How long until you feel you got your money's worth

[Sparkster]

I haven't been doing much in the way of accumulating lately, but more trying to play some of the games I *do* have. Naturally, some games just plain suck, and you don't want to keep playing them.

How much time and effort do you put into a game before determining that you've gotten your money's worth?

[NytroSkull7]

I haven't been doing much in the way of accumulating lately, but more trying to play some of the games I *do* have. Naturally, some games just plain suck, and you don't want to keep playing them.

How much time and effort do you put into a game before determining that you've gotten your money's worth?

I only buy what i know i want, so as soon as they put it in my hands

[mnbren05]

Depends if its something like Army of Two I can rent and beat in a single day, then making through it in a few hours at the price of 3.99 is worth it. However, games like GTA IV and sandboxes tend to be more of until I get tired of running from the police, jumping cars, and trying to collect the in game extras. Also, the how quickly I can play through a game and trade it in for max credit factor into some games too.

[murdoc rose]

when i check it off in my dp guide

[guitargary75]

when i check it off in my dp guide

Same here.

[carlcarlson]

Yeah, I don't pay for games so once it's looking pretty on the shelf it is worth it.

[SpaceHarrier]

$2 an hour until I hit the price of the game. Unless it is multi-player, like a fighting game; OR an arcade conversion. Then it is based on total plays converted to average arcade cost-per-play until I reach the retail cost.

So $35 for Pokemon Pearl = 17 hours of game-time needed to justify ownership. Already put in 45+ hours, so I'm happy.

Raiden Project was $40 after shipping = 160 continues (25 cents average per credit for this one, if I remember correctly) to get "money's worth". Sadly, I think I reached this summit on my first play-through.

I haven't really developed a time-frame for achieving this, it's just something I came up with so I could curb my habit of game hoarding. Granted, I don't sit there with fighting games keeping a tally of every fight, it's just an estimate. I am sure Soul Calibur 3 exceeded it's value, but I doubt Neo Geo Battle Colliseum ever will... I use this when considering future titles.

[josekortez]

I don't get my money's worth out of most of my games, but only because they usually end up in an unplayed pile for months to years on end.

[Wraith Storm]

How much time and effort do you put into a game before determining that you've gotten your money's worth?

Well, it all comes down to "If I enjoyed the game".

Honestly. I bought Beyond Shadowgate for the Turbo Duo about 6 years ago. I paid around $115.00 for it and only played for a weekend. I got stuck about half way through the game and couldn't figure out what to do next. But you know what??? Even though I shelled out a ton of cash, didn't finish the game, and only played it for a few days... I was thourally entertained while I played it and feel that I easily got my moneys worth.

Then a game like Final Fantasy X comes along...... I love FF games. I love 1,5,6,7, and even moments of 8. Although I thought 9 was pretty much crap , I decided to try X after hearing so much about it.

I got FF X used for $9.99 and it took me ::boots up PS2 and checks memory card:: 76 hors to beat it. And you know what? I HATED EVERY BIT OF IT! I kept playing however thinking to myself "it must get better" afterall the critics and fans alike praised it. But once the credits rolled I realized I had wasted 76 hours of my life and I told my self I would NEVER play a new FF game again. So far I have held true to this.

Even though I payed chump change for FF X compared to Beyond Shadowgate and got MUCH more play time out of it, I didn't get my moneys worth, because I simply didn't enjoy it.

All in all if I TRULY enjoy a game for 1 hour or for 1 year, then it was worth it to me regardless of cost.

[G-Boobie]

Yeah, I'm far from original in this regard it seems, but I judge getting my moneys worth by how entertained I am for however long I play it, whether I beat it or not. Of course, the game has to be GOOD, or I put it on the shelf and never look at it again... If a game doesn't grab me in the first hour or so, it probably isn't going to. For those games, I never really recoup my money.

I've been playing Ninja Gaiden II for maybe six hours now since release, and even though I rage quit an hour or so ago and haven't beaten it yet, I've already gotten my moneys worth just for the fight against the two hundred ninjas in chapter ten. That was a gaming experience well worth the price of admission.

Same goes for Nocturne. It took me a year and a half on and off to finally beat it. Very satisfying.

[James8BitStar]

Well, it all comes down to "If I enjoyed the game".

Same here.


I got FF X used for $9.99 and it took me ::boots up PS2 and checks memory card:: 76 hors to beat it. And you know what? I HATED EVERY BIT OF IT! I kept playing however thinking to myself "it must get better" afterall the critics and fans alike praised it.

This is why I don't trust the critics. They always praise shit and lambast good games. It's like a reverse Darwinism.

[Sparkster]

I haven't really developed a time-frame for achieving this, it's just something I came up with so I could curb my habit of game hoarding. Granted, I don't sit there with fighting games keeping a tally of every fight, it's just an estimate. I am sure Soul Calibur 3 exceeded it's value, but I doubt Neo Geo Battle Colliseum ever will... I use this when considering future titles.

Exactly why I'm asking. Just something where I can say, ok enough of this suckfest, I'm satisfied that I gave it enough of a go to justify having spent my money.

[Sudo]

As long as I like the game, I feel like I've gotten my money's worth.

[AllSchoolGamer]

hmm depends really...if i keep coming back to it like i do with a lot of older games or if i get enough hours up on it (eg gta series or oblivion[220+ hours for oblivion btw...i spent the first 2 weeks wandering the landscape looting mines and ruins and what not.]) but mainly if i enjoy it cause now im trying to collect these things once i buy em i keep em forever.

[jcalder8]

I normally look at the price and figure out how many hours I've put into it and then take an average of the games that I buy and sell.

So game A cost 10 bucks and I loved it so I put in 40 hours
game B cost 30 but it sucked so I only put in 1 hour
game C cost 5 bucks but I only wanted it to sell for 25.

All this shit comes down to......
who cares I got a couple of games I didn't own before.


Seriously I compare it to movies. A movie costs about $12 to see for 2 hours. If I can pick up a $10 game if I play it for more than 2 hours it's a better deal than going to see a movie.

[Fuzzball24]

When I beat every little bit of a it. 100% complete, everything unlocked (with a few exceptions of some crap-tastic titles and ultra hard games). Then, I feel satisfied with improving my gaming skills and I feel that I got my money's worth out of it.@_@

[Steven]

I haven't been doing much in the way of accumulating lately, but more trying to play some of the games I *do* have. Naturally, some games just plain suck, and you don't want to keep playing them.

How much time and effort do you put into a game before determining that you've gotten your money's worth?


For me it boils down to the thought of "Can I walk away from this game now having some sort of 'final score'?" If the answer's yes, I feel I've gotten my money's worth, whether I spent $5 or $55. I like to play games to the point where if I don't beat them, I at least get far enough in the game to give it a final overall rating in my head. I try to beat the game, if not, I try to at least see 3/4 the game. I also feel it's my duty as a game reviewer to do so. It irks me when people review a game they have only seen or experience 10% to 25% of. How can you accurately judge a game based on such short invested time? The best reviews come from those dedicated reviewers who have seen a game through and through.

[DeputyMoniker]

Yeah, I don't pay for games so once it's looking pretty on the shelf it is worth it.

What does that mean?

[namzep]

For me, it's almost random whether I feel I've gotten good value for the money I payed for a game. My boxed NES games, even though I have yet to play any of them, are worth it to me just for asthetic appeal. My 3DO games I consider a waste, even having played some of them a decent amount, because they don't look that great (I had CD jewel cases) and really weren't that fun.