Re: pbm game fees

From: tstuch@phoebe.cair.du.edu (Tim Stuch)

Date: Tue, 29 Aug 1995 00:00:00 +0000

In article <41vd3l$avv@protocol.protocol.com>,
Chris Kessel wrote:
>In article <950828172159473@mdcs.com>, keith.langley@mdcs.com writes:
>|> per turn processed:
><excellent fee analysis enclosed>
>|> GM and author, ONE TRUE FAITH
>
>As the person who oringally asked how people can afford PBM's I'll follow up.
>I still think PBM's are too much for what you get.  The few I played rarely
>gave me the dollar value per hour I got out of many board games and many
>computer games.  Not to mention often being frustrated with turn errors,
>the US postal service, people dropping and unbalancing the game, etc.  Many
>of those frustrations are outside of the control of the company running
>the PBM, but it still lessens the enjoyment value per dollar.

The trick is to find games that you love.  While it doesn't really fit
the PBM genre, I participate in a Playmaker Football league.  The amoun
of enjoyment that I've gotten out of $15 is tremendous.  But the game
itself would be nowhere near the fun without everyone else in the
league.  There are as many problems with with board games, RPGs and
computer games as there are with PBM games.  I find the response to
problems from the PB(e)M crowd to be lots faster.  And if PBM is too
expensive, there are plenty of PBeM games that are cheaper, or even free.

>Do I think PBM's charge unreasonable rates?  *NO*.  As Mr. Langley pointed
>out, most PBM's barely eek out a living.  I have no qualms with the prices
>charged. They are perfectly reasonable as far as what the PBM owner has
>to do to stay afloat.  I just find the prices too high for the fun I get
>out of it.  In fact, I tend to think PBM will probably slowly die out
>as computers offer more opportunities to have multiplayer games.  PBeM
>will probably replace it and hopefully make it cheaper to run the games.
>

I agree that PBeM will eventually overtake PBM, but I don't know if it
will kill it off entirely.  And if you aren't receiving enough enjoyment
for you $, try something else.

>Until then I can only look at the fun games out there and hope the day
>comes where the prices can drop enough for me to play.

Its all in the value you get.....

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References

pbm game fees
keith.langley@mdcs.com (Keith Langley)
Mon, 28 Aug 1995 00:00:00 +0000
Re: pbm game fees
chrisk@yogi.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Chris Kessel)
Tue, 29 Aug 1995 00:00:00 +0000