Originally Posted by
MWDoucheCounter
I am glad that we can raise a serious discussion here, and appreciate the input of everyone, while simultaneously lamenting that some people continue to be defensive, which in any event I equally understand.
The real difficulty in comprehension that I'm having with spending real funds - especially in the range of several hundreds to thousands of USD or equivalent amounts in other currencies - is the cost/benefit calculation, particularly when compared to the relative expense of the other types and requirements of games mentioned on this post.
For example, take WOW. I've never played the game, but I find it easily distinguishable from this one, in terms of the spending involved. First, it's a pay subscription only game, right? Meaning that, if you want to play, you have to pay. Second, paying the monthly fee seems, at least to me, to give a player access to a game with an extreme amount of content, as well as a really huge user base with millions of players. Third, in my understanding of the game, it is relatively complex in structure, requiring players to make strategic choices in their character development, partnerships and in game decisions (e.g., the make up and roles of players within a group to accomplish specific goals and/or tasks). Fourth, to my knowledge, the game has a rather complex social system, with players interacting with and between guilds and alliances, among other things.
To me, all of these qualities are absent in a game such as MW, and so I'm left striving to understand the impetus for the decisions of certain players, but not others, to spend so much on this game. Indeed, the only persuasive justification with which I am left, at the end of the day, is that Funzio has developed a game economy and system which appeals to the most base of human instincts, whether the players spending the most on this game are willing to recognize or concede as such, or not. And god damn it, if I don't love Funzio for this admirable and wicked genius.
To take one example, if you played WOW for four years at $13 USD per month, that would have cost roughly $624 USD (I think - math make brain hurt not well so good). For hundreds and hundreds of hours of entertainment and diversion over a four year period (as an aside, I really get this point, by the way, and tremendously so - I've been gaming since the Atari 2600 days, and also play games to decompress and reduce stress - something about rote activities really helps me break obsessive job worries), you paid $624 USD. In relative terms, that is a very cheap form of entertainment. And not to mention, the game is still going strong, and consistently provides new content and things to do.
I could also provide many examples for PC and console games, including DLC, but I don't think it is necessary (e.g., would you spend $300 for a console game, inclusive of DLC? That would seem to cause a riot.)
Here, these aspects seem conspicuously absent. Yet, you see people spending far more than that over a period of mere weeks for little to no actual game content, let alone anything to do other than repeatedly hitting a button. There is nothing to create, nothing resembling a community, and no apparent strategic decisions to be made, except perhaps whether an opponent is deemed too strong to press a button to "attack." Maybe someone might disagree, but if so, I'd really like to see some specific examples rather than conclusory statements to the contrary.
So the only impression with which I am left - and that has not been disabused, and seems supported by some posts on this thread - is that people pay a premium in a game like this to solely beat up other players. Nothing else. And by appealing to the base instincts of players, this is what I meant.
Paying for instant gratification.
Many have been distracted by some notion that I have a problem with people spending money for instant gratification, or using their disposable funds how they deem fit. For the millionth time, I don't care about that. I know people may choose to spend their money how they deem appropriate. I am only trying to figure out why certain people spend so much money on a game like this, other than the reason I already mentioned. I have yet to see an alternative justification, at least one persuasively argued here.
This is not interpretation as a "psychiatrist," although I think you may have meant "psychologist" (The distinction is that psychiatrists are actual MDs with medical degrees, whereas psychologists are third rate social scientists that don't go to medical school and reach conclusions through clinical and, at the most sophisticated end, experimental results. That said, this games strikes me as an awesome experimental psychology test on a macro level.). Rather, this is common sense observation. To wit, I have no doubt that the system developed by Funzio is far more similar to a gambling style payoff than anything. Manipulative? You bet.
Leading to another question, I beg anyone to answer, exactly what is being "cultivated" in a game like this?
I wish I had the time to play some of the online games, I used to love doing that when I was younger and could spend the whole night playing Silent Service on my Atari 1040ST.
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