Do you buy games at release or do you wait till it is cheaper?
- Thread starter Casper Andersen
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Gods, people who always buy a game new must have lots of disposable income. I think I feel pangs of jealousy.
In answer to the question, as some have said I prefer to wait until a price drop (which doesn't always come in a console's lifetime, unfortunately) and have sadly resorted to buying used a bit more often than I used to.. particularly in regards to PS2 games.
To be honest, I personally don't see most games as worth full retail price. They're either disappointing, or too short, or aren't even a full frickin' game! I've also been burned on a number of "gotta get it now!" games, such as Metroid Prime 2 or Zelda Spirit Tracks.
I will, however, plunk down good money right at the get-go for a game I have strong confidence in. Ghost Trick, anything Phoenix Wright, Saints Row the Third.. so forth. It's a lot less common, and I've begun to buy far less modern/new releases, slowly changing to play older games more often. Whether stuff I've owned and simply still play, or retro releases such as GOG.com or some fun indie stuff like Steam.
I just don't have the money to pay what they want for these games anymore, and I'm willing to bet a lot more people are in the same situation and either don't say anything or the developers just haven't realized.
In answer to the question, as some have said I prefer to wait until a price drop (which doesn't always come in a console's lifetime, unfortunately) and have sadly resorted to buying used a bit more often than I used to.. particularly in regards to PS2 games.
To be honest, I personally don't see most games as worth full retail price. They're either disappointing, or too short, or aren't even a full frickin' game! I've also been burned on a number of "gotta get it now!" games, such as Metroid Prime 2 or Zelda Spirit Tracks.
I will, however, plunk down good money right at the get-go for a game I have strong confidence in. Ghost Trick, anything Phoenix Wright, Saints Row the Third.. so forth. It's a lot less common, and I've begun to buy far less modern/new releases, slowly changing to play older games more often. Whether stuff I've owned and simply still play, or retro releases such as GOG.com or some fun indie stuff like Steam.
I just don't have the money to pay what they want for these games anymore, and I'm willing to bet a lot more people are in the same situation and either don't say anything or the developers just haven't realized.
I used to by games the moment they come out, but usually I really wanted them. However, various disappointments taught me various lessons. This changes my approach but then I moved to Nepal. In Nepal, you can't actually get any real copies of games (that I've found) and I don't trust copies. Due to this, I buy a whole load of games when I return to the UK (about 2 times a year) and I usually get them a lot cheaper than I would. Plus, when I get back, I have loads of games to play (usually enough to keep me going until my next trip)!
I wait. And wait. Being consistently broke doesn't allow me to spend money on games at their launch price. That, and there's always a list of other stuff to do and get before I get to the games.
As many have said, it depends on how much I want the game. If I must have it immediately I'll pre-order, if I really want it I'll buy full-price at launch and if it's just a 'looks cool' title I'll wait for it to go down/be on sale.
If I really want a game, I'll buy it on release. Plain and simple. Other games I might wait a week or so to see how they do and then I decide whether to buy them at full price or wait until it drops in price.
Games are expensive these days and there are many of them out there. With games becoming really short, $50 doesn't sound appealing at all. Factor in economic situation, and you got the reason why I buy them cheap. Unless it's something really amazing that I can't wait for (which is rare), I can wait until the price goes down. In the meantime I focus on the games that I missed getting which tend to be cheap so I can buy them like a bundle.
Well if I'm anticipating a game I'll usually buy it at or near release just because it's usual several months (8-10) and even a year before the price goes down and I don't really want to wait months on end to play a game I've been looking forward to just to save 20-30$
I usually wait until the price goes down to a good price. Unless its just something I can't seem live without. Only a few games have reached that position.
If it's a game in a series that I'm loyal to like Elder Scrolls, Saints Row, or Fallout, then I'll buy it at full price. Most other games, I rent and later buy if I like them enough.
I personally buy games only after I've read both several user and pro reviews of the game. I look up gameplay video's, read reviews, find out as much about the game barring plot spoilers, and then finally decide whether I want to buy it. This does mean I don't usually buy a game until at least a week after release.
Exceptions are:
Dragon's dogma: I played the demo and looked at several gameplay vids before release. And I loved it. I still do.
Guild Wars 2: I played 2 beta's and 1 stress test so far (missed one, stupidly) and have yet to be disappointed. Even more so because of the no sub model.
Torchlight 2: I pirated TL1. I loved it, and still play it. I saw beta gameplay of TL2 and played a bit of the beta myself. Plus you get TL1 free with TL2 pre-order. I wanted to support an indie company that does such good work for a cheap price. So I got that too.
Exceptions are:
Dragon's dogma: I played the demo and looked at several gameplay vids before release. And I loved it. I still do.
Guild Wars 2: I played 2 beta's and 1 stress test so far (missed one, stupidly) and have yet to be disappointed. Even more so because of the no sub model.
Torchlight 2: I pirated TL1. I loved it, and still play it. I saw beta gameplay of TL2 and played a bit of the beta myself. Plus you get TL1 free with TL2 pre-order. I wanted to support an indie company that does such good work for a cheap price. So I got that too.