I had to think long and hard about whether DDI was worth it for me... The main program I use is... Dungeon and Dragon magazines. I use the character builder once in a while and let my players use it as often as needed.
If the compendium had the rules in it instead of just stats I'd use that. (For example, I momentarily forgot what the "Grabbed" condition meant, and looked it up in the compendium... and got monsters + their "grabbed" abilities but no Grabbed condition) then my rules lawyer player looked it up. In the end the compendium remains unused... I have the PDFs
What else is there? the monster generator? Nah, I can make my own cool monsters without it. The encounter builder? Maybe if it let you print it out with the monster statblock attached. The ability generator? Doesn't one come with the character builder now?
I also took into account the exchange rate. Currantly our Canadian Paso is doing alright, but when I first subscribed we were doing a little bit better (I think it was almost even still... I can't remember though) But now... now its a whole $9.10 difference between the price I'm told and the price I pay.
On top of that, I don't own a real credit card. I was afraid to own one for most of my life and therefore have no credit rating, which means I've applied for and was denied every credit card out there (except for the security deposit credit cards, but those things scare me too... "So you're telling me I have to give you $300 for $300 credit? and if I use my card it costs some money, then you put interest on what I spend on the card, and if I don't pay back what I payed to use in the first place, you charge more... and then I can't make a cash withdraw from the credit card that I payed cash for permission to use? OOH SIGHN ME UP!"
So I have this security deposit credit card, which costs me $1.50 each time I use it, and $7.50 for each month I use it in. (But I pay to have the money in it up front, so don't pay interest on what I use Thank the Gods!).
Now, lets say I want to get the most out of my money and renew my subscription now, and add another year on it so I get to pay the introductory rate for the next 2 years instead of the new rate...
=$67.80 ($60+currant exchange rate)
+$1.50 (Use of my credit card for renewal)
+$1.50 (Use of my credit card for 2nd year)
+7.50 (Use of my credit card this month)
=$78.50 Canadian for the first year, the second year I'm intentionally leaving out for comparison purposes.
So lets call it $80 because I'm sure theres a hidden fee on my credit card somewhere that they're not telling me about
Is DDI worth $80 canadian?
Lets compare to another Vice of mine: City of Heroes
Now I've been playing the game for 3 and a half years, so lets write those years off as well as the initial cost, lets go straight to the yearly numbers.
12 month subscription to a fully rendered 3D game with access to 16 character types, and endless combinations of powers with expanding content (With no cost increases to the user)
$136 canadian
+$0 (they use paypal!)
Would I pay an extra $56 a year for the game table so I can play D&D with my friends? That is questionable... but quite posibly... if the published game modules came with it for free and were pre-rendered for you. IF they weren't (which is most likely) I'd be willing to pay posibly $24 more a year ($2 a month) OR $36 per year ($3/month) if I could let my friends play with me for free. *Based entirely on what I'm willing to pay... not a mathimatical formula.
So ultimately, Yes I'm willing to give up my money for continued use of DDI.
I do wish however that they WOULD do what they said they were going to do and make with the Game table already! I have friends in Edmonton, Ontario, and New Zealand that I realy want to play with!
... and please, PLEASE Wizards, for the love of Pelor, PLEASE get Paypal working with this, I'm begging you please make my DDI subscription not cost an extra $10.50! I know its not much to you, but it is to me!
(I think this is officially my longest
Rant post)