Cheapest form of entertainment?

electrictroy

electrictroy

Banned
This is a spinoff from another thread. Let's debate (nicely).

[quote name='Jsweeney'][quote name='troy']Games = $20 for 40-50 hours of entertainment (unlimited if you buy something like DDR or Gran Turismo). That's only 40-50 cents an hour. (25 cents/hour subtracting trade-ins/ebay sales where you get 50% back). Show me another form of entertainment that cheap?

Not movies - ~$2.50 an hour
Not videos = ~10 an hour if bought / $2 if rented
Not Cable = ~$40 a month for only 3-4 good shows (SG1/SGA/BG)
............... = ~$5.00 an hour[/quote]

You bias and likley your incorrect assessment of the facts impeaches your point. Cable offers 720 hours per month of entertainment per channel, plus any value-added services (On demand programming). Because you cannot, or will not consume all of the entertainment that is offered is not a reason that the potential value should be ignored.[/quote]


The fact that you can not consume all the Cable Entertainment, diminishes its value. One must look at the REAL value (real time spent watching the tv). One must also take into account that most of those channels are merely reruns of stuff I don't want to see again.

Taking into account the REAL value, I ignore most of the Cable Channels because they're reruns. And as for NEW stuff, I only watch SG1/SGA/BG which is 60 hours per year - $45*12=$540 per year = $9.00 per hour worst-case.

I said $5/hour in my original post 'cause I was being optimistic. STILL not close to the 40-50 cents average for videogames. In order to bring my REAL cable value down to 50 cents an hour I'd have to watch 21 hours a week! (1) I don't have that much free time. (2) Even if I did, I challenge anyone to show me 21 hours of NEW programming worth watching on Cable.




As for bias? YES you're right. I'm biased in favor of myself & MY pleasure & minimizing my dollars wasted.

Aren't we all biased in favor of ourselves? My original post was not meant to represent anybody else, except my own opinion.



So I stand by my original statement, "Books and games are the cheapest form of entertainment."
 
[quote name='mods/rules']We strongly encourage our users to take advantage of the Ignore List feature if you have a continuing problem with another user's posts. [/quote]Try it Quackzilla.


BACK TO TOPIC - "Books and games are the cheapest form of entertainment," thinks Troy.
 
[quote name='Quackzilla']This message is hidden because electrictroy is on your ignore list.

Thaat's awesome, too bad it doesn't hide topic titles.[/QUOTE]

I always wondered what happened when you put someone on your ignore list. I thought maybe that the post just disappeared.
 
[quote name='chickenhawk']I always wondered what happened when you put someone on your ignore list. I thought maybe that the post just disappeared.[/QUOTE]

Nope, unfortunately you can still see the topics that the person creates.
 
I agree that books are the cheapest form of external, concrete entertainment, anyone can go to a public library and access more books than he could ever read *for free*. The only overhead is getting there.
Games can be cheaper than some of the other media, but then again, maybe not. Don't forget the overhead of buying the console, which, depending on how many games you buy, might add only a few bucks to each game's relative cost. I'll assume the player already has a TV.
Cable/tv is somewhat different--with cable, while you have lots of stuff to choose from, you are limited in your purchase power--basic, standard, digital, movie channels. The nature of the industry is that it bundles channels that are not as in demand, with those that are, so of course that cost, where you're subsidizing things like QVC or the religious channels, will seem higher compared to the things you actually watch. It would be like instead of being able to buy Final Fantasy for 20 bucks, you have to buy Final Fantasy and, say, The Matrix [or another game you don't like] for 30 in a bundle package, so the 'cost you pay' compared to 'stuff you *actually* watch/play' is higher.

If I wanted to compare TV and games, I could say TV can certainly be competitive--at least in the form of DVD. The last three TV seasons on DVD I bought, I paid no more than 20 bucks each, for an entire season of programming. And Tv-on-DVD can have a decent resale value as well [I think the 50% figure on games is a little high].

With the cable, part of what you pay for *is* the massive amount of choice. I can pay 10 bucks and choose from three channels, or I can pay 60 bucks and choose from hundreds of channels. The odds of there being something I want to watch are much greater now.

Exercise, walking, hiking, all of those things can be very cheap as well, and of course are better for your body--but for me, they're not very entertaining :)
 
Aside from beating off, shooting hoops is the cheapest (and best) form of entertainment out there even if you have to buy the basket and ball and install it yourself. Every hour you play the cost per hour diminishes and it lasts basically forever.
 
Staring at the sun. The moon is ok, too, but it doesn't answer back. Gee, I guess I need to clean the apartment. There's spots everywhere!
 
[quote name='dtcarson']If I wanted to compare TV and games, I could say TV can certainly be competitive--at least in the form of DVD. The last three TV seasons on DVD I bought, I paid no more than 20 bucks each, for an entire season of programming. And Tv-on-DVD can have a decent resale value as well [I think the 50% figure on games is a little high]. [/QUOTE]
Well I routinely buy games for $20 and sell them for $15, so I personally get back >50% return. In some cases, I actually make a profit. Last year, I totaled my ebay sales of games, movies, and tv, and I discovered I had profited $100. Sweet.



You're right about the DVDs. Buying the latest seasons of SG1/SGA/BSG would be a lot cheaper than renting Sci-Fi Channel - ~$150 vs. ~$500 per year. That equals $2.50/hour for DVDs! Not bad. I've often thought of just canceling cable & watching dvds, but have not done it yet.



And of course here in the U.S. we have free TV. Most of it's trash, but there's at least 2-3 good shows. All you need is an antenna. ----- Jeez. I'm starting to sound like my 70-yr-old granny. "Damn Comcast. TV should be FREE & I'm not giving my money to cable! The stuff over the antenna is good enough."

My parents live in a good area for antenna. They get programs from Baltimore, Delaware, Philadelphia, and of course local Lancaster/York/Harrisburg. Add it all up & it totals 19-20 channels for free!

I'm not so lucky down here in D.C. I only get about 4 via antenna.
 
The biggest bang for your buck is an MMO. For $.50 a day, you are allowed to play a game that you can easily find stuff to do for 18 hours a day for YEARS, for most of them at least (EQ, AO, EQ2, CoH, etc., not WoW though, 5 months or so and you're done, unless you REALLY like PvP). Nothing else can even remotely come close to that.
 
[quote name='Stoneage']Staring at the sun. The moon is ok, too, but it doesn't answer back. Gee, I guess I need to clean the apartment. There's spots everywhere![/QUOTE]

yes! i think troy should stare at the sun
 
[quote name='javeryh']Aside from beating off, shooting hoops is the cheapest (and best) form of entertainment out there even if you have to buy the basket and ball and install it yourself. Every hour you play the cost per hour diminishes and it lasts basically forever.[/QUOTE]

Amen to that brother!
 
[quote name='chickenhawk']Amen to that brother![/QUOTE]

Yep, shooting hoops is a great way to exercise and to forget about things.

Also, improv was a fun, cheap form of entertainment for my friends and I. We'd just go around shooting stupid movies and having fun.
 
Drinking (at home not at a bar), watching tv, and golfing are cheap.

Not to sound like a jerk or anything but whats the point of this thread? Are you trying to get the point across to us that playing video games is cheap or are you really looking for suggestions of things you can do? Just curious.
 
While they may not be as cheap as books, the internet ($20 for my DSL, but you can getsome connections free) is highly addicting, and gives one endless things to do.

On a somewhat related note, Xbox Live is $50 a year and gives a person unlimited online gaming with over 2 million teammates/opponents.
 
[quote name='kristianator']co-sign on the masturbation thing. in fact, you might even be able to make money off of that.[/QUOTE]
Like cdgirls.com (warning - girls naked)
 
[quote name='Morrigan Lover']masturbation: $0/hour.[/QUOTE]

But somebody has to pay for the pr0n, lingerie catalogs, and fan drawings.

Or have somebody else do it for them. Shame I am so far away from my girlfriend.
^__^
 
The fact that you can not consume all the Cable Entertainment, diminishes its value.

Yes, but even with tighter constraints (only one screen), there are still more hours available from a month of cable television than one new videogame.


One must look at the REAL value (real time spent watching the tv). One must also take into account that most of those channels are merely reruns of stuff I don't want to see again.

Just because you've sqaundered the potential entertainment a medium provides for you does not mean it doesn't exist. There is still real value to be had.

All of your arguments are centered around you, and not taking averages into consideration. Your numbers do nothing but speak to your biases.
Yes, you derive little value from a month a cable (perhaps less than a videogame), but that does not speak to the average case, which is far more useful in this discussion.

Taking into account the REAL value, I ignore most of the Cable Channels because they're reruns. And as for NEW stuff, I only watch SG1/SGA/BG which is 60 hours per year - $45*12=$540 per year = $9.00 per hour worst-case.

Your statement speaks only to your bias and your numbers come only from your situation. As typical case study, it is of little value. The average American will watch far, far more television than 60 hours a year.

I said $5/hour in my original post 'cause I was being optimistic. STILL not close to the 40-50 cents average for videogames.

Only for you specifically. For the purposes of your argument, such contentions are of little value. Yes, for you, a videogame is a far more cost efficient product than cable television. However, that proves absolutely nothing in terms of the average case, which is of far more use than a single person's opinion and thier argument based soley on thier anecdotal evidence.


In order to bring my REAL cable value down to 50 cents an hour I'd have to watch 21 hours a week!

YOUR real cable value. As stated numerous times before, in an examination of what would be the most cost efficient method of entertainment, this information is of minimal value. One person's opinion is hardly a good basis for the claims you put forth.




(1) I don't have that much free time.

I contest the veracity of your numbers.
If your cable bill is 45 dollars a month, one would only need to watch 21 hours of TV a MONTH to bring the average to 50 cents an hour.


(2) Even if I did, I challenge anyone to show me 21 hours of NEW programming worth watching on Cable.

Sporting events. If I only watch a couple hockey games a week, I easily surpass the 21 hours a month required to drop the viewing price to 50 cents an hour.

As for bias? YES you're right. I'm biased in favor of myself & MY pleasure & minimizing my dollars wasted.

Which is fine when you are talking about your opinion, or your specific case.
"Cheapest form of entertainment" speaks to the general or average case and not
"electrictroy's cheapest form of entertainment".


Aren't we all biased in favor of ourselves? My original post was not meant to represent anybody else, except my own opinion.

Then you should work harder at constraining your arguments.
Opinions should not read like statements of fact.

So I stand by my original statement, "Books and games are the cheapest form of entertainment."

In your opinion. You have not worthwhile facts or figures that would back that up, yet you state it as if it were a fact.

"Books and games are the cheapest form of entertainment" is a statement of fact which can be contested.

"I believe that books and games are the cheapest form of entertainment" is a statment of belief or opinion, and while one could argue that it may be ill founded or not factually correct, the statement cannot be proven wrong.
 
Weren't you just complaining like a week ago about games being too long and now you go on some tirade about games being most cost effective based on the length? I hate to break it to you but the majority of most games, except maybe in the RPG genre, does not last 40-50 hours. Most $20 single player action games for instance would take about 10-15 hours maybe to finish and that's if you are a slow player.
 
You also have to take quality of the entertainment into account! Quantity is not everything. For instance, your mom costs like twenty bucks an hour, while I can actually rent at least THREE GAMES from Hollywood Video for FIVE DAYS at that price - yet given a choice between the two, I will pick your mom every time. And why is that?
Because she is naaaaasty!
 
[quote name='masterh']You also have to take quality of the entertainment into account! Quantity is not everything. For instance, your mom costs like twenty bucks an hour, while I can actually rent at least THREE GAMES from Hollywood Video for FIVE DAYS at that price - yet given a choice between the two, I will pick your mom every time. And why is that?
Because she is naaaaasty![/QUOTE]

:rofl:
 
(my first reaction was masterbation as well, but for a 'real' answer...)

the cheapest form of entertainment: having friends.

talking to people, especially interesting type people for several hours, is both free and priceless...and playing games and watching cable alone all the time is worthless.
 
I'd say reading books.

[quote name='tauruskatt'](my first reaction was masterbation as well, but for a 'real' answer...)

the cheapest form of entertainment: having friends.

talking to people, especially interesting type people for several hours, is both free and priceless...and playing games and watching cable alone all the time is worthless.[/QUOTE]

Heh.

Awww. :lol:

I don't know any interesting people. :oops: So it's CAG for me. :lol:
 
[quote name='sblymnlcrymnl']I'd say reading books.



Heh.

Awww. :lol:

I don't know any interesting people. :oops: So it's CAG for me. :lol:[/QUOTE]

hehe, i know, reading was up there, especially if you go to that thing they call a "Library", then it's travel expenses only. but sometimes the men looking up porn are creepy. ^_^

aww, well, CAG is, ironically, Cheap also!!! :lol:
(you can say what you want against it, but you can never say the people aren't interesting...)
 
A can to kick around. Or reading the reject birthday/thank you cards at the Dollar store. I found one that had a baby seal on the front and when you opened it it said "Thank you and remember Jesus is watching"
 
[quote name='tauruskatt'](my first reaction was masterbation as well, but for a 'real' answer...)

the cheapest form of entertainment: having friends.

talking to people, especially interesting type people for several hours, is both free and priceless...and playing games and watching cable alone all the time is worthless.[/QUOTE]

I don't know... it seems for some people on the board, talking to other people likely costs them upwards of $5 dollars for the first minutes and 2.99 for each additional minute.
 
[quote name='Odenat']A can to kick around. Or reading the reject birthday/thank you cards at the Dollar store. I found one that had a baby seal on the front and when you opened it it said "Thank you and remember Jesus is watching"[/QUOTE]

Hmm. Sounds like the kind of card you'd give to someone in a masturbation cessation program. "Clubbing the baby seal" has a double entendre quality, doesnt' it?

The message seems strangely topical if presented for that purpose.
 
[quote name='JSweeney']I don't know... it seems for some people on the board, talking to other people likely costs them upwards of $5 dollars for the first minutes and 2.99 for each additional minute.[/QUOTE]

Better than your best friends all being named "Guinness". ;)
 
[quote name='sblymnlcrymnl']Better than your best friends all being named "Guinness". ;)[/QUOTE]

I don't think Jack, Jim, or Jonnie would care for that. :lol:
 
[quote name='zionoverfire']Work, since it costs negative money.[/QUOTE]

I could see that. Anyone who has read the "Bastard Operator from Hell" could see there is some fun to be had.
 
Night Court. The one time I had to go because someone stole my wallet when I was at a club. Some of the things people do in the middle of the night on a saturday are hilarious
 
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