Buying games when they're old is great!

[Parm]

I've recently stopped buying big-name games when they first come out, and it's working something of a treat.

I've come to the conclusion that popular multiplayer titles should be bought as soon as possible, simply because that's when they're at their busiest and there's plenty of people to play against. I don't mind forking out launch prices for titles like Call of Duty 4 or Gears of War 2, then.

For single player games, I find it completely different. I decided to skip a lot of them when they first came out, and I'm now faced with loads of games at dirt-cheap prices. Recently picked up Oblivion for £15 and it's a cracking game so far.

Being a single player game, I'm not missing out on anything by being late to the part. In fact, it has its benefits - all the patches are already out, making for a better experience.

Had a look around and I can also now get titles like Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect, GTA IV and others at around £20 each - about half the cost of buying it when it first comes out. Most of those titles have been patched, too.

Gimme six months or so and I'll be starting on Fable II.

[Grey M@a]

Talking of old games, used that GOG.com service last night and bought earthworm jim 1 + 2 for $6 and been plying them ever since. Best thing of all the are DRM free so have it installed on the PC at home and here at work for a bit of lunchtime gaming

[kalniel]

True Parm, except less of your money goes to devs that way

I used to think exactly the same and never bought a game less than 6 months old for the same reason, but then a game dev once took the time to explain to me how the funding break-down worked (for Icewind Dale 2 at the time) so now if it's a good game that I want to see more of I try and make sure to buy it when it first comes out (I'll still hunt for the best price mind )

[Ferral]

Most cases I pick stuff up pre owned. Game and Gamestation both do 2 for £20 - £30. If there is something I really want I will get it when released.

Recently picked up Simpsons, Viking, Dead Rising, MoH Airborn, GRAW2, Ninja Gaiden 2, Splinter Cell Double Agent and Kane & Lynch. All of these were in the 2 for pricing except Splinter Cell which was a mere fiver!

Can't really go wrong as if the game isn't great then just trade it back in and you havn't really lost anything. Did that with Ninja Gaiden 2 as it was bugging me so much due to the difficulty and the long distances between save points

[Stewart]

Yeah! And all you are losing is the fun, excitment, vibe, and buzz of playing a game when its fresh and new, and replacing it with the dull, boring, 'seen it' experience of playing them when everyone already knows the score.

And you are saving a whole £20 and you only have to wait 6 months!

High five Parm!



Mind you, I do something similar, I only ever watch films 3 decades after they were released, and only on media that is 3 generations out of date. Tomorrow I shall be watching a VHS tape of a movie called 'Jaws', that I picked up at a car boot sale for 18p.

OMG I heard there is a big shark with teeth in it that eatens you all up!

[Splash]

I have a rather annoying tendency to stack games when they're released and not get round to playing them for months - I'm currently building up a backlog of Red Alert 3, Dead Space, Far Cry 2 and Fallout 3, and I know full well that only one of them will get any real playtime, and the rest will be waiting for me to get bored. Hell, I've *still* not finished The Witcher because I keep getting tempted by new shinies.

I know, no self control.

[Rob_B]

It's not even like you have to wait 6months though, look at most games & you can buy them second hand for about £25 after a couple of weeks from release. In fact the more popular games drop faster as there are more copies out there! I'm buying FC2 when it hits £25 quid

I got BF: Bad Company for £24 brand new about 3months after release & it hasn't lost anything in that small time.

[Parm]

Yeah! And all you are losing is the fun, excitment, vibe, and buzz of playing a game when its fresh and new...

I'd put that down as another advantage! Don't have to read into the launch-day FIFA vs PES debates, or wait for those critical game-fixing patches. How's your Fable II coming along, run into any progress-halting glitches yet?

Disclaimer: 6 months was just a random figure, I don't actually wait 6 months to-the-day before buying a game.

[Stewart]

No glitches as such, no. Its crap, which is a sort of a glitch though...

[finlay666]

Gimme six months or so and I'll be starting on Fable II.

Better make it a year, I have hit a huge bug that ends the game basically right now, trying to find a way around it.

[Ferral]

I have a rather annoying tendency to stack games when they're released and not get round to playing them for months - I'm currently building up a backlog of Red Alert 3, Dead Space, Far Cry 2 and Fallout 3, and I know full well that only one of them will get any real playtime, and the rest will be waiting for me to get bored. Hell, I've *still* not finished The Witcher because I keep getting tempted by new shinies.

I know, no self control.

Same here, or I used to! By the time I get round to playing something else it usually has come down in price so instead of buying straight away I hold off for the pre owned and usually manage to get a deal of some sort.

[JimmyBoy]

Yeah! And all you are losing is the fun, excitment, vibe, and buzz of playing a game when its fresh and new, and replacing it with the dull, boring, 'seen it' experience of playing them when everyone already knows the score.

i wish that wasnt true but it is!

[kafei]

While I agree buying old games for reduced prices is great, I'm not so much a fan of buying preowned - the developer sees absolutely none of the cash from a preowned sale, so I stick to the special offers

[dangel]

Most games I buy new are 25 quid anyway - I suppose the only worry on second hand now is the whole activation issue (not that I want to turn this into yet another DRM debate - SERIOUSLY).

[revol68]

While I agree buying old games for reduced prices is great, I'm not so much a fan of buying preowned - the developer sees absolutely none of the cash from a preowned sale, so I stick to the special offers

Do you extend such concern to all consumer goods or just things you are a fanboy of? Do you have the same problem with 2nd hand cars?

Still i'm glad so many Hexus users are so well off they can afford to feel concern for the plight of multi million pound companies.

[kalniel]

Still i'm glad so many Hexus users are so well off they can afford to feel concern for the plight of multi million pound companies.

It's got nothing to do with being well off, just rather simple self-control of not playing something you can't afford. Just like we don't watch TV if we can't afford a set or the license fee. No-one is forcing you to play and you won't be worse off for not playing a game.