The crushing cost of gaming

yo I’m doing a Lettitor on video
games.

It’s about time, if you ask me, given
that a modest slice of the pie that is my
free time (and it’s not as big of a pie as |
would like) is put towards playing video
games, and a paper with a feature on loot
boxes seemed like the perfect place to
finally write it.

My grand adventure into the world
of video games began at, what I’m going
to guess was, the ripe age of six-ish, when
my uncle gifted me and my older brother a
Gameboy Colour, along with Pokémon Blue
for me, and Pokémon Red for him.

The idea was that we would share
the handheld console while playing our
own designated games; and what would
become a steady theme in the years to
come found me reading the instruction
manual while my big brother got the first
turn.

Then came the Nintendo 64, with
its fantastic four-controller jacks, and

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games like Super Smash Bros and Mario
Kart that not only allowed for, but actively
encouraged multiplayer.

I packed my old GameCube away
with me when | moved out of my parents’
house and took off to college, and
occasionally visited old favourites like
Luigis Mansion and Pikmin when I was
really procrastinating my school work,
but it wasn’t until I’d graduated and found
myself working consistent hours (along
with receiving those sweet, sweet salary
paycheques) that I finally decided to invest
in a modern system.

And hot damn is it ever expensive
nowadays.

With brand new titles coming in at
nearly $100 after tax, it’s a miracle that
people are still putting out the cash for the
newest games and not just retreating to
their childhood favourites instead.

I get it, though. Games are bigger,
bolder, and better than ever nowadays, and
the cost has to reflect that—along with

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inflation and all that fun stuff.

But when your'e already shelling out
nearly $100 for a game, I think we can all
agree that you should get the game in its
entirety, right?

Well, apparently not anymore, as I’ve
so tragically discovered in the past few
months.

My main reason for buying a
PlayStation 4 was so I could play
Overwatch—it looked like an awesome,
fun, well-developed game, and it totally

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Season Pass.

Which, when coupled with the annual
payment to even play online, means that
to shoot strangers online in Call of Duty:
WWII Carentan map, you need to spend
a total of $220 (Game: $80, PS Plus: $70,
Season Pass map pack: $70).

That’s kind of... ridiculous, right?

Couple that with the presence of loot
boxes for most big-name games (see our
feature in the centre spread) and a nice,
relaxing hobby can turn into a money-suck

is. | happy bought it alongside my new
PlayStation, and headed home a little

lighter in the pockets, but happy.

But then I had to pay another $70 or
so just to access online, which is, by the
way, the only way the game can be played.

A bummer, but whatever.

I received Call of Duty: WWII for
Christmas, and was having a grand old
time on multiplayer until I was asked
if I'd like to spend the $70 to purchase

the additional map pack included in the

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before you know it.

Maybe I should just go back to
playing Pikmin... until they release a new
one for the Nintendo Switch, which I'll
obviously have to buy.

Ugh.

Cheers,

Che hh, Wal

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