Your Methods in Choosing / Buying Games

[Mirroga]

NOTE: I am certain that this is a new topic. So stop telling me to use the search button.

Every single one of us has methods and ways of choosing / buying games. I'd like to know how you choose your games.

My method is what I call a "collective style" wherein I only choose what I consider the BEST game in the certain genre. I also choose games which have a certain unique appeal which I would keep in my collection because of its unique replayability. Also, if a better game comes out, I would replace the old game in its genre and either sell it or stays due to its unique appeal. Here's an example.

FPS: Orange Box
Third Person: MGS 4
Survival Horror: Dead Space
Hack n' Slash: Heavenly Sword
Sandbox: Fallout 3

Special Mentions w/ Unique Appeal:
- Infamous (due to using a variety of lightning in a sandbox environment)

Games which I want to be sold:
- Resident Evil 5 (I'd rather play Dead Space than Resident Evil 5)
- GTA 4 (Infamous and Fallout 3 is more fun than this)

When God of War 3 comes out, it would replace Heavenly Sword in hack n' slash, but since Heavenly Sword has a unique appeal which makes me play it again and again (using sixaxis to control projectiles), it would still stay in my collection.

Why do I do this style? Because I want every game to be a worth of my money. I created this method to have the best replayability factor.

 

[Loop Stricken]

I've always been a sucker for games with a heavy Character Creation mode, or games such as [PROTOTYPE] that just serve to tittilate my bloodlust and desire to wage calamitous carnage 'pon all and sundry.

 

[Cuniculus]

I read reviews on certain games that I might be interested in, and decide if it is the kind of game I would like. I don't just go based on score, but what the review says about gameplay. It could have a 9.5 and I still wouldn't play it because it isn't the kind of game I like. It works pretty well too, because I've only ever been disappointed by one game I bought.

Effing Blue Dragon.

 

[RavingPenguin]

I buy games based on box art, usually. Ive got a gamer radar that tells me when a game is going to be crap, usually it gets ignored and I regret it afterwards. Onechanbara is a great example but the raging 13 year old in me bought it anyway.

 

[BloodSquirrel]

I mostly buy what looks good. I've got pretty good instincts, and this has served me well.

I'm also loyal to good developers who consistently make good games.

Reviews and other people's opinions are responsible for the weaker part of my collection.

 

[Pimppeter2]

I can pretty much guess whether I will like a game or not. So I go off that

 

[darthzew]

I can pretty much guess whether I will like a game or not. So I go off that

This.

 

[ExistentialCrisis]

Trailers are 90% of the reason I buy a game, strangely enough. I saw that trailer for Fallout 3 with the advertisement for Vaultech and the accompanying brief taste of gameplay and was like "I gotta play this". I guess I'm in it more for the presentation than the hype; I tend to ignore all other forms of advertisement aside from, again, the trailers. I have been known to glance at reviews just to hear someone give a candid take on the specifics of a game, but I generally ignore their yay/nay on it.

The other 10% comes from franchises I'm familiar with and confident of, plus word of mouth. I have certain friends I can rely on for certain types of games to give me good recommendations.

 

[Loop Stricken]

It could have a 9.5 and I still wouldn't play it because it isn't the kind of game I like.

Then why read the reviews at all?

 

[Prince Rhys]

I buy games based on box art, usually. Ive got a gamer radar that tells me when a game is going to be crap, usually it gets ignored and I regret it afterwards. Onechanbara is a great example but the raging 13 year old in me bought it anyway.

This. Looking at the boxart, I've only bought one or two games I didn't enjoy. Listening to friends, magazines, etc, I'm maybe 50-50 on if I'll like a game or not. If I'm iffy on it, I read the wikipedia entry. That usually decides either way.

 

[megapenguinx]

I tend to go with positive buzz and reviews. So I look for great games first, then from their I judge replay ability and for which system I'd rather play it on.

 

[Cuniculus]

It could have a 9.5 and I still wouldn't play it because it isn't the kind of game I like.

Then why read the reviews at all?

You've seen some of these trailers for games. They seem like the best experience you could ever pay for, but it's all prerendered graphics that show you fighting a war in first person, then it turns out to be a real time strategy game. I don't mind having either, but I like to know what I am paying for. If you read the reviews, it tells you exactly how it plays and what the good and bad things are.

 

[NeutralDrow]

If I notice something, it's in a genre I generally like, and I think I've heard the name before, I'll look into it.

Oftentimes, I'll look into GameFAQs for reviews. If the reviews are mostly positive, I'll seriously consider buying the game. If the reviews are mixed, but the descriptions sound interesting, I'll seriously consider buying the game. If the reviews are mostly negative, but with one or two positive reviews describing stuff I like, I'll consider buying the game. If the reviews are overwhelmingly negative, I'll forget about the whole thing.

Other times, I'll look into GameFAQs reviews after buying the game, and I'll be thankful I didn't read them beforehand.

Other than that, I tend to either stick with things I've had good experiences with (can't really go wrong with Tales series, Zelda, or Melty Blood, or things I've played in arcades), or go by box art.

 

[savior in death]

The other 10% comes from franchises I'm familiar with and confident of, plus word of mouth. I have certain friends I can rely on for certain types of games to give me good recommendations.[/quote]

i useualy play the demos but in the off chance they dont have one i go with this ^

 

[toasterslayer]

3 questions:
1. how many friends are getting it?
2. good replay?
3. full price?

 

[Gaming_Purist]

I generally lean toward games that have the following:

1) Longevity and replay value (first-party Nintendo titles [historically] do this very well)
2) Strong online following/fanbase
3) Established online multiplayer community (if applicable)
4) An enjoyable demo
5) Steam availability

I tend not to read that many reviews. What I DO read is previews/pre-hype. I also consider the buy less risky if I'm already familiar with the franchise/developer (id, Valve etc.). With all the information available online these days, it's pretty hard to pick up a "bad" game provided you do a little research beforehand.

 

[RnAoDm]

Boredom.

When i get bored one of the things i do is spend money. Doesnt really matter what it is. Will go look at websites for games see whats out / coming up and spend some money. Though this had led to purcashing some real crap and not just games.

Otherwise some sort of appeal for the game. If i liked a prequel i might buy it because the previous one was fun. If its a new release as long as it sounds like it could be fun for example lightning powers in a sandbox, that's good enough for me

 

[blaze96]

I can pretty much guess whether I will like a game or not. So I go off that

This.

ditto + reviews.