Money, money, money, must be funny, in the gamer’s world. Except for all the times that it is not because of how expensive video games are getting, what with their on-disk DLC or special collector’s edition that do not contain disks.
Things that people may want, what a delight!
Firstly, and possibly worst…ly, is the mega popular Loot Crate subscription service known far and wide on the internet. While the service itself does not come with a video game, it instead delivers a medley of “gamer” related merchandise. Although some may only know Loot Crate for its original service, it has since then branched out to more specific niches to deliver subscription boxes to, such as LootAnime, LootGaming, and LootPets. However, even though one can buy a monthly crate for their specific niche, there is an ongoing problem that a fair amount of subscribers face: they do not actually want what comes in their Loot Crate. The deals might save the consumer money, but that only works if the consumer actually wants the products they are saving money on, a common issue brought up by subscribers. Each crate delivered has a certain risk to it in that it could very much be possible that the subscriber has no interest in the brand that the merchandise is from, or the products themselves are mainly for novelty. While the t-shirt included in each month’s Loot Crate could be seen as useful due to the fact that it is wearable, the rest of each month’s box is a game of chance, which puts Loot Crate at being pretty unnecessary for anyone without a disposable income.
Which one of these could possibly hold the DRM-free copy of the game?
Second to the plate is Indiebox, a subscription service based around one specific indie game a month that is compatible on PC/Mac/Linux to assure that no one will go unsupported. Now, while the service itself is centered around one game a month, it is also important to mention that those who subscribe get exclusive merchandise that is all about the game. Notable items that Indiebox has given in the past include branded controllers, soundtracks, ties, and USB drives with DRM-free copies of the game designed as being an enemy from the game. While the merchandise included is a large selling point, the main issue arises from either already owning the game, or the game itself just is not that great/suitable for the subscriber in terms of content. So while Indiebox would make a fan of that month’s game very happy, if the subscriber did not like the game, the merchandise included would be much less worth it. However, for those just looking for specific indie games and their boxes, Indiebox does sell some of their past boxes individually (although more expensive), and for collector’s purposes the key is printed on the outside of the box, so the subscriber never has to open it!
Look! Multiple video games that one might be able to play! Possibly, hopefully, maybe they will even have fun playing them. Oh, the possibilities.
Last up is Humble Monthly, the subscription service with what some argue is the biggest bang for one’s buck as it includes multiple (yes, more than one!) PC games each month for the monthly charge of $12. These indie games are usually fairly popular enough with titles such as Rocket League and Mad Max but it is usually one “big” game coupled with 5 or so smaller games in terms of price and quality. The worst of them all would be the new Humble Originals which are games exclusively available through Humble Monthly, all of them being of the same or lesser quality of games one can find on websites such as Newgrounds and Kongregate. That is not meant to be a slight to those websites, because those games are free, most just take issue with the fact that they feel like they are paying for games of that low quality. So, while this subscription service is possibly the most cost-effective with the amount of games and the 10% discount on any games in the Humble Store, it also depends on if someone buys one of the games that will be included in the future and then has an extra key they may not know what to do with, whoops!
So that was it for this editorial all about different ways in which you can waste your money, but is still somewhat gaming related. But hey, maybe you have one of these subscriptions and it has been totally worth the money spent, that would nice! If you have any of these services, are interested in any of them, or are completely against them in general, make sure to leave a comment below and let us know what you think!
