Poll: Do you try games before you buy them?

[BolognaBaloney]

Right.

I wander how many people who pirate actually buy the game after the have "checked out" the full game. The temptation too just play the pirated copy is just too high. Unless it's a online game that won't work if it's pirated.

I read reviews and watch videos, as well as playing demo's too see if the game is worth spending my hard earned money on them.

Actually, you wonder, but that's not the point.

I'd rather have a physical copy of the game than a pirated copy.
It's ultimately less work, especially if your computer goes tits up.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather pay for a game than wait 3 days for it to download.

 

[SmilingKitsune]

Well some games, such as Bioshock 2, I know I will buy regardless of reviews etc.
But for most games, I read every review I can find, watch videos of it, and if there is one I'll try the demo.
Then I make my mind up.

 

[hermes]

I try demos when they are available... but many times demos are not a good representation of the final game, and many times I had been a turned off to games that ended up being great. Some examples are Burnout Paradise and Valkyria Chronicles... if it were for those demos alone, I would have never tried those games.

Another thing I use are reviews of sites and people I trust. That almost never took me down, and it is a good way to see which games are recommended for someone with limited income.

There is not such a thing as rentals in my country, but that is a good option too...

 

[BolognaBaloney]

I don't know about you, but I'd rather pay for a game than wait 3 days for it to download.

Depends on my funds, but I normally agree.

I assume since your a pc gamer, that your computer is probably loads faster than mine though, so that probably makes quite a difference.

 

[BolognaBaloney]

I don't know about you, but I'd rather pay for a game than wait 3 days for it to download.

Depends on my funds, but I normally agree.

I assume since your a pc gamer, that your computer is probably loads faster than mine though, so that probably makes quite a difference.

My PC is pretty cool, yeah.
Download speed depends entirely upon seeds, though.

You can have THA FASTAST INTARNET EVAR but if you've got only one seed, you'll be downloading for three weeks.
If you're lucky.

That's why I stick to older games, smaller file size and (generally) more seeds.

 

[ZeroMachine]

Believe it or not, a lot of times I go with my gut instinct. I try to rent or try demos when I can, but most of the time I just watch a gameplay video or two, if that, and then buy the game. And I've only been severely dissapointed two or three times (I'm not that picky of a gamer).

 

[Piemaster]

I prefer to play a demo unless the game is in a franchise I really like.

 

[Nazulu]

I usually do abit of research like reading a couple of reviews and see some gameplay footage on Youtube before even consider renting it.

 

[Abedeus]

I play the demo or borrow a copy from my friend.

Like with Prototype. I'm still buying it, even though I've played it a lot.

 

[Grayjack]

I normally don't play demos, but on occasion I will.

 

[GuerrillaClock]

What happened to the old Amiga days where you could get demos free with your magazines every month?

Them were the days. I always try to play a demo before I buy, and I tend to flick through a few reviews if the demo gets my interest. Then, if the harsh reviewrs like Edge and Gamecentral agree its' good, I'll buy it. If they give it lower scores, I might wait a while until the price drops.

 

[Upturned Walrus]

How about a demo? The most obvious of solutions?
I mean, that is the whole point of them after all.

but demos can be misleading they often throw in the only good level for the game into the demo but when you go out to the Video Game Shop,you give the guy your money,you get home and put it in ou console and it was nothing you hoped for i buy games then say their broken if they suck which most of the time they do but meh...

 

[Upturned Walrus]

What happened to the old Amiga days where you could get demos free with your magazines every month?

Them were the days. I always try to play a demo before I buy, and I tend to flick through a few reviews if the demo gets my interest. Then, if the harsh reviewrs like Edge and Gamecentral agree its' good, I'll buy it. If they give it lower scores, I might wait a while until the price drops.

you still do get demos free with your magazine well only the official magazines like OXM and PSW
but i still prefer buying a game and if it sucks telling the guys back at the shop that it's broken so i get my money back and i get to choose another game

 

[IamQ]

I play demos if they're avaible.

 

[GonzoGamer]

Personally, I think that it wouldn't make sense if you didn't try it before buying it, but how do you do it?

Ever since I bought No More Heroes I almost always try a game before buying (though my preferred method is rental, which wasn't in the poll for some reason, I download a lot of demos too) . I say usually because sometimes I liked the developers previous game so much, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt: like with Fallout 3 or Prototype or anything by Q Games.

 

[PurpleLeafRave]

I watch video reviews for a game on IGN and if it looks good, I'll buy it.

Same, Ive agreed with IGN for most of the games that it thinks are good (except mass effect which i hated.)

 

[MetallicaRulez0]

If it's a game I know is going to be awesome, like... Mass Effect, or Halo, or Smash Bros, or whatever, then I'll buy it blindly. That is no reading reviews, no demo, just buy it.

If it's a new franchise or a game I'm maybe less sure I'll like, then I either find a demo or find several reviews to see if there's a consensus.

 

[veloper]

I look for user reviews. I read the professional reviews too, but I'll usually wait till I know how certain online communities receive a game.

I rarely play demos anymore. So many games that don't even have demos.

When I was a kid I used to pirate alot. I would never buy anything I had already copied back then though and I guess I still wouldn't buy the game, if I was still a pirate now.
I don't believe anyone who says they would still buy after enjoying a pirated game.

So that's not an option. I'm a 100% legit gamer nowadays.