This post continues from Cost: Console Gaming vs PC Gaming. I won't be assuming too much this time around since if you really want to, you can just go read the older post. The most notable is that I've made accessories into an annual cost. There are a lot of accessories for the Nintendo Wii - the Wii Fit, the Wii Wheel, the Wii Zapper, Rock Band controllers, Dance Mat and so on. A Nintendo Wii owner is more likely to buy these things than any other gamer since they are casual gamers after all. They still buy the same number of games - because I think they're idiots. (And since I own a Wii, yes I'm an idiot.)
Nintendo Wii cost: USD250
Annual cost: Accessories (random pieces of plastic, Rock Band): about USD100 a year Games: USD420
I'm gonna assume it lasts six years, even though analysts say that's unlikely (we all know how good analysts at predicting things, for an example, see predictions of Australian dollar rise about 1.6 months ago). At a discount rate of 7% p.a., Wii gaming costs: US$2624.04.
It looks like the result is similar to the XBox 360. Here's the set of numbers again to refresh your memory:
XBox 360: $2635.94 PS3: $2447.61 PC: $2313.58 PC (with MMO): $2885.57 Wii: US$2624.04
It just shows what I've already shown earlier - any addition to the annual cost is a big hit to the cost of gaming on the console. And there it is - a comparable Wii number.
Remember to take all of these numbers with a grain of salt. In essence, they assume you spend money on the same amount of games. In real life, we know that's probably not true. For example, I play significantly less Wii and PC games than I do on my XBox 360 and PS3. I've also ignored the second hand market. If you play your cards right, you might spend only about $200 a year on games.
However, just to conclude - yes, PC gaming is relatively cheaper compared to consoles. But to be honest, you are gonna buy a nicer PC case. A nicer power supply unit. A new burner. A wireless networking card. And maybe even better RAM than what I've put there. When that all adds up, you find that gaming on any platform - will cost about the same.
So, stop ranting about which form of gaming costs less, which console is cheaper - and just start playing more games.