To quote myself from a previous discussion (cut to the relevant part, and some bits added to make it make sense):
Ovion, on 15 August 2014 - 09:31 AM, said:
After a little research, it appears the average wage for staff making games is 45-100K per year, Staff reviews(of the company from PGI staff) have said that salaries are competive, but not at the highend, so 75k a year is probably a generous estimate and stats say an average working year in canada is around 1700 (hours a year) this means that the hourly rate would be roughly $45 an hour. I can't help but feel this is a little generous, but it's a guesstimate.
Lets consider, I could whack out a hi res model in 1-2 weeks (being a CAD Designer), and these guys will be more experienced than me. (being professional games designers after all)
I bet the code would take that long tops too, especially being almost all of it exists already. (Other mechs, minor changes to adapt to current)
Art can't really take much more than the same. (many assets exist, especially the basics, but I'd allow for this taking a little longer)
So that's what... 3-5 guys, taking 1-2 weeks..., or 120-500 man hours - $5,400 to $22,500.
(Maybe as much as double that if it's up to 10 people making the mech, or it takes more time.)
With fringe costs, and such, I could see a mech being between $6,000 to $25,000 (or $12,000 to $50,000 if 6-10 people work it, or it takes twice as long)
This means on a
rough estimate, a Mech has an intrinsic value of up to $25,000, that it cost to create and make ready for sale.
And the above estimate doesn't include the continuous running costs of office space, rent, bills, hardware, etc.
Meaning that yes, you
can acquire these things for free, but that doesn't make it worthless.
That's just simple economics.
And
without people paying for the product, the game simply
will not exist.
If PGI can't pay the bills, their wages and their overheads, the game and the direction of the company will become unviable, and MWO would cease to be.
Yes, some things could be handled better or differently, cheaper maybe, but ultimately, PGI aren't laughing.
They're grateful - they've said as much.
Without us, they have no jobs, no game, etc.
We aren't the morons who don't know how the world works kid.
Nor do we have no concept of money.
I've spent (well, will have as soon as preorders go up) US$360 (£250) on Clan Mechs.
For that I've got 42 mechs (including 16 heroes), 43 mechbays, 4 modules, 12 titles and badges, 16 cockpit items, 150 days of premium time, 6 colours, some camo specs and 2,000,000 C-Bills. Plus whatever's in the Faction Packs.
I've spent probably another $100-150 (£60-90) otherwise (including MC, Joystick Upgrades, and such).
That's got me around 60-70 Mechbays, 4 Hero Mechs, a few Champion Mechs, numerous colours and camos, almost exclusively on sale.
Hell, I think the only things I
haven't got on sale is 2 lots of MC and the clan packs.
In return for my money?
Over 2000 matches.
156:45:13 Hours of gameplay.
That's just shy of 7 full days.
And probably as much again messing around in the mechbay or on Smurfy.
That works out as roughly £2 an hour so far, dropping for every hour I play.
I'm fine with that.