The Gamer's Quarter

[dhex]

so, generally speaking...what is your yearly budget for games? is it serviced via debt instruments, credit cards, cold hard cash, christmas club savings programs, etc?

edit: i'm not looking for statements here, of course, just general figures. and what sort of valuation one places on a game - i.e. if you buy a decent game for 40 bucks, do you love it more or less than getting the same game for 20 bucks? how much does the financial angle affect your perception of a game experience? or does it not even count as a factor?

double edit: also, do you ever count up how much you've spent in this particular medium for kicks? do you take the cost of a console and divide it by how many hours you've used it, coming to a rough per-hour valuation?
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[SuperWes]

Budget? HA!

Umm, I usually pay for games with my debit card. Unless I'm buying on the internet, then I use my credit card.

I try not to rack up and debt due directly to my video game buying and that works pretty well for me. Only one month in my life have I ever failed to fully pay off my credit card bill.

-Wes
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[Swimmy]

I actually measure all prices relative to the typical $50 game. Am I really willing to spend a whole videogame on food this week? Probably not!
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"Ayn Rand fans are the old school version of Xenogears fanboys."
-seryogin

[Lackey]

I spend a fair amount on games, but I'm hesitant to spend more than $40 on any individual title (because I'm stingy) so I'm usually a year or more behind what's contemporary.

I pay for things in cash. Well, bank card, since the only thing I've ever needed hard money to pay for is food and coffee.
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| Little bird fighting against a bat sect game |

[dark steve]

I totally have half.com records that encapsulate a good 80% of all my gaming buying and selling, which I will be happy to share once the site starts behaving again and I can look at them.

[purplechair]

I buy about one or two games per month and rarely pay more than £20 per game anymore. Ex-rental bins, eBay, Play-Asia's deals of the week, holiday sales... there's lots of ways to save.

I think it was Wind Waker that did this to me. I bought a Cube just to play that game, waited a few months until it was released, reserved my copy and paid full price, picked it up on the morning of release, left it a few more weeks until my finals were over and I could devote serious time to it, sat up exploring the seas until about 4am night after night, did all those little subquests... and after a few weeks it was finished, and I was left wondering where the rest of the game was. Four dungeons? That's like a prelude in most Zelda games.

By only paying half the normal retail price for games, I feel like I'm not getting ripped off, which is nice.

[Mr. Mechanical]

[dhex]

do any of you make exceptions for paying full price for titles that embody the sort of emotive spirit or whatever it is you wish games would put forth?
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[Persona-sama]

I do!
But I usually end up regretting the purchase a day afterward.

THE SPIRIT IS DEAD.


I buy games mostly during the Christmas season where the titles I'm interested in are hurled out the door at a flood-like current! Besides that, I try to buy games used too. Like last week, I bought Skygunner for ten dollars used at Gamestop. Useful!
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[Ryan - SuperWes' Bane]

I think I could safely say I spend no more than $250 total on games every year. And I never buy brand new anymore. I've fallen behind with good games that I've wanted to play, so their prices have all dropped or they are a greatest hit when I eventually end up buying them. Plus I'm living in Japan, so I can only buy games when I'm in the USA nowadays. I ended up buying around 6 games this Christmas for about $120, and that's gotta last me until at least June or July! I don't see why people pay full price anymore for games, and I sure as hell hope that people see the glory of used games as $60 games from Next Gen consoles start to surface. (It's been this way in Japan for quite some time, but I saw that Xbox360 games are selling for about $60 in some places these days).

I have a question though. Would you guys pay $60 for a new game on a new system? Or have you come to expect the $50 threshold? If memory serves me, games like FF6 were selling for close to $70 brand new at some places.

[Mr. Mechanical]

[dessgeega]

i buy nearly everything used, almost always without a box and/or manual. (or at 34 dollars off - see "buy this now" thread.) there are rarely any new games released that i want to buy (my copy of animal crossing was an early holiday gift). in this way i manage to afford games on an inconsistant budget.

note that this doesn't leave me any money for buying, say, books or cds. i've chosen videogames as the one interest of mine that i actually invest in.
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[dark steve]

I don't mind paying pretty much any price for a game as long as I end up digging it. The whole "okay if this costs $20, I need x hours of entertainment for it to be worthwhile" concept is kind of a screwy way to judge value. I will say, however, I'm usually more upset if I pay $40-60+ for a game and it turns out to be mediocre than if I snagged it for 10 on ebay. This is the big reason I don't purchase a lot of imports

I also tend to liquidate older games as I purchase new ones, to keep the clutter down and keep my wallet from getting too light. Because of this, i've passed on buying cheap games that I know I'd never be able to get rid of.

Altogether, and subtracting from the games I sell, I've probably bled $600 a year on this stuff, which ain't too bad, considering how much hardware I end up going through.

[wourme]

I often buy used games cheap before I really know what they are, and then kind of wish I had bought new copies to support the makers. This was the case with Shadow of Destiny, ICO, and, most recently, Psychonauts.

I really like how cheap PSX games are these days. I just got Taito Legends in the mail today along with several PSX games that I also ordered. Each was $1-$3 and all seem to be good games. I try never to buy games I don't intend to play just for the sake of collecting, but my CD folder is getting pretty full of PSX games, and I don't know how many of them I'll actually put much time into.

It's extremely rare that I'll pay $50 for a game. I think I've paid that for only five games, ever. Four this generation one long ago (Dragon Warrior 4).

[DonMarco]

I buy one and only one new release a month. No roll-over crap. budget-wise, I'd say close to $100 a month, and twice that for strategy guides.

Console-wise I average out about $800 in a year. Last year was the GP2X, GBm, and the other thing. Next year will be another GP2X (2nd edition) and a DVD burner. A Japense Dreamcast and PS2 would be swell, though.
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Collector of over 1,538 strategy guides. That's weird, right?

[GSL]

I'd imagine I probably spend $300-400 a year on gaming related purchases. On a college student's income, it's a doable habit, as long as one is willing to make small sacrifices, like seeing if that package of bologna, half loaf of bread, and pound of cheese will last two weeks instead of one.
My purchases are mainly made with my Visa-equipped check card. I refuse to fall into the trap of getting a bona-fide credit card; with student loans I figure I'll have enough to pay off in my post-college life. Plus, there's the wonderful feeling of knowing that even though I sometimes have to scrape between paychecks, the money I spend is my own, and I won't have to pay anyone for letting me spend it.

As far as the value of the game versus its cost, the exact equation I use is so fraught with higher math that I myself don't understand it, but it basically comes down to a question of Frothing Demand and, of course, the means to pay. If it's a game I've been anxiously awaiting for months on end (i.e. Lunar DS), I'm usually more willing to spend full price. Often, I'm willing to hold off for a few months and weigh the word of mouth opinions while waiting for the price to drop before I finally make the purchase.

Interestingly enough, I'm more willing to pay full price for handheld games than home console games. The last full-price console game I bought new was Resident Evil 4, and barring some must-have sleeper hit, the next one will be Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence. The $30-35 price point for GBA and DS games, however, makes buying one new seem like less of a crushing blow to my bank account. Also, the DS is steadily becoming a full gaming console in its own right, instead of the diet, sugar-free home replacements that handhelds have traditionally been. With that in mind, the $30-35 price range is no sweat.

Now if only some publishers would get it through their heads that $40 is NOT a viable price point for DS games (*cough* Lunar, Tony Hawk...)

[Sushi d]

i usually end up spending about 50 dollars a month in gaming purchases. The only exception to this rule is when i'm buying the console itself. i myself use that $50 ration on bying used games and stuff.

my recent purchase habits...
my last 3 full price game purchases were SMT: nocturne Metal Gear Acid and DQ8....
i bought 2 consoles this year, the PSP (before i entered college) and the DS+mariokart combo (christmas)..
I plan on buying a few games within the next 4 months. Ape Escape 3, Subsistence, Shadow of Colossus, and possibly KH2 (it makes me want it for some reason.).. and a bunch of DS games. most of them new.
i tend to visit some of the gaming stores in my area atleast 3 times a month and i dig through thier used/on-sale games..


as for me, i'm a really really empoverished college student. so $50 dollars is a bit too harsh on my wallet. due to that I sometimes delve into more "saucier" methods of playing games i want to play. it hurts me sometimes though because i sometimes feel that some games deserve infinity times the amount they are worth on the market and i dont want to pay some seedy internet dealer so and so large amount of money for a possibly fucked up copy of the game.
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X_X

[xvs07]

Mostly I keep it to freeware, abandonware, and oldware. Otherwise, I've kept almost exclusively to discount stuff for the past six years, and I always pay cash via debit. The only exception this year was We Love Katamari. I fully expect this to change once I've moved to Seattle and am within range of Pink Godzilla and other local import-happy vendors. (As for sacrifices, I'm currently planning to live in a $400/mo. studio when I land there, partially because I'll be setting aside money for the Revolution launch date.)

[Mister Toups]

I probably spend $500 yearly at the absolute most. Usually more around $200-$300 to be honest.
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where were you when nana komatsu got a wii?

[simplicio]

I really don't like to spend more than $20 on anything, the main exception being DS games. But despite that apparent thriftiness, I still get most of my stuff from Gamestop and hardly anything from the internet. That's kinda contradictory, but I know how exciting it'll be when a copy of Disaster Report shows up at my local store for $10 after months of waiting. Once in a while they have their 3 for the price of 2 sales and I'll splurge on slightly newer titles then.

There are exceptions, and I tend to know them well in advance. I went out and bought a PS2 when Shadow of the Colossus was first announced and I knew it by premise and a couple screenshots alone. I may end up getting a PS3 for Ueda's next game as well. I know I'll buy Chibi Robo and Steambot Chronicles and Okami at release, and I used to think the same about Odama and Twilight Princess but I'm no longer certain. And I've learned that ignoring this instinct tends to be a waste of $50 at a time on crap like God of War.

[Lackey]

I bought a PS2 specifically for Shadow of the Collosus too. That said, I'm enjoying We Love Katamari quite a lot. Both were gifts, so yeah.
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| Little bird fighting against a bat sect game |

[Shapermc]

I spend too much a year. Before last year I was using credit cards... bad choice. Last year I moved up to debit mostly. I spent over $800 on systems alone last year (PSP, 2nd DS, 2 micros, Saturn and PCE Duo). That is not average though. I try to mix things up and get 1 new game a month and 2 to 5 used/cheap games a month (Used as in retro being anything older than PS2 [DC and older] and then bargain bin current gen stuff). I will purchase about 5 large budget games a year, this includes; arcade boards, rare games and specialty controllers. I will only download a dozen or so games a year, and never anything you can still buy new (mostly ROMs).

[Persona-sama]

Man, I totally forgot about those plushies! That's the only reason I even got Save the Homeland (which totally FAILS because you can't get married. ;_;).

I think I spend more on buying manga than I do on games.
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[simplicio]

[dark steve]

You gotta pre-order with your heart!

[simplicio]

You do, except preordering really turns me off.

I wonder if the Nintendo World Store runs out of stock on launch days? I plan to test this out with Tuesday's Electroplankton release. I like giving money to them better than to Gamestop.

[dessgeega]

the only game i have ever pre-ordered has been meteos.
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[Persona-sama]

Was it worth it?

I liked Puyo Puyo more. :/
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[dessgeega]

[Tablesaw]

I buy pretty much everything used from somewhere. When I don't, the video game is usually less than $50. New console video games I purchased this year for myself were Katamari Damacy ($30); Shadow Hearts: Covenant ($20); Shadow of the Colossus ($40); Resident Evil 4 ($40); and Killer 7 ($30). (And I bought those last three together during a Toys 'R' Us sale, so Killer 7 was free.) I'll pay full price if there's a game I want to give as a gift, but I try to avoid it when I can.

Now that I have a DS, I'm starting to peg the value of the standard game (on any platform) at $30-$35. My new portable games of 2005 were Superstar Saga ($?) and Wild World ($35). I also got a Mario Kart DS, Four Swords, and Pitfall as part of bundles.

I'll also pay the occasional $15-$20 for an downloadable game. I know I bought Breakquest and DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold this year, but I think everything else I have is from before.

The last game I preordered was Wind Waker, and I feel I got my money's worth from that Master Quest. When I do preorder, I do it online, so that I get the added benefit of having the game delivered to my doorstep.

I don't own any credit cards; I prefer to pay for my games with cash, debit, or Paypal. I usually spend about $50-$60 every other month, which puts me at around $350-$400 for the year for games for myself. Unfortunately, I spent a lot on consoles this year. I bought a bundled DS, a new SP (so I could give my old one to my cousin as a Christmas gift), and a PS2 for my girlfriend. So add another three hundred something to that total for this year.
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It's the saw of the table!

[dessgeega]

[Szczepaniak]

Interesting question.

Though I'm not a standard games buyer.

I try and buy mainly second hand, but I also get given games as payment sometimes. I'm also not averse to bootlegging when the time calls for it.

I seldom buy new games anymore, mainly since I'm more into retro. The last new game I bought was HL2, which I bought second hand.

I also almost never sell on games, mainly since the money I'd get is not worth the time and effort of getting it sold. Why go to all that trouble, just for 10 bucks? Meaning, I guess I place quite a lot of value on owning said item, even if I never play it.

The only time I will sell on, is for big money (RSG at £120), or if I really don't like the game and can make a quick second hand resale (I sold RE4 for what I bought it).

Also, seeing as I write about games, I have no qualms about about spending a hundred bucks on something, knowing I can write an article on it and get paid two hundred in return.

I also don't buy films, or music, meaning my main form of electronic entertainment is videogames (while not electronic, second books are cheap, thankfully).

Due to not having a stable regular wage (it fluctuates), I tend to stick with second hand items. But if it's something I really want, nothing will stand in my way, money wise (such as those CDI Zelda games).


Now that I think about it, the actual games industry probably doesn't make even a penny off of me. Since so little of what I buy is new. The last time I really spent a regular amount of money on things, was the Dreamcast. Hell, they probably havn't made any money off of me for the last 3 years!

Quite an insightful topic Mr Hex.

I also like to buy at least one previously unplayed game a month, and I like to discover a previously unplayed and interesting title every week (add up the numbers of THAT sentence ).

Oh, and emulation is king.

[dessgeega]

i emulate anything before i buy it, if i can.
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[Shapermc]

[Ketch]

Ha, talking of preowned PS1 stuff, I got Broken Sword 2 for 15 pounds, BS1 at 20 was too much for a game I already have on PC. The next day, I come into the same store and see BS1 for 2.99 pounds, take it to the desk and get served by the same game who sadly recognises that it is meant to be 20.00 apparently they had some new guy doing the pricing .

(they also have Rez for PS2) I keep wondering if it is worth getting.

and the shop up the road has Sentient.

[dessgeega]

[BrokenFiction]

Out of budget - but I used some Christmas cash to pick up a PS2 and a copy of Ico and DQ8. When I finish Ico I'll move on to Shadow of the Colossus, and you do. not. know. the patience it is taking to not get it now after reading about it around the web and especially w/ Mr. Mechanical's treatment in ish #4.

Anything else I pick up I just grab when I want, but with limited time to game, unless it's a classic that I just want to pick up for collecting purposes, I only buy occassionally.

[Shapermc]

[BrokenFiction]

I could be setting myself up for disappointment (though I doubt it), but everything I've read about the game is exactly what I want to do with a game. Unconcerned about levelling up and item collection, and just immerse myself in a fantastical story.

The flaws that exist (and this could go for any game this ambitious) speak to how immature the medium is and how much potential could be realized. Hopefully some young designer will be inspired by Fumito Ueda and build on his foundational work.

[Mr. Mechanical]

I'd say Shadow of the Colossus does more to advance the form, design-wise, as Ico tends to draw on too many old fallbacks like crate puzzles and such. It's still "videogamey" in its own ways but not so much as Ico tends to be.

[chompers po pable]

The last two games I paid full price for were Colossus and MGS 3. I don't mind paying full price for games when I support the ideas and developers behind them.