Most Common Mistakes of Video Game Buying

[SlitheryDee]

For me it all boils down to doing research and taking advantage of sales when available. Even if sales didn't exist, if you look up reviews and gameplay videos of games before buying them, you'll save a lot of money over someone who relies on box art, word of mouth, or advertisements. Ultimately, making certain that every purchase has a high probability of being enjoyable is the best way to get your money's worth.

 

[clok1966]

#4 should be: loading up on cheap games during steam sales devalues your game library as a whole.

I know it sounds stupid, but there are so many great games in my steam collection that I've never or barely tried. In the past I never would have bought a game and just left it sitting there collecting virtual dust, or tried it for 30 minutes only to abandon it because I have so many other games to play.

Steam sales are responsible for my gaming ADD. Is it steam's fault? No, of course not. But it's a fault nonetheless.

not sure i agree.. i do the same thing, have way to many games I have not played. But I far prefer having the game for someday then the never even knowing about it. So the flaw is me buying game I may never play.. IMHO or as you say.. dang i was so sure i had somthing new to say.. and well maybe not..

my point I have to many, but I think its better to have and not play then to not have at all (but it would be easier on my checkbook).

 

[PhatoseAlpha]

What is this doing in the PC games subforum?

1 is basically "Don't judge a book by it's cover." 3 is "Don't buy something for no reason." If you were going to do either of those to begin with....well, an article isn't going to help you.

Which leaves 2, which is essentially irrelevant to PC games as the used PC game industry is next to non-existent. Even if that were in the console games forum, it would still be questionable advice, since the console game companies have caught on and new games and used games are not always equivalent (Hello, free day 1 DLC with new games). Plus, anything that doesn't include the line "And for god's sake man, at least check Amazon first since you might be able to get it new for less anyway." is bad advice.

Actually, you could probably replace 2 with "Don't go to gamestop" and improve the quality of this 'article'. But then you'd haves 3 items, all of which pretty much qualify as "Duh".

 

[Via]

not sure i agree.. i do the same thing, have way to many games I have not played. But I far prefer having the game for someday then the never even knowing about it. So the flaw is me buying game I may never play.. IMHO or as you say.. dang i was so sure i had somthing new to say.. and well maybe not..

my point I have to many, but I think its better to have and not play then to not have at all (but it would be easier on my checkbook).

Here's my list of Steam games I've never downloaded or played less than a half hour:

18 Wheels of steel: American long Haul (lol - don't say it, I already know)
AI War
Alan Wake's new Nightmare
Alice:Madness returns
Alpha Protocol
Aquanox 1&2
Assassin's Creed 2
The Bard's Tale
Batman:AA
Bioshock 2
Blur
Bully
Call of Juarez:Bound in Blood
The Chronicles of Riddick:Assault on Dark Athena
Cold Fear
C&C:RA 3
Commander Keen complete
Company of Heroes: OF & TofV
Condemned:Criminal Origins
Counter Strike
Cryostatsis
Crysis Warhead & Wars
Darksiders
Day of Defeat
Dead Island
Dead Space 2
Deathmatch Classic
Deus EX:HR
Doom 3 :R of E
Doom 2 :h on E
Duke Nukem forever
Dungeon Siege 2&3
Earth 2160
FEAR 3
F1 2012
Final Doom
Flatout 2
Frontlines: F of War (broken)
Full Spectrum Warrior and TH
Ghostbusters
Gothc 3 : FG enhanced
GTA 3
GTI racing
the Guild 2
All of the HL2 extras
Heretic, Hexen, hexen2
Hitman 2:SA
Hitman
Hitman: BM
I am Alive
Indigo prophecy
Juiced 2
Kane and Lynch 2
King Arthur
All King's bounty
Kohan 2
LA Noire
The last remnant
Soul reaver 2
Mafia 2
Medieval 2: TW
Napoleon: TW
Nexus: TJI
Oddworld
Orcs must die
Overlord
Prey
P of P:S of T
Quake
Quake 2 + extras
Quake 3
Red faction 1 &2, G
Risen 2
Rome: TW
Runaway
Stalker CofP and CS
Saints row 2
Sanctum
Sniper elite
Spore
Jedi knight 2
Stronghold 1,2, crusader and legends
Stubbs teh Zombie
Supreme Comander 2
TQ:IT
Thief;DS
Splinter CellA
Trine
Tropico 4
Ultimate Doom
Uplink
All Warhammer
X pand rally

Add to that, from D2D :

NFS: hot Pursuit (the latest one)
Amnesia
Mount and Blade
Supreme Commander and FA
Sword of the Stars
GTA:Vice City
Mirror's Edge
drakensang

I just spent more time typing that out than I did playing most of those games, and I'm not sure why.

Probably to prove some sort of point.

 

[toughtrasher]

For me it all boils down to doing research and taking advantage of sales when available. Even if sales didn't exist, if you look up reviews and gameplay videos of games before buying them, you'll save a lot of money over someone who relies on box art, word of mouth, or advertisements. Ultimately, making certain that every purchase has a high probability of being enjoyable is the best way to get your money's worth.

This.

I don't understand some people here, wouldn't you want to know more about what you're purchasing before you purchase it? I see a lot of people at Gamestop and whatnot saying "oh that looks cool" and I know damn well it's a bad game.

 

[clok1966]

Here's my list of Steam games I've never downloaded or played less than a half hour:


Napoleon: TW


I just spent more time typing that out than I did playing most of those games, and I'm not sure why.

Probably to prove some sort of point.

Napoleon!!! got to give it more then a half hour, cant even get out of the Tut in that time hehe you list mirrors mine in many ways.. i have 700 some games.. played maybe 300.. stupid.. only good thing i can say.. I dont pirate anything anymore.. when i can buy it for $2.99 on sale its not worth the time.

 

[toughtrasher]

Napoleon!!! got to give it more then a half hour, cant even get out of the Tut in that time hehe you list mirrors mine in many ways.. i have 700 some games.. played maybe 300.. stupid.. only good thing i can say.. I dont pirate anything anymore.. when i can buy it for $2.99 on sale its not worth the time.

Good for you! I see people everywhere pirating things that are on sale for $0.99 or less. Ridiculous! :'(

 

[StinkyPinky]

# n Pre-Ordering is dumb.

No it's not. If its from a reputable developer and its a series of games you enjoy, there's a very high chance you will enjoy it. Thus pre-ordering will save you money and the risk is minimal.

Case in point is the latest bioshock game. I got three free games from that pre-order and they were all awesome.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Yep, pre-ordering (Bioshock Infinite + XCom + $30 game credit) from Amazon for $60 was a great deal.

I think I only got $10 off for pre-ordering Borderlands 2, but I also got Gaige free ($10) and wanted to support them based on all the fun I had from BL 1 GOTY that I got for $15.