Gaming is an expensive hobby as new releases on average are being sold for $60.00 or more (depending on what version a player purchases). A gamer has to limit what they want to buy during the Summer and Holiday season unless they want to go broke.
A gamer has to make the hard choice of what to get and what not to get on day one. However it helps to know that some titles are worth getting on their release date while other title are better off until its available at a discounted price. Here are five types of games to never purchase at full price.
5. Party and Kart games
Not every co-operative gaming experience is limited to murder and mayhem, like in the world of Grand Theft Auto V. Sometimes a gamer wants to get with a few buddies and play some Mario Kart or Mario Party. Every gamer remembers these good times from back in the day and there is nothing wrong with keeping the memory alive.
These games do create great memories and are fun to play, but they are not really worth the $60 price tag. At best one is better just picking up a used title at GameStop when you actually need a party game. Also not all party and kart games have the same appeal as Mario Kart; most of them have been quick cash grabs of a dying brand.
It’s also worth noting that a party game is only worth purchasing if one has plans to play with friends, because there is nothing sadder than playing Mario Party by yourself.
4. Fad games
Once in a while a new style of game comes out and it becomes the talk of the community. Other developers try to mimic it while the original creators try to milk their possible one hit wonder dry. The popularity of these games only lasts for a while before the community goes back to the classics while the casual move on to the next fad.
An example would be how Guitar Hero and Rock Band were extremely popular when they first came out. It’s possible that every gamer had one friend who bought the complete set because they thought it was a cool game. They must feel like a moron now because its available for only a few dollars online or at some retailers.
Every gamer had one friend who bought the complete set because they thought it was a cool game.
Another example is the fad regarding the motion sensors that was made popular by the Wii. While the feature made the console popular, it hardly has caught on with other major titles on different consoles. Its an option on the Xbox One and PS4, but does anyone actually use it? While on the subject, how is the Wii U doing and do they have Grand Theft Auto V yet?
Developers and visionaries are always looking for new ways to push the boundaries of their imagination within the gaming context. However all gamers simply want to do is just sit back and blow each other up. So despite the new trinkets that are introduced during each console generation, in the end gamers will just go back to playing Grand Theft Auto V and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.
3. First Person Shooters
Just to be clear, this entry is about basic shooters like Modern Warfare and Halo. Open world and RPG’s like Far Cry 4 or Fallout 3 do not apply to this list since there are more to do than just run and shoot.
Shooters are always fun as they do a great job of pandering to our love of action, but sometimes they are not worth the $60 price tag. Sure titles like Wolfenstein: The New Order and Killzone: Shadow Fall were great, but gamers could have waited a few months for the price to drop.
Shooters are always fun as they do a great job of pandering to our love of action, but sometimes they are not worth the $60 price tag.
Back in the day titles like Half-Life and 007 GoldenEye may have been worth the price tag, but gaming has changed. Now titles like Grand Theft Auto V and Assassins Creed: Unity offer over 100 hours of gameplay for the same price as a shooter with 30 hours of gameplay.
Given the choice between Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare or Grand Theft Auto V, the gamer is better getting the latter. Shooters may be fun but one game offers more content for the price. Plus wait for six months and Advanced Warfare will be available for a discounted price.
2. Sports games
Sports games are like iPhones and Call of Duty, new one comes out every year but its still the same thing. Sure there might be a tweaked feature and graphics that have slightly improved, but overall it’s the same thing from last year.
Unlike the iPhones and Advanced Warfare, almost nothing changes about a sports game other than the athletes on the roster. Sure the graphics may get shinier with each new title but they are not worth the $60 price tag. That being said, they also have the biggest price drops after the holiday seasons.
There is nothing wrong with having NFL Madden in your game collection but don’t be stupid enough to buy it on day one. Wait five months after its release to purchase it and limit it to one title per-console generation.
1. PC Games
Another reason why it’s so great to be part of the PC Master Race is that you rarely have to pay full price for a major game. We never have to drive to a retailer to pay full price for a game because it is likely available at the Steam Store.
Every time Steam has a sale, gamers will go bankrupt and that is not a joke. Major titles that were recently released are available for at least 20% off while on average a game may be 50% off. That is not even taking into account if the game has had a price drop several months after its release.
Why buy one game when the entire collection is available for $30 or less?
Why buy one game when the entire collection is available for $30 or less? A gamer could have bought ARMA II on day one for $50 or wait a year and by the entire collection for under $30 during a sale. If you’re lucky you could get the entire Grand Theft Auto-series (that includes GTA I, II, III, Vice City, San Andreas and IV) for the same price during a special sale.
Steam may be the most well-known of the digital distribution platforms but it’s not the only one thanks to some competition with Origin from EA. The consoles also have their own digital distribution but it lacks the sales and discounts of Steam.
Publishers will try to convince gamers to buy their product on day one with a few extra trinkets. Gaming is expensive so be smart with your mony and wait for some titles to go on sale.
Published: Jan 27, 2015 03:21 pm