whatever it comes out to. In old MMOs, that used to be the same too.

    Even anarchy online as another example...you got 100% of all content, you didn't need to buy a bunch of cosmetics or items to get all the content within the game.

    Which is the point, in a singleplayer game you get all content (except bethesda's new paid mods), in an MMO you need to pay to get all content.

    Hopefully pantheon does away with the cash shop approach and make it like old MMOs where you didn't get nickel and dimed for every tiny thing.

    I remember in LOTRO, you would get so many pop ups that say "Press this huge annoying button to unlock this for 2 dollars". or whatever the amount was.
    Excession

    My Skyrim, Fallout 4, Starbound and WoW + other game mods at MODDB: 

    https://www.moddb.com/mods/skyrim-anime-overhaul



  • TheScavengerTheScavenger Member EpicPosts: 3,321
    edited October 2017
    Like, right now I'm playing BDO. Its a lot of fun. But it really spams you with buttons to buy stuff in the cash shop lol. It makes people forced to use the cash shop to make the button to go away. Since starting from level 5, I keep getting spammed in BDO with a button saying "buy a pet! it makes the game easier!" or something like that. It makes people who are addicted to the MMO spend more money because the game uses sorta subtle (the button is pretty obvious though) means to get people to pay. 

    At least GW2 never had anything annoying like that lol. But, the ones in BDO flash at you randomly, or otherwise it wouldn't be annoying lol

    (edit:

    It is the persons choice though, @IceAge you are right about that. But that doesn't mean MMOs aren't expensive if you want to enjoy ALL content without being locked out or nerfed for not paying.
    Excession

    My Skyrim, Fallout 4, Starbound and WoW + other game mods at MODDB: 

    https://www.moddb.com/mods/skyrim-anime-overhaul



  • WizardryWizardry Member LegendaryPosts: 19,332
    MMO's are most certainly in the upper echelon of cost to make but it is possible to build a more costly single player game.Example FFVII cost more than many mmo's and that was many years ago.I am sure several modern day single player games also cost a lot more than some MMO's but normally a MMO would cost more,all depends on the developer,if they are willing to put in the same effort as some of those high cost single player games.

    Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.

  • CryomatrixCryomatrix Member EpicPosts: 3,223
    I wonder how much the servers cost just to maintain the population. I'd gander that MMO's are probably the most expensive, but it may depend on how original you want it to be and if you are creating your own engine. 

    Cryomatrix
    Catch me streaming at twitch.tv/cryomatrix
    You can see my sci-fi/WW2 book recommendations. 
  • rodarinrodarin Member EpicPosts: 2,611
    not even close. Console games cost 50 (and thats a cheap one) + a pop I dont play console so not sure but I would say the average console game is 65-70 bucks now and theyre most all 'beatable' which means you 'win' and youre done.
    Excession
  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 43,373
    edited October 2017
    rodarin said:
    not even close. Console games cost 50 (and thats a cheap one) + a pop I dont play console so not sure but I would say the average console game is 65-70 bucks now and theyre most all 'beatable' which means you 'win' and youre done.
    Agreed, when I played single player games I budgeted for at least one new game every month.

    At $50 a throw that was $600 a year. MMORPGs were far less expensive as it was less than $250 a year even with expansions factored in.


    Excession

    "True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde 

    "I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant

    Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm

    Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

    Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™

    "This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon






  • Quizar1973Quizar1973 Member UncommonPosts: 251
    In my opinion MMOs were more expensive before WOW....There was no FTP...Everything was Subscriptions plus Buy Expantions....Just my opinion though
    No one shall Rent space in my head!!!!!  B)
  • EldurianEldurian Member EpicPosts: 2,736
    Kyleran said:
    rodarin said:
    not even close. Console games cost 50 (and thats a cheap one) + a pop I dont play console so not sure but I would say the average console game is 65-70 bucks now and theyre most all 'beatable' which means you 'win' and youre done.
    Agreed, when I played single player games I budgeted for at least one new game every month.

    At $50 a throw that was $600 a year. MMORPGs were far less expensive as it was less than $250 a year even with expansions factored in.

    This is completely contrary to how I played games before I got into MMOs. I wouldn't just beat the games, I would explore them and do tons of side content. When I got into online multiplayer games I would spend months to years playing them online. 

    Honestly how I played games pre-MMO compared to how I play games post MMO isn't very different other than that these days if I do pick up a single player title, I blast through it until I beat the campaign and then either play it online (If that is an option) or toss it aside. I'll no longer invest hundreds of hours into any game without a social aspect.
  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441
    Nah, Smurf village ain't a MMO and some small kids spent over $5000 each in it. 

    The answer is that F2P games is the most expensive to play if you buy a lot of crap in them but if they are MMOs or not doesn't really matter. There certainly have been some MMO s people put a lot of money into like Star citizen. It is the entire payment model that focuses on whales.

    MMOs are the most expensive games to make in general though even if a few other games have been expensive as well. An average AAA MMO have cost at least $60M and that for a long while.

    As for BDO and GW2 as OP mentioned I guess you could put an insane amount of money into it but I feel that after a few hundred bucks you probably wouldn't know what more stuff you need.

    Take GW2 for instance, you might want to buy a few bankslots, a couple of char slots and some bag spaces but after that the only thing I can think of to put a large amount of money into would be if you wanted to exchange enough gold for a legendary weapon. You could certainly pay a few hundred bucks for that but if you played Wow those 5 years it would probably still amount to a similar sum.

    For instance Wow + expansions is at least as expensive as GW2 + expansions. 5 years times $15 a months is $900 and don't forget that Wow sells a few things as well like mounts. I doubt many people spent that much in GW2 even if they are whales, maybe someone who wants a legendary for each his characters and a lot of other stuff but it would be extremely rare.

    MMOs is certainly not the cheapest games to play but anything with any kind of RMT/cash shop will be extremely expensive if you are a whale.
  • KnightFalzKnightFalz Member EpicPosts: 4,109
    MMORPGs with cash shops are as expensive as you want to make them.

    It is not a genre thing, but a personal one.
  • ConstantineMerusConstantineMerus Member EpicPosts: 3,338
    Games with higher maintenance costs have to allow their members to spend as much as they can. 

    Those with lower entry cost, f2p, have to go more ballistics. Imagine yourself in their shoes: if you have a customer who wants to spend 5 digits in your shop, would you limit them? 

    What matters is your target audience and how much do you want to make from average member, because your game has to remain fair to them. 

    I tend to stay away from MMOs that I have to spend +$100 a month to remain in the "fair" group, even if it is cosmetics only. And I spend much more on single player games and other hobbies. I do prefer for that fee to remain a solid $15 per month because more people would remain in the fair group and that would result in a better virtual world to be a part of.
    Constantine, The Console Poster

    • "One of the most difficult tasks men can perform, however much others may despise it, is the invention of good games and it cannot be done by men out of touch with their instinctive selves." - Carl Jung
  • CleffyCleffy Member RarePosts: 6,412
    Based on revenue. MMORPGs are the most expensive game. But this is more due to retaining the length of time the player is with the game. On a per month average, MMORPG players spend less than other typical gamers. It's just that the money is all directed at one source instead of multiple. 
    F2P games can be bad at this, and you should always remember to play in moderation and don't spend money you don't have as with anything that costs money in life. We seem to think whales are some dope who spends all there money on a game, but to me they are people who already have the money to waste on virtual stuff. Sure their presence negatively affects the balance and motive of the developer, but who am I to say how they waste their money.
  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383
    I’d say most expensive genre goes to simulators. It’s easy to drop some serious money on all the peripherals and software.

    MMOs -not by a long shot. Easy to spend a lot more inside of an hour at a quarter slot arcade than I spend in a month on a handful of game subs.

    Cash shops don’t make games expensive — a lack of self control is what makes it expensive. And that can occur with anything, cash shop or otherwise. 
    Mendel
  • MendelMendel Member LegendaryPosts: 5,609
    Ridelynn said:
    I’d say most expensive genre goes to simulators. It’s easy to drop some serious money on all the peripherals and software.

    MMOs -not by a long shot. Easy to spend a lot more inside of an hour at a quarter slot arcade than I spend in a month on a handful of game subs.

    Cash shops don’t make games expensive — a lack of self control is what makes it expensive. And that can occur with anything, cash shop or otherwise. 
    I think I'd add strategy games, especially those by Paradox.  Try picking up a copy of Europa Universalis IV -- too much DLC.  But simulators are pretty expensive, mostly on peripherals rather than the base game.

    I definitely agree with the self-control statement.  That's why I believe Smarties to be the most expensive candy.

    Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.

  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441
    Games with higher maintenance costs have to allow their members to spend as much as they can. 

    Those with lower entry cost, f2p, have to go more ballistics. Imagine yourself in their shoes: if you have a customer who wants to spend 5 digits in your shop, would you limit them? 

    What matters is your target audience and how much do you want to make from average member, because your game has to remain fair to them. 

    I tend to stay away from MMOs that I have to spend +$100 a month to remain in the "fair" group, even if it is cosmetics only. And I spend much more on single player games and other hobbies. I do prefer for that fee to remain a solid $15 per month because more people would remain in the fair group and that would result in a better virtual world to be a part of.
    There are 2 ways to handle high maintenance costs: few people paying much or many people paying not so much.

    Games that go for the first tend to have a rather limited number of players and more then a few whales jump games every few months so a game like that tend to get in lots of money just after launch while going into the same mode that Vanguard and SWG had the last few years they were running: few players and few updates.

    Being too expensive just isn't a good business model for most games and we seen some of them being forced to lowering their fees to survive.

    P2P without cashshop and B2P with a limited cashshop that sells cosmetic and convinience items are the the right way to go if you want long term success in the west. More people paying less is safer then depending on a few people paying a lot.

    But long and short term fun is even more important, if your game doesn't have both of those it doesn't matter what model you have, it will fade away anyways.
  • MikeBMikeB Community ManagerAdministrator RarePosts: 6,555
    Cut the witch hunting. If you feel someone is in violation of our RoC (e.g. multiple accounts), report it and move on. Stay on topic, folks.
    ConstantineMerus
  • ConstantineMerusConstantineMerus Member EpicPosts: 3,338
    MikeB said:
    Cut the witch hunting. If you feel someone is in violation of our RoC (e.g. multiple accounts), report it and move on. Stay on topic, folks.
    I love the fact that you removed my comment about why should my comment be removed. Never once in my life anyone had ever took my opinion oh so literally! <3 Loved it :blush:
    Constantine, The Console Poster

    • "One of the most difficult tasks men can perform, however much others may despise it, is the invention of good games and it cannot be done by men out of touch with their instinctive selves." - Carl Jung
Sign In or Register to comment.