Game development cost and content?
So I was thinking about something. I think at least from sims 2 all the packs have stayed the same amount of money. If not please correct me as I started playing on Sims 3. Was sims 1 also the same...
Forum Discussion
I'm going to look at this through the lens of percentages here. (all prices are in USD)
Alright, so the base game costs about $40 now. An Expansion Pack also costs $40, that's 100% of the cost of the base game. Does the average expansion pack deliver the equivalent of a base game worth of additional content to the game? No. It adds one to three new traits, an additional skill or two, a handful of hair and clothing options, one world, 2-3 new careers, and one or two major features. Comparing the current base game to your average EP, an EP only delivers about 30%-40% (generous estimate) of a base game's worth of content on average. Better to buy EP's when they're half-off at $20.
If we look at all the external factors, the price of everything in general is rising with inflation, meanwhile, the wages of the average American have been stagnating for decades, and companies across the board have been trying to get away with giving customers less for more for at least the last 20 years. The only remedy for this is to be as smart a shopper as possible and buy everything on sale or with a coupon whenever you can, video games included, because just about everyone out there trying to sell you something is trying to fleece you to some extent.
Alright, so the base game costs about $40 now. An Expansion Pack also costs $40, that's 100% of the cost of the base game. Does the average expansion pack deliver the equivalent of a base game worth of additional content to the game? No. It adds one to three new traits, an additional skill or two, a handful of hair and clothing options, one world, 2-3 new careers, and one or two major features. Comparing the current base game to your average EP, an EP only delivers about 30%-40% (generous estimate) of a base game's worth of content on average. Better to buy EP's when they're half-off at $20.
If we look at all the external factors, the price of everything in general is rising with inflation, meanwhile, the wages of the average American have been stagnating for decades, and companies across the board have been trying to get away with giving customers less for more for at least the last 20 years. The only remedy for this is to be as smart a shopper as possible and buy everything on sale or with a coupon whenever you can, video games included, because just about everyone out there trying to sell you something is trying to fleece you to some extent.
