Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

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chase210
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Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by chase210 »

I've been idly musing this lately. Every game I've bought new this year, or that was released this year anyway, has significantly dropped in price already. Some went down fast, some took a little while, whatever. Makes me think, why the hell am I buying games new anyway? You spend £40+, play it an hour or two, stick it on a shelf, and its half the price two weeks later. I've decided to be more cost effective from now on, and only buy games new when I know I'd play them and not regret seeing them cheaper later on, pokemon and what not.

How about you lot? How do you manage games and prices and what not?
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KSubzero1000
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Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by KSubzero1000 »

You speak the truth. The... economy of video games is all messed up when you think about it.
My rule is to only buy games at release if I want to support the (usually smaller) developers who have already earned my trust. And if I have reason to assume that there won't be a new version with more content at a lower price on the market within a few months. So, basically: If I feel like my purchase could do some "political" good without screwing me over in the process, I'll happily buy it. If not, I'll wait. No way would I ever buy anything from EA or UbiSoft for 60€. I bought Zero Time Dilemma and the latest Ace Attorney as soon as they were available to show my support. I'll buy Yakuza 0 at launch for the same reason, even though I still have to complete some of the other games in the series before starting it. I chose not to buy Batman: Arkham Knight at launch despite really liking its predecessors because I could smell that GOTY edition coming a mile away. So it's a case by case basis, really.
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Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by mikeleddy83 »

There's definitely an art to it. I feel I'm 90% there in mastering it but to describe it would make me sound like a mad man. Good luck!
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chase210
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Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by chase210 »

KSubzero1000 wrote:You speak the truth. The... economy of video games is all messed up when you think about it.
My rule is to only buy games at release if I want to support the (usually smaller) developers who have already earned my trust. And if I have reason to assume that there won't be a new version with more content at a lower price on the market within a few months. So, basically: If I feel like my purchase could do some "political" good without screwing me over in the process, I'll happily buy it. If not, I'll wait. No way would I ever buy anything from EA or UbiSoft for 60€. I bought Zero Time Dilemma and the latest Ace Attorney as soon as they were available to show my support. I'll buy Yakuza 0 at launch for the same reason, even though I still have to complete some of the other games in the series before starting it. I chose not to buy Batman: Arkham Knight at launch despite really liking its predecessors because I could smell that GOTY edition coming a mile away. So it's a case by case basis, really.
Sounds fair.
Todinho

Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by Todinho »

Well console games over here are really expensive and unlike in the west you cant even enter a store and go to a bargain bin where there are a bunch of older games much cheaper,those simply doesnt exist here so I rarely buy console games old or new,I usually only do it in dates like christmas and such where the price tends to drop a little. Thanks to that I do most of my gaming on my PC and thanks to steam games became really acessible and easy to buy,ironically the whole steam culture of sales makes me less compelled to buy games outside of a sale even though they are much cheaper then they would ever be on console XD,even more ironically is that I tend to buy AAA games more often when they come out on steam rather then indie games but those usually can last a good number of hours and in my head it gets easier to justify rather then a 5 hour game,it's not very rational and Im incresingly more self concious of that but that's how I work,but Im usually a pretty cheap person all around so even then I tend to avoid spending.
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Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by Todinho »

Post-coup Brazil unfortunally, but normally just Brazil ;)
ThirdMan wrote:It's probably a good idea to wait these days given the amount of bugs and patches. You'll be getting the game cheaper and possibly a better playing experience. However sometimes you just want to take part in the launch. I picked-up Dark Souls 3 on day one. It was my first Souls game and I got a real kick out of knowing that I was amongst the first group of explorers in that world. That's not something you can put a monetary value on. I mean I wouldn't pay 20 quid for that feeling, but looking back I'm glad I didn't wait to get it cheaper. I'd have spent the money on something that I'd have long since forgotten about, whereas I'll never forget that feeling of nervous excitement as I set out into the darkness.
Yeah ,especially souls games that you mentioned, getting it at launch and kinda figuring the game out with everybody is great and also makes you avoid spoilers so if there's a game that can be easily spoiled by the internet or that Im really hyped about like MGSV and BloodBorne last year I get on it as soon as I can.
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Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by hazeredmist »

I'll only "day one" something if it's a multiplayer my friends and I will be playing, or if I am absolutely certain I'll play it straight away which is highly unlikely due to my already silly backlog. It's just not economical so I can't justify it if it's not necessary.
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Suits
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Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by Suits »

This, I think about and consider a lot.

I have a number of friends that much prefer to wait a month, two months or even 6 months to pick up titles at a reduced price and almost brag about that fact that they managed to snag Pro Evo for £25 6 months after release.

It's something that I understand, appreciate and get frustrated by if I'm being honest.

My frustration comes from a the fact that they insist on telling me, in a way that appears to make me look foolish for paying the full RRP on release day.

I generally keep my mouth tight and verbally pat them on the back for doing something that millions of others are doing and was always going to happen, as it does with all media.

I understand that I'm in a lucky situation where I can get games on release day and only really have to consider it slightly when picking up new titles but does this make me a mug ??

I don't think so. I want to play a new release when its a new release, when it's on peoples tongues and when it's current and sometimes relevant. That said, this comes with it's own drawbacks, launch day woes and other experience marring issues that are often cleared up and should also be considered when contemplating later purchases.

I dove in day 1 on No Mans Sky - and look where that got me.

I also dove in day 1 on the original Bioshock and had one of the most powerful gaming experiences I'd ever had without it being spoiled by images or information from any number of sources.

It's hard to come up with reason for either getting day one releases or waiting, I feel that most of all it's affected by price. Generally, if you wait, you get it cheaper.

AAA's, or games that I find fit my niche, I always get day one. I try not to pre-order anymore and will often take advantage of Superstore walk in prices on release day. I also order directly from Nintendo or Microsoft if there is a version of something I feel like I want more than the standard version.

I can count on one hand the number of times I've picked up a game at a reduced price, probably because if I want a game, I generally get it, or I actively look forward to games coming out so that I can pick them day one.

However, we are now entering silly season. Game releases are coming close to 4 a month now, so now is good a time as ever to perhaps plan some purchases to maybe take advantage of time based price drops.

An example would be Gears of War 4 & Forza Horizon 3. Both games I want and will get but I can't play those games in a month with other releases too, as well as the games I'm already playing. It's likely that I'll get GoW, as I'll want to play that to get the story and see what it's all about. A game like FH3 is a game that I personally feel will not spoil over time and will be the same experience day 180 as opposed today 1, so that may well be an option to pick up later.

Then there's the next issue - digital pricing. I buy my Xbox games digitally to save space and because of game share.

Digital prices stay the same.
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Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by Jusifer »

I kinda look at it like the goty version of the game is the whole game. and I only buy a game when they release the whole game. The only exception to this i've made was the launch of mgs v pp. I waited for that game for so long and just had to have it. did not regret the decision as I never had any bugs and there has not been any additional story expansions for it so I got the whole game (even if the ending was cut off). on pc it's only reasonable to buy something on sale since it's only going to take a month or so for there to be another one on somewhere.
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Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by ratsoalbion »

Suits wrote:Digital prices stay the same.
That's not true; digital prices degrade just as dramatically as physical over time.
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Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by Suits »

ratsoalbion wrote:
Suits wrote:Digital prices stay the same.
That's not true; digital prices degrade just as dramatically as physical over time.
Just as an immediate example I just looked at what the most recent Lego Star Wars game is on Xbox Live, it's still £49.99.

£38 in Tesco.
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Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by Combine Hunter »

The most recent entry in a series will keep its value digitally, but have a look at the price of the Lego game that came before it. Physical copies become cheaper quicker, mainly because retail outlets want to clear out their stock and there is just more competition in that sector. But unless it's something like COD or GTA, digital prices drop dramatically a year or two on from launch and especially when the next entry in that series is out.
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Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by KSubzero1000 »

Suits wrote:I dove in day 1 on No Mans Sky - and look where that got me.

I also dove in day 1 on the original Bioshock and had one of the most powerful gaming experiences I'd ever had without it being spoiled by images or information from any number of sources.
I would argue that the state of the video game industry and / or market was very different in 2007 compared to 2016. Games being released in a buggy or unfinished state were the exception rather than the norm and complete editions didn't flood the market with such regularity. I also bought BioShock at launch and didn't regret it. Can't see myself doing that now, however. And games like NMS are the exact reason why.
ratsoalbion wrote:That's not true; digital prices degrade just as dramatically as physical over time.
I don't play on PC, so I can't comment on the Steam sales I keep hearing so much great stuff about, but it's really not uncommon for me to browse the Xbox Marketplace or PSN Store and see year(s) old games still being sold for 40-60€ when I could get them on physical media for half the price somewhere else.
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Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by ratsoalbion »

Suits wrote:
ratsoalbion wrote:
Suits wrote:Digital prices stay the same.
That's not true; digital prices degrade just as dramatically as physical over time.
Just as an immediate example I just looked at what the most recent Lego Star Wars game is on Xbox Live, it's still £49.99.

£38 in Tesco.
Sure, digital prices tend to be higher at first and stay there for a period, but if you look on the Xbox Marketplace or PSN now you can buy most of the big games from past couple of years for £5-£25.
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Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by Flabyo »

Case by case basis for me, I'm not hugely consistent.

If it's a game where I feel I want to be part of the early community around something then I'll pick up at launch. Forza Horizon 3 for example I'll be getting next week. There's also wanting to avoid spoilers if its a game I know a LOT of people will be playing and chatting about, for an example there, GTA5.

Others I know I can wait around and play later, there's not much of a community aspect or I know it's unlikely people will be chatting freely on social media about plot points. The new Deus Ex for example, probably get that at some point in the spring.

Some I know I'd probably enjoy right now, but don't feel like they deserve the current price to me. This is a pure 'feel' judgment here. In this category I'd put something like The Witness, or the Koei Attack on Titan game.

I am more prone to impulse buy on games that are under the £20 mark though, even when they're brand new.
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chase210
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Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by chase210 »

Digital prices hugely fluctuate. Look at PSN right now, you could get pick up both infamous PS4 games and the 2014 tombraider remaster for less than £20. Damn good value.
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Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by MagicianArcana »

I'm actually pretty bad about this haha If it's the latest installment in a series I really like I'll normally preorder and buy day one. Tales of Zestiria I got right away, and I'm planning to pick up Final Fantasy XV and Persona 5 day one as well. But if it's a game I'm on the fence about I'll normally wait to see how the price drops. I've been on the fence about Atelier Sophie for a while, and after only a few months it's already down to I think $40 from $60. I'll keep waiting a bit before I consider buying that game.

I've been trying this with Mario Maker and Mario Kart 8, but I don't think those games will ever drop below $50.

I also worry that certain games I want will become hard to find. I made the mistake of not getting Xenoblade Chronicles for the Wii on release. Luckily I managed to find a copy before the price at GameStop shot up to $90.
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Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by DomsBeard »

I've just looked back at my purchases in the last year and the only full price launch titles have been sequels:

Arkham Knight
Fallout 4
Deus Ex
MGS V Phantom Pain

And on 2 out of the 4 I have paid for digital versions with all the dlc pre launch (which has worked well with Fallout). I've still yet to really touch Fallout 4 and I traded in MGS V before finishing it as it held its price at launch and thought I might as well get it digitally cheaper further down the line. MGS V's trailer with Quiet theme made me pre order that :lol:

I'll probably pick up Skyrim HD at launch and currently avoiding the Gears 4/Battlefield 1/Titanfall 2 trailers to stop me being tempted
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Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by Jobobonobo »

Last game I bought day one was Rayman origins for the Wii back in 2011. Only 30 quid as well so money well spent! For the longest time I was not exactly drowning in money so I would only buy games when they were at a decent price or treat myself for my birthday or something. My financial situation is better yet I still can't break that habit of waiting until a game drops in price. Also there are so many great games out there that I have never touched that I have a fair old backlog of stuff to go through. Can be good in a way, for one thing you can judge a game independent of any hype it had of launch and see how it really holds up.
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Re: Do we all rush out for new releases, or play it cool?

Post by chase210 »

Jobobonobo wrote:Last game I bought day one was Rayman origins for the Wii back in 2011. Only 30 quid as well so money well spent! For the longest time I was not exactly drowning in money so I would only buy games when they were at a decent price or treat myself for my birthday or something. My financial situation is better yet I still can't break that habit of waiting until a game drops in price. Also there are so many great games out there that I have never touched that I have a fair old backlog of stuff to go through. Can be good in a way, for one thing you can judge a game independent of any hype it had of launch and see how it really holds up.
Also pretty reasonable.
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