Did you get your money's worth?

A few days ago, we took a look at some strategies for making purchases you're happy with in 2010. Fast forward! You've got the game, and guess what? It's great! But is it great a week later? A month? A year? How do you determine whether a game was worth price?

Now, dear reader, we stepped into the land of opinion. We have different tastes (thankfully) and some games are going to more fun for some and less fun for others. Now, if you bought a game you don't think is fun, I'm sorry. It's happened to all of us gamers at one time or another. Let's assume that you DID buy a game you liked. Eventually, you'll move on. Yes, you might stop back by, check up on it, remember the good old days, but most of are always looking for the next big thrill, the next arena in which we can test our virtual mettle, and the games you have today will sit largely untouched. This is the way of the world, the circle of...video games.

Since it's impossible to quantify the "value" of any particular game to any particular person, the industry has latched onto one variable as a potential measure for a game's worth: time. It's a pretty simple idea. The more time you spend playing a game, the better your investment. Sorta.
It's a still a pretty wishy washy way to judge a game, but it's a good place to start. But how much is an hour worth?

Let's take another popular form of entertainment: movies. They, too, can be measured by time and cost. So, let's say that, on average, you pay $9.00 for 2 hours of entertainment at the movies. If we use that measure, how much time should we get out of a game at minimum for it to be at least as fun as a movie? Math time! $60.00 / $4.50 = 13.33

So, if you play a game for a little more than 13 hours, you can tell all your friends that video games aren't any more expensive than going to the movies. Given that most games these days have a single player story that lasts around 8-10, and if you add in a multiplayer mode, or replaying levels for fun or achievements, you can hit that 13 hour mark pretty easily.

Pay less, play more, and you're getting a lot more bang for your buck. "Wait," I hear you cry, "isn't that completely obvious?" Yes, yes it is. In the end, play the games you want. If you want it, then it's worth it. 13 hours or 3 days, we game for fun. And economics? Not so fun.