Getting Value Out of Steam Games - Hours Played

[Grim.Reaper]

Well, I guess it's all perspective.

I spent $1000 and have 200 games, so I'm averaging $5 a game.  Honestly, how can we complain about that kind of pricing?

Depending on how you look at it, I have ~10 hours a game (80 games installed/800 hours) or ~4 hours per game (200 games/800 hours).  That's still not a bad return on investment all things considered.

However, it's so hard to quantify it like that.  For example, ARMA2, ARMA2 Combined Ops, ARMA2 British Forces, ARMA2 PMC, etc...all count as "separate" games even though they're essentially the same game.  Furthermore, a lot of these games came bundled and some of the bundled games I knew I'd never play.  So counting them is sort of...not right.

When I think about how much time I spend gaming and in front of this computer, I can't escape the conclusion that this is an extremely cheap form of entertainment all things considered.  While $1000 is a lot of money, for 800 hours of entertainment it is extremely worth the value.  And, these games keep giving- I haven't even touched some of the time sinks like Rome 2, Shogun 2, Morrowind, and so on. 

Don't sweat it.  Even at Jarhead kind of money none of us is doing too badly here.

From a pure cost perspective, I do actually agree with you that gaming is cheaper than most other forms of entertainment and I often justify it to myself that way.  For example, took my daughter to a movie over the weekend and for 2 hours of fun, it cost us roughly $35.  Family then went out to dinner, it cost $60.   Therefore in just one day I spent about 1/6th of all the money I spent on steam games over 6.5 years. 

What does concern me more is most of the stuff I buy I don't play more than a couple of hours.  Heck, some purchases haven't even played once or just a couple of minutes.  Why did I have to purchase something like that?  It's almost like I am collecting games versus playing games.

I must have an illness:)

[Grim.Reaper]

I feel better with this calculation as opposed to the money spent one...

I have 169 games coming in with 1577 hours played - an average of 9.3 hours per game  ;D

A lot better than my ratio:) 

[bbmike]

I buy a lot of games wanting to play them but knowing I won't get around to them until much later if at all. I think part of why I do this is because I lived in a time where if you wanted to buy a game you went OUTSIDE (I know!) to the software store (anyone remember Babbages and Electronics Boutique?) and looked at all of the choices and only bought one. The risk of buying that one game was that later (because interesting new releases were so infrequent and you played that title you just bought for a long time) you hear about how great another game is from one of your friends, you go back to buy it and guess what - you can't find it. You can't find it anywhere! Not even in a bargain bin! Even in this time of GOG.com there are still a lot of our old PC game friends left behind. So if Steam releases something like Sid Meier's Antietam HD for $19.99 you can bet your ass I'm going to buy it because to this day I've never played it!

Plus there's that never ending quest to find that next great game that give you as much joy and fun as whatever game did that for you long ago.

Okay Jarhead, Judge and the rest of you fellow game hoarders, I'm finished trying to rationalize this for us. 

[Grim.Reaper]

It is a different time for sure...just to think a few years ago I HATED downloaded games and would only buy physical games:). Now I can't imagine not getting instant gratification:)

[fabius]

I have an odd thing going on with the hours played.

I'd say Paradox grand strategy are my favourite. But RO2 has the most hours. When I'm tired I just throw it on for several matches.

I guess when I get the hang of Arma III that cold be the same, and why Ultimate General and Rome 2 (with THE Mod) has clocked up so many hours.

[Tinkershuffle]

This was in the comment section of Football Manager 2014:

"According to Steam I have played a total of:

FM 2014: 508 Hours
FM 2013: 2544 Hours
FM 2012: 2612 Hours
FM 2011: 1251 Hours
FM 2010: 3377 Hours
FM 2009: 1162 Hours

That's 11454 hours or 477.25 days.

This total doesnt include the previous FM's before steam and the CM series before that (i.e CM 00/01 & 01/02 the blue & red ones).

I think it's safe to say that FM has taken about 2 whole years of my life. When you view it like that it's quite terrifying."

You probably can't get much more value out than that...

[Grim.Reaper]

This was in the comment section of Football Manager 2014:

"According to Steam I have played a total of:

FM 2014: 508 Hours
FM 2013: 2544 Hours
FM 2012: 2612 Hours
FM 2011: 1251 Hours
FM 2010: 3377 Hours
FM 2009: 1162 Hours

That's 11454 hours or 477.25 days.

This total doesnt include the previous FM's before steam and the CM series before that (i.e CM 00/01 & 01/02 the blue & red ones).

I think it's safe to say that FM has taken about 2 whole years of my life. When you view it like that it's quite terrifying."

You probably can't get much more value out than that...

Wow....certainly getting your money worth!  Impressed!

[bbmike]

This was in the comment section of Football Manager 2014:

"According to Steam I have played a total of:

FM 2014: 508 Hours
FM 2013: 2544 Hours
FM 2012: 2612 Hours
FM 2011: 1251 Hours
FM 2010: 3377 Hours
FM 2009: 1162 Hours

That's 11454 hours or 477.25 days.

This total doesnt include the previous FM's before steam and the CM series before that (i.e CM 00/01 & 01/02 the blue & red ones).

I think it's safe to say that FM has taken about 2 whole years of my life. When you view it like that it's quite terrifying."

You probably can't get much more value out than that...

Wow....certainly getting your money worth!  Impressed!

Seriously! Are you in prison?  :P

[Tinkershuffle]

Just something I saw posted on FM's Steam page. I think for a lot of people FM is more a lifestyle than a regular game. :)

[Toonces]

The sale mentality is what is killing us.  I buy games when they go on sale full well knowing I have no intention of playing them anytime soon.  I'd say that that makes up 90% of my purchases at this point. 

When a game is marked 80% off and you know you want to play it eventually, it's almost impossible to resist the urge to buy it and "save" yourself some money.  If you don't play it, though, you haven't really saved anything, have you?  Interesting dilemma.   

[GDS_Starfury]

the Tribe is strong now.

[solops]

The sale mentality is what is killing us.  I buy games when they go on sale full well knowing I have no intention of playing them anytime soon.  I'd say that that makes up 90% of my purchases at this point. 

When a game is marked 80% off and you know you want to play it eventually, it's almost impossible to resist the urge to buy it and "save" yourself some money.  If you don't play it, though, you haven't really saved anything, have you?  Interesting dilemma.   

My son-in-law has 191 Steam games. I have 33. This does not count the other PC games and board games. It all started with Gettysburg back in 1968. I guess it is all cheaper than one bass boat.

[Martok]

When a game is marked 80% off and you know you want to play it eventually, it's almost impossible to resist the urge to buy it and "save" yourself some money.  If you don't play it, though, you haven't really saved anything, have you?  Interesting dilemma.   

This is my problem in a nutshell.  Well put, Toonces. 

[Staggerwing]

Just something I saw posted on FM's Steam page. I think for a lot of people FM is more a lifestyle than a regular game. :)

That averages out to over 5 hours a day for 6 years straight! Assuming each iteration of FM corresponds to the year played it would mean that the person played for over 9 hours a day each and every day during 2010.
If true...

That.
Is.
Whacked.

[jomni]

My most played game is not on Steam.