Poll: How do you buy games these days?

[LookingGlass]

I'm wondering how everyone obtains their games these days, as we move closer to a digital-only world. Have you embraced it, or are you clinging to the past for as long as you can?

The main options as far as I can tell would be:
- Buying a physical copy of a game from a physical store
- Buying a physical copy of a game from an online store (imported or local) and having it mailed to you
- Buying a game digitally


Vote based on how you buy new games, since it would be skewed a bit for older games since often the only option is digital or mail-order. You can then get more specific about your overall buying strategy in a post. If there are large price differences in your country, feel free to point that out.


Personally, I live in Australia and the prices in stores are absolute crap (new games are usually $89-99), so that's not an option. Steam is great for indie games and older games, but they have Australian-only pricing for major releases which tends to screw us over just as badly as in stores. So for me, my best option is to import games from the UK, strangely enough. I can save $30-40, at the cost of waiting a week or so for my game to arrive. I use digital distribution retailers to pick up older games all the time though, with GOG.com being a favourite.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I'm still abit old fashion (going to the shop to buy it) however due to the whole GAME problem lately it look like I will be heading toward online shopping more soon.

 

[Sassafrass]

I walk into a shop.
I look for the game I want.
I pick up the game case.
I walk to the till.
I hand the case over to the guy behind the till.
We banter for a bit while he's getting the disc, manual and anything else the game has.
Then scans it through the till, telling me "That'd be £x, please.
I hand over the money.
He puts the money in the till, my game into a bag.
He gives me the receipt, along with any change I'm due.
I thank him and walk away, content with my new purchase.

And that's how I buy games these days.
Saying "From a shop." is just fucking boring to me.

 

[EscapeGoat_v1legacy]

I got a decent laptop a few months back, so recently I've been mostly picking up games I missed over Steam. If I want console games, mostly I buy from Amazon and other online retailers. Here in York, there seems to be bugger all in the way of decent game shops, or for that matter shops that stock games in any way.

 

[putowtin]

I'm still abit old fashion (going to the shop to buy it) however due to the whole GAME problem lately it look like I will be heading toward online shopping more soon.

pretty much this, if I was preordering it'd be from Game.co.uk (for the double points and free delivery) but with the whole ME3 fiasco I'll be looking to amazon and play.com from now on.

 

[triggrhappy94]

I'll go to gamestop and pick a new game up. I also like getting a ton of older games for only acouple bucks, so the internet is a good source.

 

[Fr]anc[is]

For the last few years I've been buying almost exclusively from Steam when I could. The sales are just too good. Serious Sam 3 is just a few months old and I got it for $10 the other day when I combined the sale with an xmas coupon. However, the more games I get, the more paranoid I get of something happening to my account. All the Origin talk hasn't helped that either.

 

[Vault101]

Retail.....(even PC games)

even though I always know what games I will/wont buy I love the feeling of looking through the shelves..and somtimes you get surprised

 

[Erttheking]

Gamestop. There's just something exciting about hitching a ride up to the mall to get the newest release.

 

[krazykidd]

I prefer to have a physical copy , so no digital games for me ... Ever . The day Every game becomes digital , is the day i stop buying games . I will however buy old games but nothing digital . I may download free games ( like fp2 games ) but i will never buy anything i cannot physically hold in my hands and call my own.

I also only buy from retail , i like to be able to see the disc before i buy.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

90% of the time, it's Steam. It's always open, it's usually on sale, it's for my preferred platform, I never have to leave my house. Only inconveniences are download times and fumbling for credit cards.

 

[Zen Toombs]

I tend to buy new games from a physical store (seeing as I play on a console) and tend to buy used online.

 

[burningdragoon]

For regular purchases, I go to Best Buy. If for whatever reason I'm preordering, I will go to Gamestop.

I will occasionally order from Amazon, but I like going to physical stores because I still like to browse and human interaction is nice sometimes.

 

[Cheery Lunatic]

Last-gen or current gen? Gamestop (srsly, does anyone actually use any other retailer?)

Anything older? Amazon/Ebay.

PC? Steam

Honestly though, it depends when it comes to preordering. Cuz then it's just whoever has the nicest bonuses.

 

[Kae]

Well last time I bought a game it was a humble bundle online which is my only Online purchase ever, but for the most part I only buy Gamecube, N64, NES, SNES, GBA and GB games from second hand stores.

 

[natster43]

Physical copies from Gamestop. There is just something I like about going to a store and picking up a physical copy of them game that I like more than going online and ordering or buying digital.

 

[Brutal Peanut]

I've leaned towards digital distribution for most, but I still buy physical copies for certain games. Whether that's from the store, or ordered from Amazon.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

The last few games I've bought were bought on physical disc from my store (yay, store discount). Other than that I'll use Amazon to buy older or, more obscure titles. I've got a few games digital like the ambassador games on the 3DS. When I buy games I want something physical to show for my investment. I'm still getting over the fact that game manuals are on their deathbed; the thought of an all-digital games future outright scares me. Buying something digitally makes me question weather or not I actually own what I've purchased.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

New releases are from brick and mortar stores, impulse buys and older games are from Steam.