Most Common Mistakes of Video Game Buying

[toughtrasher]

Just stumbled upon this article and thought I'd share with you guys.

I am looking to apply these tips so I can finally stop my bad habit of buying video games lol

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[Maximilian]

Could be re-titled "Most common mistakes dumb people make when buying anything"

 

[lilrayray69]

Yeah really. Applies to anything. Pretty shallow topics there...buying because of a glance at a cover, buying just because...

I don't agree with him on used games either. Is he a Gamestop representative or something? They make 100% of the profit off used games, developers get nothing. Gamestop also usually sells used games for only about $5 less. Not to mention how badly they rip off people who sell their games.

 

[Via]

#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.

 

[stahlhart]

Having a backlog of unplayed games is "fatal"? Who knew?

/good thing I made out a will

 

[imaheadcase]

The biggest thing with games, and biggest mistake for people, is that so many games exist in the first place. In the 90s the same people played the same games because only maybe 3-5 games a year that people bought and played to death.

With computers so cheap (well cheaper) and so many gaming devices, games are everywhere, across every platform, etc.

Is it any wonder why so many people reminisce about games of old? Because they played it like nothing else would replace it for a long time.

 

[Fardringle]

The biggest thing with games, and biggest mistake for people, is that so many games exist in the first place. In the 90s the same people played the same games because only maybe 3-5 games a year that people bought and played to death.

With computers so cheap (well cheaper) and so many gaming devices, games are everywhere, across every platform, etc.

Is it any wonder why so many people reminisce about games of old? Because they played it like nothing else would replace it for a long time.

And because of that, developers HAD to make a great game or they were in trouble because it was probably the only game they'd release that year so they had to make a profit. Now it's easy to just toss out a pile of junk and see what "sticks".

 

[Craig234]

The biggest thing with games, and biggest mistake for people, is that so many games exist in the first place. In the 90s the same people played the same games because only maybe 3-5 games a year that people bought and played to death.

Funny, Computer Gaming World in the mid-90's had up to 500 pages an issue.

 

[Dankk]

I disagree about the used games part. On the rare occasion that I purchase a boxed/physical copy of a game, I want it to be in perfect condition. Used copies of games are rarely in that good of shape, at least in my experience.

I picked up a PSP recently and splurged on games for it. Most of them are new, and for the handful of titles I bought used, they all have abhorrent scuffs and scratches on them. It irks me. I have no idea why people treat their games like that.

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

It's OK man... you're not the only one.

 

[cbk]

All gamers probably check ratings before they purchase a game...but there are the parents who have no idea what the heck they are buying and get their son or daughter the worst game ever. (Example: Baby Alive for the DS!)

 

[Zenoth]

Mostly subjective, and I disagree about the collections part, some people out there do enjoy collecting video games (physical copies, and of course mostly retro games but not exclusively so). And not only that but sometimes they try to buy them cheaper then they're worth and resell them for profits to other collectors (and they don't even play the games they collect, they're pure collectors).

Also, buying games based on the cover, which probably applies almost exclusively to retail games when the digital market is only getting more important and larger by the year (if not by the weeks). I could tell him a thing or two about regretting my non-physical and non-cover digital Diablo 3 and ME3 copies (ok, rather unfair since I bought them due to the popularity of their respective previous installments, wait... maybe that's the point too).

Overall it's subjective and it could indeed be applied to many other purchasable goods.

 

[pontifex]

Yeah really. Applies to anything. Pretty shallow topics there...buying because of a glance at a cover, buying just because...

I don't agree with him on used games either. Is he a Gamestop representative or something? They make 100% of the profit off used games, developers get nothing. Gamestop also usually sells used games for only about $5 less. Not to mention how badly they rip off people who sell their games.

new titles. you can get older titles for much less, like in the $10-20 range. They often have buy 2 get 1 free deals as well.

I don't play console games that much but you can find deals there.


oh and it's obvious he's talking about console games, not PC games. gamestop doesn't sell used pc games. do they even accept returns of PC games? not may PC games can be bought physically any more, or retail stores carry very few.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

The biggest thing with games, and biggest mistake for people, is that so many games exist in the first place. In the 90s the same people played the same games because only maybe 3-5 games a year that people bought and played to death.

WAT? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:1994_video_games

 

[chalmers]

WAT? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:1994_video_games

Quite a few children type stupid on purpose like this on multiplayer games. I see it's moved to this forum now.

 

[Maximilian]

Quite a few children type stupid on purpose like this on multiplayer games. I see it's moved to this forum now.

lolwut?

 

[Dankk]

Quite a few children type stupid on purpose like this on multiplayer games. I see it's moved to this forum now.

wat

 

[Schfifty Five]

That article sucked. Felt like some middle-schooler got assigned a paper where you have to pick a topic and give 3 reasons for this or that. Felt like they were just spewing all generalizations w/o any real content or support.

And when you get to point #3, feels like the kid ran out of ideas so he just made something up at the end. LOL

 

[ThinClient]

not really a helpful article

maybe for someone who's never bought a video game before... ever

 

[cbk]

That article sucked. Felt like some middle-schooler got assigned a paper where you have to pick a topic and give 3 reasons for this or that. Felt like they were just spewing all generalizations w/o any real content or support.

And when you get to point #3, feels like the kid ran out of ideas so he just made something up at the end. LOL

I completely agree.

 

[sandorski]

# n Pre-Ordering is dumb.

 

[Tweak155]

Just stumbled upon this article and thought I'd share with you guys.

I am looking to apply these tips so I can finally stop my bad habit of buying video games lol

http://mysteryblock.com/top-3-mistakes-of-buying-video-games/

Guys, this dude is a douche. He's just promoting his own website. He didn't "stumble" upon anything.

Check out his contact info.

At least be honest about your personal website pushing, douche.

I thought something was fishy when the website looked very amature (obviously a bad attempt at using wordpress), it started in March, and this guy's join date is in March.

 

[Ancalagon44]

0. Do not pre order a game. Ever.

When has pre ordering ever worked out in your favour? Never.

Look at Sim City - people who pre ordered got shafted.

 

[CPA]

The biggest thing with games, and biggest mistake for people, is that so many games exist in the first place. In the 90s the same people played the same games because only maybe 3-5 games a year that people bought and played to death.

With computers so cheap (well cheaper) and so many gaming devices, games are everywhere, across every platform, etc.

Is it any wonder why so many people reminisce about games of old? Because they played it like nothing else would replace it for a long time.

What? I remember getting PCGamer and going straight to the Chips and Bits game advertising PAGES. They had 4-5 pages of games listed in small print. I'd buy a game just based on the type and name.

 

[JTsyo]

I disagree about the used games part. On the rare occasion that I purchase a boxed/physical copy of a game, I want it to be in perfect condition. Used copies of games are rarely in that good of shape, at least in my experience.

I picked up a PSP recently and splurged on games for it. Most of them are new, and for the handful of titles I bought used, they all have abhorrent scuffs and scratches on them. It irks me. I have no idea why people treat their games like that.



It's OK man... you're not the only one.

heh, I can see how someone who packs away all his games would be irked by casual care of games.

 

[SMOGZINN]

Yeah really. Applies to anything. Pretty shallow topics there...buying because of a glance at a cover, buying just because...

I don't agree with him on used games either. Is he a Gamestop representative or something? They make 100% of the profit off used games, developers get nothing. Gamestop also usually sells used games for only about $5 less. Not to mention how badly they rip off people who sell their games.

I care about developers exactly as much as they care about me, that is to say to get what I can out of them for the absolute minimum amount of money I can get away with. No corporation would spend $5 more per game if they got no benefit from it, and neither will I.

The greatest bit of propaganda corporations every managed to pull off was the idea that we should support them out of some sense of loyalty that is not returned.