The Value of Entertainment

I feel like a portion of the gaming community doesn’t associate games with traditional entertainment. If I go to the movies, a concert, or subscribe to Spotify I am purchasing entertainment. I don’t view it as necessarily purchasing a product that I can refund. This is also how I view live service games. If I quit Diablo 4 today, I would 100% feel like I got my money’s worth.

I’m not asking this question because I want to try to change anyones mind or debate them but I’m just curious. Why do some think that it’s appropriate to buy a product and get 30, 40, 50, or 150 hours of entertainment and then ask for a refund? In my opinion, video games are one of the cheapest forms of content that exists. It doesn’t seem logical for ask for a refund for something a person has already consumed. Like, I don’t bring the center of the toilet paper roll back to Walmart and ask for a refund. I have to buy a new roll. That’s how entertainment works.

This applies to any game. Not just Diablo 4. Live service games almost always have in the ELUA that the game will change over time so someone saying they want to refund because the game changed is invalid.

I understand that some people become unhappy if the game changes and they no longer enjoy it and I acknowledge that 100%. My point is that games are entertainment and entertainment is something that is consumed. It’s an experience. It’s not a product. Unless it’s a single player game that one can resell. In that instance the person can recoup some of their money possibly.

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Passive enterainment versus active enterainment.

Games are active, and build a far deeper connection than passive ever could.

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That makes zero difference imo.

It makes massive difference, check psychologic studies on the topic.

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I’m not saying you’re wrong. I’m just saying to me that games are no different than any other form of entertainment.

You are demonstrably wrong; it’s not a matter of opinion.

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It’s called being an entitled spoiled brat. You shouldn’t be allowed a refund after so many hours.

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Saying someone’s opinion is wrong is ridiculous. That’s why it’s called an opinion.

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The product was sold on the background of being a long term, season-based game. It’s garbage. The fact that people have played for 100s or 1000s of hours is largely irrelevant; the product isn’t fit for purpose.

Frankly, the calls for refunds are clearly melodramatic and never, ever going to happen, but the point remains; different products have different value propositions, you can’t simply say “this gives this many hours for that much money” and directly compare them.

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There’s a reason I play games and generally don’t go to movies and concerts. Also “hours spent” isn’t a great metric. “Hours spent having fun” is. Some of these games usually have a barrier that isn’t enjoyable that has enjoyable content on the other end of it so we “put up” with it to get to the good part. Eating our veggies so we get the dessert if you will. For me, this game doesn’t have that.

So even though I played about 80 hours, I maybe enjoyed like 20 of them. For me this game, when compared to others both in the industry and in the genre, is very very low value.

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Opinions are absolutely capable of being wrong. Or, more accurately, people incorrectly hold opinions about things which have no subjective element to them. Your opinion is wrong because the topic is objective, not subjective. It’s like saying “it is my opinion that oranges are blue”.

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If you ordered a car in your favourite color with all of the bells and whistles you wanted drove it for 2 months then they take it back and give you a lemon you’d be fine with that? Pretty much the same thing for many, not all, but many.

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They are literally dumb and think they can fraud Blizzard without consequence.

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Opinions can be factually incorrect but an opinion is still an opinion and factuality doesn’t matter. It’s
a person expressing themselves. I view games are no different than any other entertainment. I acknowledge that you don’t believe the same thing. When you read my opinion, if you feel offended or think that my opinion applies to you, that’s your problem not mine.

Then why did you play the 60 extra hours?

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Video games are entertainment. Not cars. Each person chooses to use their time playing the video game they want to or consuming whatever other entertainment they want to. It’s a personal choice. Live service games specifically tell everybody that the game can and will change.

opinion
1+9 = 3

Is it factually wrong ?

Hoping it would get fun at the tail-end, which is what I explained in the first part of my message, thanks for reading :slight_smile:

You can view games however you like; your view is factually wrong. Not sure why you are still replying, you literally stated here that you agree with me. You hold an opinion that is factually proven to be wrong, by choice. That is called willful ignorance. I don’t “choose to believe” anything; I know what the evidence bears out.

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I disagree with this sentiment. You’re paying for a service. You can absolutely request a refund for services not rendered. Depending on the cash value, you may have to take it to court if you have the time.

If a concert is cancelled or rescheduled, I’m pretty sure you have the option to refund the tickets (fees may or may not be involved).

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