While directly comparing gaming to DStv might not be called a scientific pursuit, they are both common forms of entertainment that a lot of South Africans enjoy.<\/p>\n
But what if you were told to pick one, and part of your motivation was cost? Which entertainment option would give you more bang for your bucks? We are going to try and answer that question.<\/p>\n
According to a 2012 Discovery Network study, the average South African watches 4.5 hours of TV per day. That\u2019s 31.5 hours of loafing around a week, and 135 hours during a 30 day month.<\/p>\n
DStv’s new pricing kicks in on 1 April 2014, costing R665.00 per month for the premium package, which means the viewer is paying R4.93 per hour <\/b>to enjoy their favourite pastime.<\/p>\n
A study conducted by US market research and tracking company NPD showed that \u201ccore gamers\u201d spent an average of 18 hours per week gaming. This equates to 2.57 hours a day, and 77 hours a month.<\/p>\n
The study also revealed that these core gamers bought \u2013 after rounding up to eliminate fractioned results \u2013 2 games per month.<\/p>\n
Taking a look at the bestselling titles in South Africa in recent times – Battlefield 4, FIFA 2014, GTA V, Assassin\u2019s Creed 4, and BioShock Infinite \u2013 the average price of a PC game is R429; a PS3\/Xbox360 game is R619; and a PS4\/Xbox One game is R700.<\/p>\n
2 games a month at the above mentioned prices gives you this lovely price comparison table.<\/p>\n
Platform<\/strong><\/td>\n| PC<\/strong><\/td>\n | Xbox360\/PS3<\/strong><\/td>\n | Xbox One\/PS4<\/strong><\/td>\n | DStv Premium<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Monthly cost<\/td>\n | R 858.00<\/td>\n | R 1 238.00<\/td>\n | R 1 400.00<\/td>\n | R 665.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Price per hour<\/td>\n | R 11.14<\/td>\n | R 16.10<\/td>\n | R 18.18<\/td>\n | R 4.93<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n | As you can see, even PC gaming – which is considerably cheaper than its console rivals – is more than double the price of DStv per hour.<\/p>\n Our question to you is: is gaming more than twice as good as watching TV (3.5 times better in the case of PS4 or Xbox One), or are games too expensive in South Africa? Let us know in the comments and forum.<\/p>\n More gaming news<\/h3>\nEA mum on Titanfall SA cancellation<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Australia looks set to get Titanfall server support<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n |