Is gaming an expensive hobby?

Anything to do with games at all.
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Peter Crisp
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PostIs gaming an expensive hobby?
by Peter Crisp » Wed May 31, 2017 2:19 pm

I realise I may not be typical in that I'm somewhat of a hardware collector and will recently have bought PS4 Pro and PSVR which cost me £660 and over the next few years
Xbox Scorpio for lets say £400
Xbox VR £600 for a super duper all included version maybe as a worst case
PS5 in 2019 £450

So that's a possible £2,100 over 4 years which for a major hobby doesn't seem all that outrageous but what do you think?
As a hobby £10 a week is what some people spend going to a coffee shop 3 times a week which again most people I expect wouldn't seem unreasonable or just 3 pints at a pub after work on a friday.

I realise I'm missing out the cost of games here but just as with a car most don't add the cost of petrol to the number when saying how much they spend on it or fancy parts I'm just thinking of the pure hardware costs.

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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by jawafour » Wed May 31, 2017 2:25 pm

It can be. It has been for me over the past few years and I'd like to cut back; I have been, but only on-and-off.

The thing that really frustrates me now is that new games are priced at £55 to £60 in the console digital stores... with "Gold"-or-whatever-versions being around £75 to £90. And then they drop the price within, sometimes, weeks. There is literally no point to buying at launch. And I'm still trying to cut that out :fp: .

So, yeah, it can be. But then there are folk who only buy one or two games a year, so I guess it's more reasonable then.

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Dual
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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by Dual » Wed May 31, 2017 2:34 pm

Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game.

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Lotus
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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by Lotus » Wed May 31, 2017 3:27 pm

I think it can be expensive, but it being so largely depends on your habits and levels of patience.

Apart from the initial outlay for the hardware (which even if you buy second-hand could still be expensive, depending on the console and where in the 'lifecycle' you're buying it) the actual cost of games isn’t that bad. I never buy games on release, often play them years or months after launch, and frequently buy second-hand. All of those pretty much guarantee lower prices (with the exceptions of rare games perhaps which may hold or increase their value) and in many cases you'll end up paying < £20 for a lot of games. Many games I buy don't cost me more than £10, because I play them literally years after release. There'll always be exceptions, but for the most part it's very do-able and feasible to buy loads of great games for not much at all.

Of course, if you're one of those people who must play a game on release day and have to have the latest console/PC components, then it will be expensive. And as we move closer down digital only/restricted ways of buying games/removal of second-hand market it will become a lot more expensive for some, but for the time being at least, it doesn't have to be at all.

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Peter Crisp
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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by Peter Crisp » Wed May 31, 2017 3:32 pm

With games I have now gone to buying games I know I'll really love and renting the rest through Boomerang and then maybe buying them if I find they merit it. Its cut my spending a fair bit as I'm no longer buying games that I only play for a week or so but I still buy games that I know I'll come back to later.

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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by That » Wed May 31, 2017 3:34 pm

I've been buying full-price e-shop games on Switch because I can't take deliveries. The individual purchases don't seem like that much, but added together I guess I've spent a couple hundred pounds already. :shifty: I should try to be more savvy, but I don't have any other expensive hobbies apart from the odd dinner out, so I kind of think "ah, to hell with it, whatever."

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OrangeRKN
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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by OrangeRKN » Wed May 31, 2017 3:39 pm

I'm genuinely not sure if I spend more money on food or games. So it's a yes for me.

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Jordan UK
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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by Jordan UK » Wed May 31, 2017 4:15 pm

I think you're right - it's not that expensive a hobby, especially if you stick to one or two consoles and limit yourself to one game a month.
You could easily spend as much on a Sky Sports subscription and watching you local football side for a few home games in a season.
I have a hard time justifying it to my wife but I have friends who spend a fair amount socialising or on cars or clothes - it really is quite cheap in comparison.

If you're frugal, it doesn't have to cost that much. For instance, this year I've bought a Switch, Pro Controller and a game every month but I've traded a few things and used gift cards, etc. I would be really surprised if I've spent more than £400 all-in-all. £80 a month for a hobby seems fine to me.

However, it's really easy to get a little carried away. As I've said in other threads, FOMO and hype are really persuasive forces with computer games. In the past, I've maintained a high-end PC as well as all the other main consoles and bought most AAA games on release. I was finding myself getting stressed and guilty because I was spending a lot of money but never had the time to really enjoy what I bought. Buy less, enjoy more is working for me.

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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by Qikz » Wed May 31, 2017 4:19 pm

It is an expensive hobby, of course it is. Each game is between £10-£50 and the platform itself ranges in the hundreds.

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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by jawafour » Wed May 31, 2017 4:25 pm

Jordan UK wrote:...Buy less, enjoy more is working for me.

Man, that's where I want to get to. I'm on the journey and I have cut back on stuff, but there are still times when I get caught up in hype and, especially, pre-order culture.

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Death's Head
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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by Death's Head » Wed May 31, 2017 4:34 pm

It is an expensive hobby and you must include the cost of games because over a few years they easily outstrip the cost of the console. Not only is it an expensive hobby but also full of waste - far too many of you on here seem unconcerned by the cost, buying on release, moving on after only a couple of hours etc

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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by jawafour » Wed May 31, 2017 4:40 pm

jawafour wrote:
Jordan UK wrote:...Buy less, enjoy more is working for me.

Man, that's where I want to get to. I'm on the journey and I have cut back on stuff, but there are still times when I get caught up in hype and, especially, pre-order culture.

Actually, thinking more on this aspect, I think that on occasions where I haven't pre-ordered I often decide against getting the game or I at least wait until it is cheaper. If I pre-order, I get excited and throw myself into the hype, meaning that I am unlikely to decide against the purchase.

I need to get a grip and stop pre-ordering unless it's a game I'm really keen on.

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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by 7256930752 » Wed May 31, 2017 4:45 pm

In the context of other hobbies it's pretty cheap.

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Squinty
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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by Squinty » Wed May 31, 2017 4:46 pm

Yes. Expensive if you want everything as it comes out. Having patience pays off, but hardware is still a bit too much.

I'd rather buy an electric guitar or something if I had £300 to spare.

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Green Gecko
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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by Green Gecko » Wed May 31, 2017 6:30 pm

No, if you buy at the right price. Longevity means exceptional entertainment value in £/hr and resale value is comparatively high and easier than pretty much anything else to liquidate if you don't buy gooseberry fool games.

Squinty wrote:Yes. Expensive if you want everything as it comes out. Having patience pays off, but hardware is still a bit too much.

I'd rather buy an electric guitar or something if I had £300 to spare.

Sure but I know people with 10 or 15 guitars, once you have one everything else you do with it is literally free. So there's the same degree of excess if you want to be a stupid knob and make your hobby masturbatory.

I guess you could say the same thing about computers.

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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by Drumstick » Wed May 31, 2017 6:31 pm

In a word; no. It's as expensive as you want it to be. You don't need to buy everything brand new or on day one.

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Pedz
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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by Pedz » Wed May 31, 2017 6:42 pm

Hime wrote:In the context of other hobbies it's pretty cheap.


Not really, I bought a guitar for £99 and an amp for about £50 that's cheap. I guess gaming is a varying expense as far as hobbies go.

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Errkal
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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by Errkal » Wed May 31, 2017 6:50 pm

If you of game it can be cheaper for the most part with the odd large spend, console less so.

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Squinty
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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by Squinty » Wed May 31, 2017 7:05 pm

Green Gecko wrote:
Squinty wrote:Yes. Expensive if you want everything as it comes out. Having patience pays off, but hardware is still a bit too much.

I'd rather buy an electric guitar or something if I had £300 to spare.

Sure but I know people with 10 or 15 guitars, once you have one everything else you do with it is literally free. So there's the same degree of excess if you want to be a stupid knob and make your hobby masturbatory.

I guess you could say the same thing about computers.


I think anything over 4 electrics is excessive. I follow this lad on YouTube who has about 15 guitars. Phenomenal player and great bloke, but I just don't get it. There is no need.

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PostRe: Is gaming an expensive hobby?
by jawafour » Wed May 31, 2017 7:10 pm

jawafour wrote:
jawafour wrote:
Jordan UK wrote:...Buy less, enjoy more is working for me.

Man, that's where I want to get to...

...I need to get a grip and stop pre-ordering unless it's a game I'm really keen on.


I've just cancelled some pre-orders that I had. This thread has made me take a hard look.

:toot: .


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