How much is too much?

[Colif]

How much would you spend on a Item in a game?

I just answered a post about buying a character in SW Galaxy of Heroes and just 1 character costs 18k to max out.
I know there are worse examples... Ships in Star Citizen are just silly. And phone games cost more still. Phone games are money pits.

I don't get it. You can't hold this thing, its gone once servers disappear... they will all go eventually.
No one items stands out to me as most expensive so I can't say how much I have spent myself but its not close to $100 for anything in a game.

People thought metaverse would let them swap bits around and keep them after game is gone. That was a pipe dream as games use different technology.
Metaverse would save all their stuff... it can't even save Meta.

 

[McStabStab]

Wellllll... I pay for new assets in city builders often so it probably comes out to a few bucks per asset. I paid extra to have Claire in the Elza Walker motorcycle suit and Leon to rock the Arklay Sheriff outfit in RE2. It's not out of the ordinary, but I've never splurged on gun skins for CS:GO or CoD. Never dropped money on Rocket League cars. I'd say if it's purely cosmetic, no more than $5 per asset depending on what it is.

 

[Colif]

That is sensible. I have probably spent more on mounts in games but this was 11 years ago when dlc was a new idea. The prices weren't that high to make me think it was too much. I don't think I have ever bought cosmetics in a game. Probably only other thing I would buy is storage space. Its been a while since I played a game (I could leave it there) that has a shop in it.

 

[Hitobat]

Well, just like gambling I would say "too much" is when it affects other factors in your life.
So basically if your spending goes outside the range of your disposable income, which is different for every person.

eg. Some people can afford a new car every month, so 18k to max out a character seems cheap in comparison for such people?

Meanwhile I enjoy a shop-bought coffee every day so I wouldn't mind spending a similar amount (eg £4) on game items. But maybe not more than once or twice a week.

Also I think you need to feel a tangible enjoyment for your purchase. eg. You unlocked a new game character, or a silly hat (assuming it makes you giggle or something as you play), or some extra levels etc to play in the case of DLC.
Conversely I think if you're buying stuff "because it's there" or "to get to 100%" or similar then I would say you're in that trap of gamification/monitization and you should think again.

 

[Colif]

i didn't really mean things like dlc that add new levels. Those are way more than just 1 item even if the things found in them might just be 1 weapon/armour/etc. Stages and Expansions are the sort of DLC I don't mind as unless its just a reskinned level from somewhere else, its something more to game.

 

[Alm]

I sometimes buy Hearthstone decks for £18. That's like once or twice a year. I'm finding I just play to complete my daily quests though now so I may wind it down altogether.

 

[Zloth]

I think I could conceivably pay $100 for an in-game item, but it would have to be something I really loved, and it would have to be in a game I planned to play for several months longer. If it were an MMO, I would start to worry about the bling factor, too. I don't want some item that doubles as bragging about how much money I can blow on games.

 

[Brian Boru]

I've never spent anything on an item like that. Not that I have anything against it, just never seen anything that made me go "Oh, I wish…"

spending goes outside the range of your disposable income

That's the key thing. What you spend on TV and concert tickets and game items etc etc is your leisure budget—spend how you like, without taking stick from anyone.

trap of gamification/monitization

That's a big problem, it's far too easy to suck people—especially young people who have no experience or knowledge about how they're being manipulated—into an ongoing spend cycle.

It's only a century ago that modern marketing was born, when all the new stuff had been made and sold, and demand slid way down. Industries had the choice of almost closing down, or manipulating people to create artificial demand. Happily for the tycoons, modern psychology was blossoming at the time—but had yet to reach the mass consciousness—so the populations were lambs to the slaughter.

 

[Pifanjr]

I don't think I've ever bought anything from an in-game store. I don't like games that try to get me to pay for things and will stubbornly refuse, which will generally result in me giving up on the game once I get annoyed enough at their attempts to get me to pay.

 

[mainer]

i didn't really mean things like dlc that add new levels. Those are way more than just 1 item even if the things found in them might just be 1 weapon/armour/etc. Stages and Expansions are the sort of DLC I don't mind as unless its just a reskinned level from somewhere else, its something more to game.

That's what I thought you meant, so I didn't reply earlier, I assumed that the question applied to "online only type games". I don't even know all the designations/tags that are tossed around now; like MOBAs, Battle Royales, P2Ws, MMOs. I don't really keep track of those types of games as I have no interest.

From my perspective, all those "in-game" store items are just a marketing scam by certain developer/publisher to grab more money from players without giving anything of value in return. As @Pifanjr stated, I stubbornly refuse attempts to get me to pay.

I will buy DLCs/Expansion Packs for single player games that I enjoy if they contain new areas, quests, or companions; and even then, I'm a bit picky about how much content is really involved. I don't buy those DLCs that are merely armor/clothing packs. To me that's useless content that is more like the online store items (besides, DLC like that are often included for free in a "game of the year" edition" that's often-released years later).

I'm not disparaging those gamers that indulge in those type of purchases, it's just my personal perspective and relates only to my gaming preferences.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

I'm willing to purchase a game, but I'm not willing to make in-game purchases. So $0 for me.

 

[Colif]

I bought mounts in 2 MMO as I was playing them at time as the cost of in game currency to purchase them meant I could walk or grind my way to price, or pay. It took me a few years of playing before I bought as I don't think the shop existed in one of them at first, and was only later added. The other MMo I had the collectors edition which included a free mount at a certain level but later expansions added things I did pay for. I seem to recall you bought 1 mount and all characters got it... they were generous back then.
I played the 2 games for years so it was seen as a way of getting to places faster. I don't recall prices but not more than $20 each... at most. I really don't know.

I seem to recall buying more bag space in Diablo 3 but I may be wrong. that might have been Path of Exile... beta... long ago. I am not sure.

Classic expansion packs added entire regions to games. The DLC we have now is just sad. We let them charge for too much.

 

[Brian Boru]

I don't like games that try to get me to pay for things and will stubbornly refuse, which will generally result in me giving up on the game once I get annoyed enough at their attempts to get me to pay

I don't mind if it's a one-off and disappears into some menu item thereafter—but repeated attempts make me stubborn too

I wouldn't mind if the purchase had value for me, so I'm not against the tactic in principle—we're all bombarded re buying extras for our house, car, person, etc every day… just how it is, so can't blame devs for jumping on board.

But as said, I haven't seen anything of such value yet in a game.

 

[Pifanjr]

we're all bombarded re buying extras for our house, car, person, etc every day

I stubbornly refuse to buy all of that stuff too.

 

[SleepingDog]

I can't remember any game I played that has in-game purchases so in that sense I have never been tempted - but who knows? In principle it's a big no even if I can afford it.

I stubbornly refuse to buy all of that stuff too.

I also try very hard to do this. There is a guy called Martin Lewis who gives good advice. It goes something like this "If I can afford it, will I use it?, is it value for money?". The other mantra is "If I am skint, do I need it, can I afford it."

Not always as easy to apply as you may think but it gives me a set of guidelines that I usually use.

 

[Colif]

we're all bombarded re buying extras for our house, car, person, etc every day… just how it is, so can't blame devs for jumping on board.

if you mean advertising. I don't see any of that.
blocked on internet
I don't watch TV/listen to radio

Chances of them advertising anything I want are really small. So I just ignore it all.
I don't believe my role in life is to buy stupid garbage I don't need/want. Plenty of people do that already.