In 2021, publishers like Activision Blizzard made more from selling loot boxes and other downloadable content than the average Vegas casino made through gambling. Given that the odds of winning in a casino are usually quite a bit higher than pulling the very best items from loot boxes in gacha games, this probably shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Of course, the fact that there’s next to no regulation when it comes to microtransactions in video games also helps these profiteering publishers quite a bit.
Few games highlight the scale of this problem quite as well as Diablo Immortal, which features some of the most aggressive monetization to have ever graced a video game. Shortly after its release, one YouTube channel decided to calculate the true cost of fully gearing-up in Diablo Immortal, with the final number coming in at a staggeringly high $110,000. Needless to say, most gamers simply cannot afford to spend that kind of money on microtransactions, though, for the select few who can, there are plenty of better investment opportunities out there.
1,571 Full-Priced AAA Games
Even with the price of video games recently rising to seventy bucks a pop, $110,000 would still be enough to purchase more than 1,500 full-priced games. At a rate of one game per week, that would be enough to last players more than 30 years in total; longer still if they played a lot of RPGs or purchased their games used or a few months after their initial release dates.
To better put that number into perspective, HowLongtoBeat estimates that the average game takes around eighteen and a half hours to complete. Assuming that this estimate is accurate, players could therefore expect to get a little over 29,000 hours of entertainment from 1,571 games, meaning that they could theoretically play continuously for more than three full years before finally completing them all.
A Brand-New Car
Barring a handful of supercars, $110,000 would be enough to purchase just about any road-worthy vehicle on the market. In fact, with some careful budgeting, one could realistically expect to get two or maybe even three fairly decent rides for that kind of money: enough for the average family. Of course, those wishing to splash out on something a bit more luxurious have plenty of options as well.
Among the many high-end cars that cost $110,000 or less are the Tesla Model S, the Porsche 911, and the BMW M5. For anybody willing to shop used, the sky really is the limit, with not just Ferraris and Lambos available, but also helicopters and small planes. Granted, one’s mileage can always vary when buying second-hand vehicles, but the likelihood of getting a good one is probably a lot higher than the chances of getting a 5/5 5-Star Legendary Gem in Diablo Immortal.
A House in West Virginia
In theory, $110,000 should be enough to buy a house just about anywhere in the United States. In real(i)ty, however, finding a decent house for that amount might not be so simple. Not unless one happens to be looking in West Virginia, that is. The average house price there is cheaper than in any other state and actually comes in around two grand under budget, making it a great place to live for those looking to get the best bang for their buck.
Those wondering what a $110,000 house in West Virginia actually looks like may be pleasantly surprised as well. There are plenty of three and four-bedroom houses available within that price range, many of which offer over 1,500 square feet of floor space or more. Alternatively, buyers could snap themselves up a huge plot of land instead, with the average acre costing about as much as one of Diablo Immortal's top-tier Legendary Gems.
A One-of-a-Kind Pokemon Card
To some, spending more than $100,000 on a piece of cardboard might seem just as frivolous as blowing it all on microtransactions in Diablo Immortal, but the former is undoubtedly the much better investment. Over the past decade or so, the price of Pokemon cards has skyrocketed and continues to rise year on year. Ridiculous as it may sound, this has led to many people seeing the long-running trading card game as a viable long-term investment opportunity.
Sadly, $110,000 isn’t quite enough for the likes of Shadowless First Edition Charizard or Pikachu Illustrator, but it would still cover the cost of a truly one-of-a-kind card. In early 2021, a PSA 9 copy of the No. 2 Trainer card from the 2006 Pokemon TCG World Championships sold for $110,000. What made this card so special is that it is the only copy of the card to have ever been graded above PSA 7, making it incredibly unique and a highly sought-after collectible.
Dinosaur Bones
One of the biggest problems with microtransactions is that the digitally-delivered items become worthless the moment a game’s servers shut down. In fact, in a lot of cases, players don’t even have to wait until a game's end of service for their in-game items to become worthless thanks to the inevitability of power creep. The good news is that those searching for something with a proven ability to hold its value need look no further than the past.
For millions of years, dinosaur bones have not only survived the test of time, but also increased in value. Over the past two decades alone, the price of these prehistoric relics has increased so much that some museums are now struggling to outbid private collectors like Nicolas Cage. Despite this, $110,000 should still be more than enough for a few bones, which, in ten years' time, will almost certainly have held their value much better than even the rarest of Diablo Immortal's gems.
Diablo Immortal is available now for Android, iOS, and PC.