The Economics of LARP (Part 5) -How much will players pay?
This is the fifth of a series of articles about the economics of larp and the failure of market forces within the hobby.
In the last article of this series, I found out what larp organisers charged for tickets and spent their budget on. To compare, I was interested to discover what players pay and would consider paying for events. I created an online questionnaire and circulated it as widely though the live roleplaying community as I could. As with the questionnaire to organisers, this cannot be said to be a completely representative survey. It has a self-selecting group of respondents. These are drawn from those people in my social circle, or online groups that I and my friends belong to.
There were three hundred and sixty-seven respondents from twenty-two countries. I believe this includes the majority of countries where English speaking LARPs are organised and run.
As the respondents decided to spend their spare time answering my questions, it selects for those players who are more engaged with the hobby. These are likely to be the players who are attending multiple events every year.
50% of the respondents attended between 3 and 7 events every year. Event organisers, as was seen from the last article, organise fewer events that this per year, but attending an event takes far less commitment and time than organising one. Many players attend events from multiple different systems and there is frequent cross-over between event runners and LARP players. Someone may organise one or perhaps two events in a year, but play several others. I did not ask how many different systems players participate in, but I suspect for most players it will be more than one.
Some players attend a truly staggering number of events in a year, but 11% of players attend one event a month on average. This demonstrates a significant commitment of free time to the hobby.
I asked players what usually they paid for a larp event (including food and accommodation if it was included in the ticket price). Two thirds of players generally pay up to £120 for their events. However, there are approximately 1% of players who usually pay between £500 and £750.
A question which I did not ask, and in retrospect should have done, is how much does your average larper spend on the hobby each year and what percentage of their annual salary this is. Is anyone has this information, I would be absolutely fascinated to discover the figure.
My argument for a long time has been that larp events are not economically viable and that organisers should be charging more for their games. I wanted to discover the maximum amount that players would pay. Initially I asked what the most expensive event that they had ever attended was. 11% of the respondents had paid more than £500 for an event. For organisers worried about running a high cost event, this is a useful figure. If you managed to entice all those respondents to your high-concept, high-ticket-price-event, this would give you a player party of 40 people. This is large enough to run a successful, medium sized event at a relatively expensive site.
Many players within the hobby started as students, but there is now a mature population within the hobby who are relatively cash rich and time poor. Certainly, my pattern of play has changed with time. I would rather play two to four high quality (and probably high ticket price) events in a year than play a cheap event every other weekend. I have neither the stamina or the free time to play that often, even if I wanted to. Real life gets in the way!
As I write this during COVID-19 lock down, it seems hard to believe, but until earlier this year there were hundreds of players travelling to international larps. It was not unknown for players to fly to different countries for larps several times in a year. We have yet to see whether this will be possible in the future.
Low cost airlines may no longer be viable and paying premium airfares may push far-flung events beyond the budget of many players. Airlines may fold, or significantly reduce their routes, leading to a reduction in the number of sites where it is feasible to run an international larp, due to travel time. The loss of wages to many during this period is guaranteed to affect disposable incomes and the money we all have available to spend on our hobbies. However, if things return to how they were previously, there are lots of players who would pay a significant amount to travel to a desired event. Some players answering the questionnaire had paid more than £1500 to get to a larp!
Instead of brooding on the problems at the moment, I turned my attention to the future, when we I hope can all travel again. Whilst it is a hard question to answer, I wanted to know how much players would pay for a ticket to their ultimate larp. This requires a degree of imagination on behalf of the player as comprehending what could be included in that description is huge. I gave no description of possible games, so different players will be imagining varied destinations, technology levels and NPC interactions for this figure, which would obviously come with different price tags. However some respondents would pay up to £5000 for a ticket to the event of their dreams.
Players were prepared to pay even more to cover other costs associated with the larp including travel, accommodation, costumes and props.
How does this compare with that people will spend on other things? It appears that players will spend approximately the same amount on a larp event as they would on a week’s holiday. This seems pretty equivalent to me as although larp events are on average about 3 days long, players often take time off around the event, for travel and recovery.
It also shows how much players value the opportunity to go larping and the time spent doing so. With limited amounts of money and a finite amount of holiday time, larps are still prepared to prioritise spending their limited resources on our hobby.
The world has changed dramatically since I started writing this series. Currently many countries are in lockdown, with citizens prevented from leaving the house. The skies are clear of aircraft and vapour trails; airports are empty. Many are working from home, with others temporarily suspended or part pay, laid off or on shorter hours and reduced pay. Larp events around the world have been cancelled due to restrictions in groups of people meeting and travelling.
It is likely that things will not be normal for some months, or perhaps will never return to previous normals. However escapism is important for humans and as larpers we revel in the chance to go to another reality and be someone else. That’s the ultimate escapism.
Money may be tight, but there have been limited opportunities to spend it during the shut down. As soon as restrictions are lifted larpers will be looking for ways to spend their money and places to go. Yes, there are those who will be short of money, but others will still have disposable income.
There is definitely a need for low cost, local events to get give people the opportunity for escapism and social interaction with others as soon as lock-down opens up. If you are able to run this sort of event, please start planning now. We’ll all want to play as soon as it is possible. Those who are running innovative larps in technical ways so that people can play at home during movement restrictions also have my love and my admiration. Please keep giving us ways to avoid thinking about reality for a little while.
However, don’t think that you can only run low cost events. What I have discovered during my research for this series of articles in that there are players who will pay whatever you ask if your event is attractive enough. If you are an event organiser, I recommend planning the event you want to run. Cost it out and set the ticket price accordingly. Write your event well and interest potential players in your story and what you have to offer. Charge what you need to make that event viable. Enjoy your event and your players will too.
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I am very grateful to the following individuals and companies who completed my questionnaires and enabled me to collect the information that this blog post is based on.
Emma Rowden, Woody J Bevan, Diana Ostrat, Alissa Murphy, Wookie, Pip Walker, Marlayne, Fia Idegård, Aurore Maureille, Sue Lee, Isabel Ros, Marianne Koski, Damo, Francesca Cicetti, Roz Horton, Aaron E-J, Amalia Valero, Tom Garnett, Gavin Bodill , Louvisa, Michelle Taylor, Hanna Olsson, @larp_photography, Tara M. Clapper, The Geek Initiative Larps, Massi Hannula, Andy Sirkin, Philla Evans, Karin Gustafsson, Céline Bras, Rob Hopper, Martijn Kruining, Elina Gouliou, Tom Boeckx, Stefania, Maja Hansson, Jens Scholz, Thor Schramm, Mona Dellnitz, Tina Reißig, Owa, Ben Burston, Rika, The Tangerine Tornado, Lukas, Phil Vaughan, Birta, Stefan Hage, Rob Walker, CJ, James M, Christopher Zierl, Joschi, Fabian Abrath, Jean Gerard, Johannes Kröger, Sascha Staubli, Sue Savage, Martin Ireland, Tanja, James Osborn, Jannis, Golik, Mike Segner, Elizabeth, Nathalie Roann, Celestin, Nicola Tait, Tristan Jackson, Bren O’Leary, Y. Becker, Seb, James Mendez Hodes, harry Harrold, Alexinara Phoenix, Sh33py, El Loughton, Anna Meléndez Sans, Oliver M., Anna-Elisabeth , Thomas Lenzen-Zielke, Milner, Aaron Johnston, Sabrina Auer, Daisuke Takegami, James, Erica Wilcox, ralf, Michaela Ziehm, Caecilia, Jules Fattorini, Alex Rowland, Shiv at facebook.com/goodlarp, Mira Joy D, Deanna, Ericka Skirpan, Ayden Sauvageau, Kaza Marie Ayersman, Sara Welsh, Erin P., Ellis McGinley, Gail Robertson, Noot, Jeff Markus, Jeremiah Webb, S. Guile, Jonathan Loyd, Renee Ritchie, Kate Bell, Rosemary Warner, Liss Macklin, Allied Games, Roz, Neil, Ericka Skirpan / Entropic Endeavors, The Good The Bad and The Dead, Christopher ‘Lambie’ Lamb, Alicia, Brian Williams, Valley of Shadow, Alex Helm, Hollie Caddock — ERDA Larp, Mads Holst, Lost Colonies Larp, Martine Svanevik, Helle, Curious Pastimes crew, Tean Shaw, LRSQ:TB, Kåre Torndahl Kjær, Brøndum, Chaotic Shiny, Larson, Kaia Aardal, Rob Hopper, Larp Shack-Durham-North Carolina-USA, Legends of Gerrar LARP, Harts of Albion Lrp, Hanna, Owls&Whales Larp, Kitty Dobson, EYELarp, Tom Boeckx, Ark2197, Ella Watkins, CJ Romer, Erica Wilcox, Disturbing Events, Jude Reid, Shadow Factories, Klan Kronjæger, Pelle Johansen, Nick Bradbeer, Wookie, Kate Armstrong, Seven Hours Productions, Conan Daly — Orion Sphere LRP, spitelarp.com, Court of the Peacock’s Tail, Sean Milligan, Aubi Orga (Betti Aub), Andreas Andersson, Werner from Munich, Colin Northridge, Christian Horsch, Polychromical/Suus Mutsaers, Elin Dalstål, Sebastiano Palumbo , Contagion Team, Martina/Maeve, LARPHack, Insomnia Lrp, Matt Pennington — Empire Lrp, Lorraine McKee, Tara M. Clapper, The Geek Initiative Larps , Francis Lachance Courtois, Riben Asia-LARP, Johanna, Königreich Geronien, Aubi, Age of Essence, Hunters Society, Eleanor Loughton, Mythical Fools, Malc Craven — Scheming Demon LT sanctioned events, Zoe Prosser, Verein Holo-Con Austria, Piotr Milewski, BlackBox 3City, Antony Andrews, Harry Harrold, Tom Boeckx, Ark2197, Philla Evans, Mads Havshøj
With Special thanks to the Commercial LARPs Ericka Skirpan / Entropic Endeavors, Lost Colonies Larp, Curious Pastimes crew, Legends of Gerrar LARP, Kitty Dobson, EYELarp, Tom Boeckx, Ark2197, Conan Daly — Orion Sphere LRP, Matt Pennington — Empire Lrp, Tara M. Clapper, The Geek Initiative Larps , Francis Lachance Courtois, Polychromical/Suus Mutsaers, Carcosa Dreams, Ark2197
And others who wished to remain anonymous.
- The first blog of this series, is about LARP and the Failure of Market Forces.
- The second in the series is What LARP Should Cost?
- The third in this series, looks at What do Other Similar Pastimes Charge?
- The fourth post discusses What are we Charging?
- The final post in the series is How Much Will Players Pay?
