Buying habits

fabio de lunatico

fabio de lunatico

Claymore
My buying habits have changed over the years. It used to be that I bought games rarely, from stores, and only those I really wanted to play. But the advent of the internet brought an abundance of cheap games just a few mouse clicks away and that's changed everything. Now I hardly ever venture into a B&M stores, buy games I don't really want, and -- because they're relatively inexpensive, particularly at certain times of the year -- too many of them.

The upshot is that I buy and play more games than ever before. I should be grateful but the truth is that I've never valued games any lower. Buying a game used to be an event; now it's just a formality. The solution? Buy fewer games, stop buying games I don't want, and avoid the coverage overload in the online media. Easier said than done...

Anybody else feel the same? What are your own personal buying habits?
 
I get almost all of my PS3 games second-hand from Gamestation a couple of months after they come out, I find that's even cheaper than buying online - The most I've paid for a PS3 game so far is £20.

As for PC games, I haven't bought any in ages as the minute I got my new laptop last year it was out of date. It's just too expensive to keep a PC for gaming these days. The only PC game I really want (and I want it more than any PS3 game) is Empire: Total War and my laptop doesn't even meet the minimum system reqs. :cry:
 
The only time I ever pay more than £20 for a game is when I absolutely must have it on release day -- and that's a rare occurance these days. Just last month I bought Prince of Persia, MadWorld, Banjo: Nuts & Bolts, and Final Fantasy Tactics A2 for a total of £55.

My PC plays games just fine. Just so long as they're at least 3 years old :D
 
I'm quite picky and always have been so my habits tend to be the same as ever. I don't buy many games and do tend to play them. I think I have been through the same phase of decadent mass-purchasing but that was when CEX in London sold off all it's JP PS1 stock for £1-£5 a pop. I learned my lesson after that.

Weirdly now the PS3 is region free my habits have changed in an unexpected way; I'm finally buying UK games again for my main console occasionally (previously, I've had import-locked consoles and been unable to buy locally even if I wanted to). My town has three dedicated game shops, strangely, so there's always a deal if you look around and try to beat the online pricing. If they can't compete, Amazon/Game.co.uk get my money instead :)

On the DS side I find that the type of game I like most (adventure/puzzle types) often tend to stay at high price points forever even online. I tend to avoid those in the shops when possible and scrape pennies off in sales online where possible.

I never play PC games any more but my husband refuses to buy any until they halve in price since they're all guaranteed to so quickly now. It's like they've destroyed his ability to take their launch prices seriously any more.

R
 
I don't buy games. It'd be one expensive hobby competing against another. I have reason to believe that, although my life revolved around them years ago, I'm not exactly a big gamer any more.
 
I know what you mean....looking at my ps3 games collection recently...and realising how little money i will have if i trade them in.

For instance. i've recently bought Xmen Origins - Wolverine (last friday) and decided to have 2 sessions on it. (about 4-5 hours) on normal difficulty....i finished it on the second session...which was sunday. whilst playing i'd already unlocked the bonus costumes....so when the game was completed...all i had...was a unknown urge to trophy horde.......but that gets boring. admittedly the game was excellent and i thoroughly enjoyed it...i don't find it was worth buying for £34.99 in game station second hand to boot! *sigh* the worst thing about paying over £25 on a game....when you trade it back in...your going to lose atleast half of the money you paid for it. this leads people down the dark road of hording too many old games which don't compete with the newer market.

And after a substantial ps2 and ps3 game collection...that are now gathering dust...as i can't bear to take it to a shop or sell online...knowing that i wouldn't make quarter of the amount i've paid over time.
Ipod games on the other hand are worth their money. many a time have i bought 59P games which i have already had the option to play the demo....so i know what i'm getting...their the only games i'm willing to pay for....ever since the mistakes i've made buying ps3 games which turned out to be crap......Lemmings....Ragdoll Kung Fu (was okay for such events where you'd have the lads playing too....but alone it wasn't worth a penny), Pain....i was introduced to Pain by a friend and told it was a really good game...played it round their house and really liked the mindless destruction aspect. and the rewind feature was focus to many lulz......although once i'd bought the game myself and played on it for more than 10 minutes...the novelty wore off and it was at that moment i realised i'd just wasted money on it.

*sigh*

On a brief note. there's a way that people can download all/any games for free off the PSN. if you wish to know how. PM me or something.
 
Back in the N64 days I had started to buy games myself. The only way I could find out about games was to read N64 Magazine (which was better than NOM). However, because I was only on pocket money, I would only get a game at birthdays or Christmas, and very rarely bought them myself. I had owned about 22 games. At the time I thought this was huge. The games I got were usually top quality because I only got games I really wanted.
Now that I have money of my own, not only do I buy games on a regular basis (approaching 50), I own several consoles. I'll buy a new game every 2 or 3 weeks, and usually get things that slightly interest me. I haven't had my PS2 for long, and with it having such a huge library of older games, I'm spoilt for choice so I'm always on the lookout for PS2 games. God bless the internet.
 
Oh god, I'm awful. I love games, but I have soooo little spare time. But I still cannot resist the urge to buy them anyway. Usually online, and often imported so that I can get the specials editions with artbook or OSTs. Unless I'm on holiday and then need to impulse buy from stores. And I will never allow my husband to buy and play a game that I am intending to play, because it is MINE.
 
gaming is my first hobby and will never die! (not to say that i don't love anime aswell)
anywho i'm most of the time purchasing games...but i usually wait a while till the price lowers a bit or i shop around online. and also i hate buying second hand games from stores, there is only like a £5 difference (if its a new release) and i would appreciate it more if the money i spend goes more towards those responsible for the game than the stores making profit from second hand games.
and on that note i got Dark Sector in the post today for a mere £7.99 from play lol! a fairly average game....
 
chaos said:
sonia_leong said:
....And I will never allow my husband to buy and play a game that I am intending to play, because it is MINE.
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Oh, lol =)
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We have had fights over this. Believe! XD Odin Sphere, Grim Grimoire, Mana Khemia, Ar Tonelico - all totally off limits to him.
 
Weirdly, having enough money to buy more games than I used to be able to has coincided with me buying fewer games in general. I think I used to feel a great sense of anticipation and satisfaction saving up and then being able to buy a game on release (FFIX comes to mind most often), or a wonderful sense of freedom when getting birthday money and suddenly being able to choose a game to buy - but now that the thrill of being <i>able</i> to buy a game has gone, some of the thrill of buying games has gone. As such, I only tend to buy limited editions of games on release these days.

This year has been affected by Street Fighter IV taking up 99% of my gaming time, too, so I have far less inclination to buy any new games.

As for B&M vs online, I buy a lot of games from supermarkets when they're discounting them, and some second hand stuff from GAME or Gamestation. New release games would almost always be online, though, as a) I like to preorder stuff and b) like I said, most of them are limited editions, and 99% of those are imports.

I hate buying download-only games in general, although I will make an exception for the odd exblah/PSN/VC title.
 
@ Ninja Boy: yeah i thought that game was average yet fun to play none the less. there's just something fun about running around throwing a Glaive at your enemies and slicing off any limb you want.

Sonia's a mad woman! i know you never cross a woman scorned....but everyone knows....you don't stop a bloke from playing a console...its one of those unwritten rules lol.

In honesty games have started to take a backseat...like my anime and manga. Not intentionally, just a victim of change im afraid....The adreneline rush and strive to win driving games has been replaced with driving IRL...The Adventure games Have been replaced with friday/saturday nights out with the lads.
Alas mindless Murdering on games is the only thing i have left to keep me attached to the gamer within :lol:

Hence why buying X Men Origins - Wolverine was a good move :p extreme, fast, graphic, blood thirstyness lol
looking forward to Bayoneta and Prototype for the PS3 :)
 
fabricatedlunatic said:
Now I hardly ever venture into a B&M stores
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Yeah, I'd be far too embarrassed to go into one of those. I know the shop owner must be open minded to be in that business, but I mean, man, perhaps he video-tapes you. Much safer to order your stuff over the internet.

What the heck is a "Store"?

I purchase eclectically. Wherever the best deals are basically. As a PC games-player, I've become partial to purchasing multiple-gigabyte sized titles online because I've not the space for PC games (can you imagine if we were still using those A4-sized cartons?), and the packaging is often not so great anyway (I like those steelbook special editions you sometimes get, but I just really don't care about those black-plastic cases anymore. They're not going to make the game run any better, so boo-hoo and goodbye).
 
I never thought I'd buy games that didn't include some kind of packaging. In some cases, though, the convenience of buying and storing downloadable games outweighs my concerns about not owning a "physical" copy. Still, there is something about feverishly tearing off the shrink wrap, fondling the case, and sniffing the manual.

Er.

I do miss the feeling of buying an eagerly awaited new release from a shop on release day. I distinctly remember going to Special Reserve in Upminster and buying Goldeneye and Resident Evil 2. Having a new release drop through your letterbox is much more convenient but nowhere near as exciting.
 
fabricatedlunatic said:
Having a new release drop through your letterbox is much more convenient but nowhere near as exciting.
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Even though i dont purchase downloadable games, i agree with you on this one. i miss the days of going to my local video game shop to buy a new release.....
 
Over the weekend I ordered the Fallout Collection and today I've ordered Little King's Story from the Zavvi Monday sale thing. And Play.com will be sending Ar Tonelico 2 this week.

FAIL.
 
I only buy games on the internet now. I don't like how most stores put the contents in when you buy. The reason for this is that a few years ago I purchased ICO from my local Forbidden Planet (I think they still went by the name Another World back then).

The version of ICO was the limited edition one with slip case and artcards only I never received the artcards!!! At the time that I bought it ICO had just been rereleased in a regular case so no doubt someone received the artcards with a copy of the regular edition.

I now only buy games if they are shrinkwrapped which most shops don't do unless it is a preorder.

Currently I am waiting for Ar Tonelico 2: Melody of the Metafalica from Game - I recently received an email saying it has been delayed to 05 June.
 
There used to be an awesome little game store where I lived but it closed years back. There was a woolworths but, well, we all know what happened there, so now the only place is Blockbuster. They don't stock a good selection and usually it's cheaper online. But I do miss going down to that gamestore to pick up the releases I'd been waiting for. Doesn't feel the same.
 
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