by Phoenix, HSM team writer

Having heard the great debate over the Digital Leisure bundle, I wanted to check it out. I heard all the screams of outrage that the “overblown” price had caused. This was followed by the commented speculation that Digital Leisure had surely lost there minds out there. How could they expect people to pay that much for games here in Home?

I too was shocked and taken aback when I saw the price myself. That shock was however momentary, as I realized suddenly it isn’t so big a price any more here in Home. I further realized that, were I able, I would no doubt purchase it myself.

Yes, I said it and I mean it. Had I the funds I would quite possibly be in line to purchase the $49.99 bundle from Digital Leisure.

My reason for saying this is as follows:  if you’re in that small percentage which spends on a regular basis in Home, then you have at one time or other spent $50.00 or more in a month. You probably spend $20-$30 if you’re a real Home lover and want the personal spaces or other trendy weekly content, together with the constant content updates, the freeium games pay to level ups,or the extra xp, the lucky charms to enhance the play, anywhere from .99-1.49…see where I’m going with this?

If you add the gift machine and the furniture bundles, coin bundles here and there, the sales on clothing and LMO’s — not to mention the Mansion One and Two — it doesn’t take long to see it can add up, and fast. The problem here is when you see a price like $49.99 set out just as bold as you please, it takes your breath away; you freak out. Your knee-jerk response might be thou-shalt-not outrage, perhaps? Digital Leisure must be crazy!

The truth is…no, they aren’t.

Digital Leisure didn’t just pull this price out of a hat. I’m sure they have watched the buying trends in Home. They have seen how consumers balk at first, then pay for the items they want, higher and higher in cost. Some of these items aren’t worth the price, but the value is in the individual consumer’s eyes. The sales of the new mansion prove that.

Point of fact: some of the complainers for the casino bundle are Mansion owners. You may wonder why the double standard, since they are paying $35.00 for one space sliced into four spaces? Again, the value you place on something is an individual opinion.

Here is my take on the question and the controversy over the casino bundle price.

As far as value goes, the Personal Casino Pack contains the casino gaming bundle with two video game machines (poker and Black Jack), one slot machine, a Black Jack table, a Texas Hold’em table, Roulette table, Big Six Wheel, and a personal Craps table finally a casino personal space to set up your own casino for $49.99.

If you wanted these pieces but didn’t want them at once or didn’t want the space, you could purchase the games separately $9.99 x7 for a grand total of $69.93, without the space. You can of course set these up in your other spaces as you like. If you still would argue that it is not a bargain, I would have to say there really is no argument.

If you mistakenly think that my defense of Digital Leisure is out of bias, or that I might be a gambler, let me assure you that is not the case. I have barely won 3600 chips at the games in the casino. I am so rarely there that I am still under level one in all games but three. I am respectively levels 2, 3 and 1 in these three games. But I do know a bargain when I see one.  I don’t really see a difference in paying for these games then any other games you might pay for and play in Home, if that is your choice. Lots of people purchase poker downloads, and other games of chance to play on the dashboard.

I think I must add however if you continue to pay these prices after complaining that they are skyrocketing and out of control, actions speak louder than words, and at that point words are pointless. Remember too that Sony makes the decision and approves the asked-for price from the developers; the developers can’t just charge without approval. They all have seen these prices met over and over again after the complaints fade.

If the sells do not meet the expected sells however, we may see a price drop as we have seen in the many summer sales starting with the Hollywood Hills House through to The Jewel of the Skies. Remember too that Home is a beta platform test ground. What we do here is noted, our purchases some would say most of all.

(Editor’s note: we’ve heard the Hollywood Hills House performed extremely well at its full price before being lowered in a subsequent sales event to capture additional revenue.)

It is my belief that these occurrences have a purpose. Everything done in a beta is noted, from the holes in the codes that allow glitching to the reaction to rising prices for virtual commodities. Conduct yourself thus.

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