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What rules or principals do you have when buying games?

mαrkαsscoρ

Mr. SidleInYourDMs
Joined
May 5, 2012
Location
American Wasteland
Not many of us can afford to get every new release out there even if we wanted to, so how do you manage what new games you wanted to get? Since summer of last year, I've only bought 2 games at full price. I opt to just waiting at minimum a month on a new release so I can get it used b/c I just don't want to spend that much on games. The only times right now where I go for a brand new game is if either its something I'm absolutely ecstatic for of if its something I feel can use the support. There's a few other factors I consider but those are my main ones. Even something like Smash Ultimate I was able to wait on.

Do you guys have your own rules you go by? Like you won't touch a game if it has micro transactions or something?
 
If money is tight (like it is right now) i make a list of everything I'm interested in and then choose the most important one.

There are a lot of games i want right now but the one i'm going for is Link's Awakening because Zelda is important to me.

If money isn't tight and I can afford whatever I want I avoid ones with a lot of DLC and microtransactions. If there's a game I really want with those in I'll wait until a Game of the Year edition.
 
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el :BeoWolf:

When all else fails use fire
Joined
Feb 5, 2016
Gender
Centaleon
Assuming I have the money and find a few games I like, I prioritize on a number of things
Probably won't get it right away if I've already played it. If my friends are also playing it i will likely get it.
 

Spiritual Mask Salesman

CHIMer Dragonborn
Staff member
Comm. Coordinator
Site Staff
My number one rule is to watch gameplay demos of a game before I buy it to get an idea if it's a game I'll like. Even if I'm buying a new title within a series I enjoy, like Zelda. If I think I'll really like the game, I'll buy it right away. Like the others, the game I want the most is the one I'll prioritize saving up for and buying.
 

Turo602

Vocare Ad Pugnam
Joined
Jul 31, 2010
Location
Gotham City
I'm informed enough on what games are coming or already out and know what I want and for what price. My only rule is that I never buy a game at full price if I'm not gonna play it right away. I have a huge backlog of games, so I always have something to play, which is why I can wait on most releases. There are always tons of deals every week and even during Black Friday which is around the time a lot of big games are releasing. Depending on the game, my sweet spot tends to be 15-35 dollars for brand new games. I'm also selective of what games I do purchase because I'm usually willing to wait on certain games so I can get them on my Birthday or Christmas. For instance, Nintendo games since they never drop in price.
 

Dizzi

magical internet cat....
ZD Legend
Joined
Jun 22, 2016
If its a seriesi know i enjoy and is pretty easy and I've enjoyed a demo thrn im buying...
 

Castle

Ch!ld0fV!si0n
Joined
Oct 24, 2012
Location
Crisis? What Crisis?
Gender
Pan-decepticon-transdeliberate-selfidentifying-sodiumbased-extraexistential-temporal anomaly
No predatory anti-consumer practices is the hard line. I'd be here all day writing up a comprehensive list of all that but that includes on-disk DLC, DLC that was intended for/seems like it should have been part of the base game, microtransactions/loot boxes, single player gimped for the sake of multiplayer, etc.

I do extensive research before making a purchase over $30. This includes steam reviews, trusted video reviewers (ACG is highly recommended), walkthroughs and lets plays, etc.

If a title has gameplay trailers I'm more likely to trust it. If they offer an honest to god playable demo then all the better!

Otherwise I listen to general opinion and keep sharp for any potential outliers. People who say a generally poorly received game is good are worth listening to. Anyone who is critical of a popular title as well. Anyone who can point out specific caveats should be paid special attention because they're able to articulate exactly what it is they like or dislike about it. This doesn't necessarily mean they're right or that I'll agree with them but it helps form a more comprehensive understanding.

On steam and other platforms with user reviewers, reading the negative reviews of well received games tends to point out all the little things that are wrong with a title that shills and people who genuinely liked the game tend to ignore or gloss over.
 

TheGreatCthulhu

Composer of the Night.
Joined
Jan 22, 2016
Location
United States of America
Gender
Very much a dude.
These are my principles:
  • I don't support microtransactions
  • I don't support lootboxes.
  • I refuse to buy any game that's an asset flip.
Otherwise, I'm mostly fair with games, but supporting anti-consumer practices makes me not want to buy that game.

No predatory anti-consumer practices is the hard line. I'd be here all day writing up a comprehensive list of all that but that includes on-disk DLC, DLC that was intended for/seems like it should have been part of the base game, microtransactions/loot boxes, single player gimped for the sake of multiplayer, etc.

I do extensive research before making a purchase over $30. This includes steam reviews, trusted video reviewers (ACG is highly recommended), walkthroughs and lets plays, etc.

If a title has gameplay trailers I'm more likely to trust it. If they offer an honest to god playable demo then all the better!

Otherwise I listen to general opinion and keep sharp for any potential outliers. People who say a generally poorly received game is good are worth listening to. Anyone who is critical of a popular title as well. Anyone who can point out specific caveats should be paid special attention because they're able to articulate exactly what it is they like or dislike about it. This doesn't necessarily mean they're right or that I'll agree with them but it helps form a more comprehensive understanding.

On steam and other platforms with user reviewers, reading the negative reviews of well received games tends to point out all the little things that are wrong with a title that shills and people who genuinely liked the game tend to ignore or gloss over.
Castle, you ought to follow Crappy Games Wiki. Constantly updated to keep an eye on asset flips, microtransactions, lootboxes, and other garbage games out there.
 

Princess Niki

Allons-y
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Location
Alola
When buying used don't spend over $30 unless they were made within the last 5 years. It makes it really hard to find the games I really want.
 

DarkestLink

Darkest of all Dark Links
Joined
Oct 28, 2012
Money isn't tight. I'm just very stingy, bore easily, and have a bad habit of seeing games through in an attempt to justify my purchase, even if they bore me to tears....as such my general rule is to treat each game purchase like a car purchase in terms of research and consideration.
 
Joined
Oct 14, 2013
Location
Australia
I have a rough framework which I sometimes stick to and sometimes do not.
  1. $2 per hour of expected entertainment.
  2. I think the game will be fun according to my own tastes
    Recommendations from good friends - because they know my tastes and push my boundaries to like games I'd not have prevously considered
  3. Money - so I have to choose the games I really want, not just everyone I might want.
  4. The game is not lootbox to win or to have fun.
  5. Metacritic average player score. I just use it as a recommendation. I never use critic scores as they are often biased.
  6. Digital Foundry - if they do a video on the game. Not to say only 60 fps @ 1080 or better or bust. I go there just to see if the game looks and plays mostly ok.
Games that don't cut the mustard, but I still want to play them, I will wait and get them on sale. Zelda Wind Waker was a good example of this. I bought both the GC and WiiU versions on sale. In my opinion not worth full price but on sale, well worth it.
 

Azure Sage

March onward forever...
Staff member
ZD Legend
Comm. Coordinator
Depends on priority level for me. I usually buy games on release, but if there's something else I'm waiting for, I'll put it off. Generally speaking, as long as I'm excited for the game, I'll go get it right away. This is doubly true now that I am able to drive myself and am making money. However, that's mostly just for physical releases, which are what I prefer. If the game I want is digital, like an indie or something, I am never in any rush to get those, and I'll often wait until I'm satisfied with the current big releases that I wanted before I get anything digital.
 
Joined
Sep 3, 2017
Not a set rule that I absolutely always follow, but I have the idea of paying £1 p/h of the game played. As an example if I pay 15 pounds for a game, i'd like to get 15 hours from it.

It varies from game to game, there are exceptions such as Indie titles that are shorter games but cost more.

I try to avoid microtransaction heavy games, cosmetics are usually fine, again with exceptions.

If the game has player reviews that are just awful then i'll tend to avoid it. I feel getting a players opinion compared to a critics is always 50/50 though so I tend to be wary.

Theres probably more.
 
I buy games from my favorite franchises at launch. Mario, Zelda, Halo, Pokémon, etc. I get at launch.

Everything else, I wait for a price drop. I'm a bit of a cheap skate. I'll bite when a $60 game drops to $40.

As for practices I don't support, I avoid games with microtransactions. They are a plague on gaming.
 
Joined
Aug 31, 2019
Usually depends on timing. If i'm travelling alot and want something new to hold me down then i'll try to invest in something that can keep me occupied for the length of the journey.
 

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