Game Purchase Priorities (Or are Gamers Broke?)

[Keeper of Secrets]

I guess for me it has to do with this: Whereas I love reading gaming material, I am in a Mutants and Masterminds game on Saturdays and a D&D game on Wednesdays (that I don't run). How much use can I get out of product after product of say, d20 Modern? Sure, it might inspire me to run something or I could integrate it into a game I am already running but generally speaking, unless I want to run it at a con, one off, or something like that I would enjoy reading but the here's the rub:

I walk into a gaming store and see some nice stuff. I decide I MIGHT get to use it or MIGHT. As I pick it up and look at it, I also remember that I have some Christmas gifts to buy or maybe I want to buy some new clothes or am planning a vacation next month. So for some items in the RGP world, it is getting to be a harder and harder sell.

 

[Henry]

Cost-comparison-wise, gaming products have actually risen along with everything else. In truth, they are no more relatively expensive now than they were compared to other forms of entertainment ten or twenty years ago.

The trends you notice I think are due to several factors that have changed over the past ten years:

1) SRD's and digital piracy have disseminated mechanics content to a greater degree than was previously prevalent. OGL not only means the spread of rules, but the free distribution of mechanics, which most gamers (over 50%) seek over content.

2) The cost of living has taken a spike over the past two or three years which was delayed from a couple of years prior. Also, the segments of the populace that tend to game most (IT employees and related fields) were pretty hard-hit.

3) As internet communications facilitated mechanics dissemination and games dissemination, it also affected communication between gamers. those sections who were most rabid purchasers of gaming product were also the most likely to be internet users, and most likely to pay attentions to reviews, word of mouth, etc. individual gaming groups are MUCH more likely to relate information between each other now than before, making word of mouth even more important than before.

That's just my take on it. For a number of reasons, gaming purchases in the populace slack off, and I think price not as relevant as it appears. What's happened is that those who will CONTINUE their luxury purchases, will do so regardless of price, within reason. For someone who was fine with paying $20.00, 29.95 will not likely deter them, because $20 is still slightly above "impulse buy" level.

 

[Janx]

Henry's assessment is pretty fair.

Though I too tend to think these products should cost less.

Basically, all this technology and stuff is supposed to lower the production costs. It is NOT supposed to cost more to make a book now, than it did in the '80s. We have better/faster/cheaper equipment.

The move to pre-painted plastic minis demonstrates this. We can have production facilities do all the work that used to be done by hand for less. (albeit, not as nicely painted)

Now music CDs and the gaming industry have a commonality. The CD technology was supposed to provide cheaper music. The cost to make a music CD is far less than a cassette. Yet we still pay more for CD than we do cassette.

Why isn't it? Because the companies realized that people WILL pay more for the same volume of product that they used to buy at the lower price. Basically, they've tuned their prices in better to what we'll spend.

Figure that in the old days, Gygax and others made enough to start a businesses off some low-volume, low-production game materials. Yet today, publishers have to charge $20-$40 for a product.

It's not that people won't pay the higher prices. It's it COULD be cheaper.

Janx

 

[Cerubus Dark]

I normally have about $200 a month to spend on gaming junk (yes thats the word I will use) I noticed I am getting more and more computer games and less D&D books, as of late I hate to say it but the quality of the books has gone way down hill for me. I don't know if I need to just say forget it and sell off all my D&D stuff or just take some longer period of time away from the game. There seems to be only 2 books coming in the next month that I want and thats the Ebberon Adventure book and the MM3. Other than that I want the D&D box set and new figures for the diffrent war games I play.

I don't know, I don't even have the energy for those anymore either. Too tired lately.

 

[JDJarvis]

in the old days, Gygax and others made enough to start a businesses off some low-volume, low-production game materials. Yet today, publishers have to charge $20-$40 for a product.

It's not that people won't pay the higher prices. It's it COULD be cheaper.

Janx

Modern $20-$40 products these days equate to the cost $7.00 to $15.50 products in 1979 based on cover costs only.

 

[diaglo]

Modern $20-$40 products these days equate to the cost $7.00 to $15.50 products in 1979 based on cover costs only.

i complained about the high cost of products back then and i still do today.



i didn't go to Gen Con this year due to cost. i thought i was going to England for my Gram's B-day.. but couldn't afford it with the Pound and Euro so strong.

so i thot i'd make it to Gen Con.. well other things came up... i'm now spending bucks on my house instead.

next year. i'm going next year.

i spend about $10 at least every time i set foot in a FLGS. that is my impulse limit.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Thanks for the respones so far. I have to admit that looking at some of them, I realize I do follow a few of the patterns.

For example, it's true, the more I have, the less I need. This isn't like some console game where once I 'beat' it, I need another one.

Cost of living has hit me. Rent, gas, and groceries have all sapped away at free cash. Didn't realize how much until I started doing a little math. The cost of miniatures has continued to shoot up too but I still manage to get a few of these.

Time is another thing I have less of. When doing the Ennies, I was amazed at how long it takes to read and read and read. Something on t.v.? Watch it latter. Good movie at the show? Go latter. With so many of the books out now being larger, I'm less willing to take the time to investigate them unless it's something I'm dying to read (Black Company and Thieves World are about the only two products now that I'm anxious to see.)

 

[RFisher]

Roleplaying books are a great value for your entertainment dollar...yadda...yadda...yadda.

Want to sell me your book? Don't tell me what a great value it is. Price it low enough that I don't have an excuse to not buy it.

& if you did look at the amount of money I spend on other avenues of entertainment, you might be surprised at how little I spend.

& yeah, my own personal economy isn't currently as robust as previous years.

I'm not complaining, though. I'm happy not to buy your book & have some extra cash to splurge on a diet wrecking Krispy Kreme.

 

[jester47]

I am getting fed up with keeping up. I am very close to being done with purchases. Then its just modules I make and buy. I have an opinion about everything, and lots of stuff that people think is really great I will shoot out of the sky and never use. I keep saying "I almost have the game I want to play." A few more supplements and I am there. There really is not much I can justify spending on. I think I am floating at about $50 to $100 a month.

I dunno. I have reached the point of too much I think. I am looking for tools more now than anything.

When I get back home I will post an update with what I am about to buy.

Aaron.

 

[diaglo]

I'm happy not to buy your book & have some extra cash to splurge on a diet wrecking Krispy Kreme.

Hmmmmm... Dough nuts :drool: