Value in Video Games – A Look at Two Point Museum
It is funny how we place value in video games that we purchase. If someone sells you an INCREDIBLE 2-3 hour game for 19.99, is that good value? Sure, hour wise you aren’t getting a lot for your twenty bucks, but was the experience worth it? On the flipside, I’ve found that people freak out on big, AAA titles if there isn’t 100+ hours of content for the 89.99 CAD price tag. Everyone is going to value video games differently, and justify – or not justify – purchases based on different criteria. For me, it is a combination of experiences and costs, although when push comes to shove, costs wins out.
Each month, we have a loose budget on what we will spend on video games and entertainment. Because we are constantly thinking about how much we are spending on games, versus how much we are playing, cost often trumps experiences. There are dozens of quick games that I hear are phenomenal, but as good as they might be, I’m not likely looking to drop 19.99 or more on something I’ll be finished with in a few hours.
This is also the reason I don’t often frequent a movie theatre!
When I look back at large, AAA titles, there are VERY few games that I would say are not worth the money I spent at the end of the day. Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West? Both worth it. Red Dead Redemption 2? Worth it. Donkey Kong Bananza? Worth it. The list of games I spent full price on that were not worth it is really, really small! The latest Mario Strikers game? I’d argue the same for Mario Tennis, but I don’t normally purchase those anyways.
One company that really understands value is Two Point Studios, and how they balance their large team with these cheap prices is absolutely mind boggling. Take Two Point Museum, for example. This is a game that will easily provide 40-50 hours of gameplay just to get through the entire campaign, and that doesn’t take into account the amount of time you’ll spend in Sandbox mode either. The price of that game, brand new on Nintendo Switch 2? 39.99, with the explorer edition and all it’s bonuses coming in at 53.99. If you want to add the Fantasy Finds DLC, that will run you about 10.99, assuming that the Zeoo DLC that will launch later this year will also be in that 10-15$ range.
All in, by Christmas you could have Two Point Museum Explorer Edition + Fantasy Finds + Zooseum for about 74.99. That’s STILL cheaper than any first party title on Nintendo Switch 2, providing more value to consumers in my opinion. Yes, this game hits different than a Mario Kart World or Metroid Prime 4, and you cannot really compare them. But the value is defnietly here, if you are basing this on a dollars for hours algorithm.
How do you value your games? Are you trying to get as many hours for the dollars you spend, or are you looking for those epic experiences, regardless of the cost? Let us know in the comments below!
Article By Adam
