Is any game worth $50?

Recently I have been bottom feeding. Coming up with a price point at which I will purchase whatever game I'm thinking of. It pains me to pay full price, and I could care less about being the first to play, unless there is a reason, such as an MMORPG. Joining the party late in a game like PSO or Galaxies would suck compared to learning about the game with everybody else.

So, my question is, how often do you guys pay full price for games (MSRP, no discounts, no trade-ins, no gift certs) while they are still $50 or more? I ask because today I am picking up my Zelda, for full price, only because I know it'll be 2005 before Nintendo drops the price.

That is also another reason why I love this place. The discount thread is amazing.

I try to wait, but I do occasionally pick them up new, when I have cash lying around. It's not that they aren't usually worth it, but I'm patient, and perpetually broke.

In all honesty.

Never.

I don't pay MSRP at all (the benefits of being an employee :) )... but then again when I buy imports I end up paying more then the US version would be.

Yes.

If it's a game that I absolutely must have, then yes, I'll pay $50. In all honesty, though, I find myself doing this less and less.

And, as said, imports generally cost over $50, and I buy those every once in a while.

I almost always buy my games on their release dates paying full price. Gungrave was the only game I waited for recently, and I don't really trade in anymore. I'm very impatiant when it comes to new games and have to have them right away. Renting is almost always out of the question too, even though I get free rentals. My girlfriend always hates it when I pay $50 on a game only to beat it in 2 days, like Zelda. She thinks I'm insane, but then again, she is the one who feeds squirls in are apartment.

I have a bad habit of buying games for $50, and then not playing them until they drop to $19.99 or so.

Or at least I used to... not anymore. Now I don't buy a game unless I "need" it.

For Example: Amplitude.

No, I don't think games are worth $50 or more. I'll only purchase a game at that price if I really want it, and I don't want to wait until the price drops. Which is a very rare event. I can count the last games I bought at full retail on one hand.

- Wind Waker
- Vice City
- Animal Crossing

I can be extremely patient when it comes to playing the waiting game, and I almost always win. I put off buying Metroid Prime when it was released, and now I bought it for $20 new at block buster.

There are a ton of games out there that I want, but don't buy, because I know they're not worth buying at that price. Hell, I have a list of games that I want that are hovering around the $25 price point which I am patiently waiting for a price drop. As far as I'm concerned, $20 and below is the perfect price point for games, I'd have to want it badly to pay anymore.

LOL, as a person who works in the game industry, the fact that you're posting this question is perplexing. Lord knows I've purchased many many games that cost $50 and more. New or used. If I want it, I pay. That's not to say that I don't do what I can to find the best price on the item I want. It's just that a a gaming experience that is truly great is easily worth $50 and then some.

Pa

I pay more.... back in the old days :)

Now? $15 I think about it like for years.

Yeah, $20 has been my magic price point for the last couple years. The only game I paid $40-$50 for recently was Zelda, and that was merely to get the bonus disc by preordering. (It helps that I get some freebies through my job, though.)

Regus, what kind of crazy Blockbuster do you frequent that sells new MPs for $20?

Well, I've learned a few things within the past few months about game shopping.

a.) You don't have to be first in line for everything.
b.) When something you want comes out, shop around.

Honestly, I've only paid full retail price only a few times. Since the discount thread started, I've been knowing where to look to pay much much less.

Take that MechAssault, for instance. I just picked it up today. If I didn't read the Discount or Haul threads, I might have ended up getting the games for $50, when I could have went around the corner and got it for less than 50% of the original price.

I NEVER wait for prices to drop. When I see a game I want I almost always buy it right away. I'm really not interested in waiting months in hopes that a game I really want may drop in price $20. If I enjoy gaming I dont feel that paying $50 is too much. Once in a while a may feel a little burned by paying full price... Auto Modellista for example. Most of the time I know what I'm buying is usually worth it.

Online games for example I like to get RIGHT away. That way most people playing are noobs and it gives you more of a chance to learn with everyone else. I really dont like not knowing a game then getting my ass handed to me over and over by guys that have been playing it non stop for months.

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Originally posted by BenT

Regus, what kind of crazy Blockbuster do you frequent that sells new MPs for $20?

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Check the Discount Thread! Just walk into your local Block Buster, and if they have any [i]NEW[i] copies of the game for sale, not a used one, ask them to price check it for you.

You'll see. :)

Two of the last games I bought: 2 Psikyo PCBs for $365 total. So, I suppose I think they are.

I'm typically cheap and look for deals, though. I don't like paying retail prices - maybe 3-5 games a year.

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Originally posted by Kidnemo
Yes.

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Playing the waiting game can bite you in the ass too. See: Panzer Dragoon Saga, Rez, Radiant Silvergun, etc.

Basically if I know it's a game I want to play on day one, I pay full price. But I do like to get a good deal when possible...mostly thanks to the godly Discount Thread.

-Kevin

Bwahaha!

I was a discount fiend back in... Whatever, three years ago. Never paid full price for anything. Now there's no such thing as a discount. Whatever it takes is whatever I pay.

Pay what you must to play you you lust.

The only games I think are worth it are the really good ones, the kind that sell out when they first hit the shelves. Anything else, I try to wait until the price goes down to about $20.

Is any game worth $50? Zelda and Metroid Prime were. DDR w/pads was worth the $200 or so it cost. I would have paid twice that. Samba de Amigo was also worth its $200 price tag. No regrets on Neo Geo games (MS3 ect). So... yeah. Games are definalty worth $50.

Rarely do I pay full price (rarer still do I purchase a game on release day). But when I do, I make sure it will always always be worth it. Recently, Metroid Prime, Contra: SS, Orta & Splinter Cell were (and are) certainly worth $50.

I don't see the logic in paying $50 for a game on release day when I won't get around to playing it for several months, in which time it's dropped to $30 or less. At the rate games are coming out these days, it seems that newer titles are discounted in no time.

I can't say enough about renting. It's saved me lots of cash when I was unsure if a game was purchase-worthy. I don't really impulse-buy anymore.

I also can't say enough about the Official Discount Thread. I would have missed lots of deals (Shenmue 2 for $10 most recently) without it.

I don't normally. I work at a game store, so people inevitably sell stuff to us (no Zone of the Enders 2 yet, though! -grrr) and I can just usually pick it up from the store for about cost.

I'm sure I'll buy Soul Calibur 2 the day it comes out though; Halo 2, WC3 expansion. Anything else, just wait to find it cheap.

If I don't have to have a game on day one I have no problem waiting for the price to drop. Still I rarely pay full price if I can't find a sale or some sort of deal I usually trade something in.

I paid 50 for Contra PS2 and feel like an arse...meh.

I would only pay full price if it's a game I have to own the day it is released (Metroid Prime or Wind Waker for example). But even if you're getting a game the day it's released, it's not hard to find bargains, especially on PS2 titles. I bought Vice City from Best Buy for 34 bucks the first day it was available, and all I had to do was look in the sale paper and cut out one "5 dollars off anything at Best Buy" coupon to save all that money.

That being said, I'd gladly pay fifty dollars for a good game.

I buy plenty of games for full price, and plenty I try to wait on. It pretty much deals with whatever I feel like playing at the time, as I'll pay full price for a game that I know isn't worth it but I'm really in the mood to play.

Although I am definately waiting for a price drop on Gamshara, which I desperately want, as I'm not willing to pay $995 for it. Not until I win the lottery, anyway.

On imports, I generally don't wait. They come first for me. In some cases they actually appreciate grossly (*cough* Panzer Dragoon Saga). Gotta have it? Get it on release. XII Stag earns its $60 keep rather well, as I'm sure DDPDOJ will.

Now regarding US titles, I hold back for discounts with a few exceptions (Panzer Dragoon Orta, HotD3, and the impending US release of VF4Evo). I held back on Defender for Xbox (got it for $20), and was glad I didn't spend full price on it.

I'll probably be waiting for a price drop on the US Tekken 4.

MechDeus- No, I wouldn't pay $995 for Gamshara either.

I'll usually only buy games at launch for $50 if it's a game that I know I'll get my money's worth out of, or if it's a game that I figure might be rare in a few months (like Rent a Hero on the Xbox in May.)

Dark Cloud 2 and Zelda come to mind.

Just a note -

Over two decades ago, Pac-Man was released for the Atari 2600 with an MSRP of <drum roll, please>









$49.99

I guess $50 in 1980 is probably worth $100 now, so, in reality, games are half of what they used to be. Never mind that Street Fighter II Turbo for Super NES was $69.99 - $74.99 a handful of years ago.

Everything is relative. I forked over $50 for Zelda too. ;)

Yeah, 16 bit times were brutal. Those high meg RPGs all got up into the high $70's. SNES carts in general were murder. Some Genny carts even hit $100 (Virtua Racing). $50 now certainly isn't what $50 was then, so we're getting it damn easy. No problem paying $50.

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Originally posted by haohmaru

I guess $50 in 1980 is probably worth $100 now, so, in reality, games are half of what they used to be. Never mind that Street Fighter II Turbo for Super NES was $69.99 - $74.99 a handful of years ago.

Everything is relative. I forked over $50 for Zelda too. ;)

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Yeah, Stone said something like that a while back and it's as true as ever. $50 isn't much to pay for anything that's fun for hours on end.

I, or rather my family, paid $70 for Secret of Mana, Super Mario bros. 3, and Super Bomberman...I actually got my first job to pay for SF2 Turbo on SNES for $70...considering how much I played those games I got more than my money's worth.

Hmm. I was going to quote the praise for the Discount Thread, but there are too many. I feel obliged to say thanks. :) I'm glad it has helped so many of you, as it has me. Because of that thread, I rarely pay 50 bucks now.

i pay full price if it's a game i want and am going to play right away. it all depends on my mood at the moment. for example, if it wasn't for x-mas break, i wouldn't have bought metroid prime right then for $50.

neo geo games are another matter.

I've always gladly forked over the $50 for a game if it's something incredible that I'd been waiting months or even years on end for. Zelda and Xenosaga are two of the more immediate examples that come to mind.

Considering at one time I would gladly fork over the $60 FF3 cost or the $70 that Chrono Trigger ran, it doesn't seem like such a big deal for all the hours and hours of entertainment you'd get from these things.

But, whenever possible, unless it's a game I simply HAD to have immediately or start going into convulsions in anticipation over, I'd wait for a sale or some kind of price drop. In many instances one doesn't have to wait all that long.

Shenmue 2 came out in November and was recently on sale at EB for $10, Ninja Assault WITH a Guncon 2 also came out in November and can be had at any KB's for $20, if you can find one that stocks it. Just scored Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven for $37.99 and Dynasty Warriors 4 for $37.88 less than a week after their respective releases.

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Originally posted by haohmaru
$49.99

I guess $50 in 1980 is probably worth $100 now, so, in reality, games are half of what they used to be.

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Actually, economically speaking, the price of a dollar decreases over time. So, $50 in 1980 is probably worth $25 now.

And I'd say that the games that are worth $50 are the ones you're willing to pay $50 for. I'd say IIDX 6th is worth it, but others would disagree. I'd also say Primal is worth it, but others might still disagree. Ultimatly it's a matter of individual taste.

The thing of it is, a five dollar price tag won't make a bad game good.

Pa

Since I live in Canada, the answer is no.

Every game is worth 70$

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Originally posted by Chibi Nappa
Yeah, 16 bit times were brutal. Those high meg RPGs all got up into the high $70's. SNES carts in general were murder. Some Genny carts even hit $100 (Virtua Racing). $50 now certainly isn't what $50 was then, so we're getting it damn easy. No problem paying $50.

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Which is why I never, EVER, got video games as a kid. And why I think Alladin for the Genesis is the greatest game ever.

Oh and also, videogames are cost effective because most games take longer than the average movie to beat. Especially if it's like FF with 60 hours of playtime.

The game more than pays for itself. If it's a game like gungrave, then no. but seeing as how the game didn't sell very well, I don't think it hurts figures.

Plus the movies make you pay for gas, or transportation, tickets, and snacks. In the end you pay 1/2 of a game anyway with less playtime.

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Originally posted by Andrew
Oh and also, videogames are cost effective because most games take longer than the average movie to beat. Especially if it's like FF with 60 hours of playtime.

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Sorry.

I don't get what you're saying sorry about.

sorry

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Originally posted by 680x0
sorry

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Yes, you are. :p

Suck my eggplant dick.

Oh, I've spent as much as $150 on arcade PCBs so yeah, games are worth as much as you are willing to pay. When I see a game I really want, unless the price is seriously bloated I usually get it when I see it.

Regarding PCBs and games ported from arcade titles- they do pay for theirselves. Since you're playing the game at home away from all the traffic and crowds (and you don't have to worry about some wanker breaking the controls), I'd consider the value per play as $1.

i figure if i can get 40+ hours on a game, its well worth the $50.

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Originally posted by Master
and I could care less about being the first to play, unless there is a reason, such as an MMORPG. Joining the party late in a game like PSO or Galaxies would suck compared to learning about the game with everybody else.

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true dat. i joined the Diablo2/LOD bandwagon 2.5 years after it was released. i felt so lost for those first few weeks. now i r0x0r :)

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Originally posted by PaCrappa
The thing of it is, a five dollar price tag won't make a bad game good.

Pa

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True, but your expectation of the game usually lowers significantly, making even "bad" game somewhat enjoyable.... I mean you can't complain about a game if it only cost you $5 :)

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Originally posted by kingoffighters
I mean you can't complain about a game if it only cost you $5 :)

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I can if it's Tao Feng.

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Originally posted by MechDeus
I can if it's Tao Feng.

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/me points and laughs at MechDeus.

I might have bought Blinx, but I'm not that stupid. :p

As for the topic, if the game is really good it's worth the asking price. The problem is the majority of games being released these days are mediocre or worse and not worth full price.

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Originally posted by Kidnemo
Yes.

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Originally posted by Captain Vegetable
Actually, economically speaking, the price of a dollar decreases over time. So, $50 in 1980 is probably worth $25 now.

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How's that? If the average family only made about $22,000 a year (1980) versus $35,000 a year now, the $50 price tag would be like buying a game for $80 today.



I only buy games at full price, if they are titles that I've looked forward to for a long time, or are a continueation of a series that I enjoyed a lot in the past.


If I know a game won't last long in retail and will gain in value as availability becomes rare (Panzer Dragoon Saga, Suikoden III Etc..) I'll pay the full price, knowing that if I don't like the game, I'll get more than I paid for it in the future.

I don't buy too many games at $50 considering my pile of shame and lack of time to play. One or two games a month at full price is about the average for me these days, so far this year I've only gotten Panzer Dragoon Orta, Sakura Taisen PS2 LE, VF4 Evo, and Zelda at full price. Length doesn't matter that much, it pretty much depends on if I'm gonna play it right away and if it's one of those games that I would play hardcore from the getgo until I beat it.

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Originally posted by Ammadeau
* Ammadeau points and laughs at MechDeus.

I might have bought Blinx, but I'm not that stupid. :p

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Hey, I didn't spend a cent on Tao Feng. I was just saying it's not worth any price tag.

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Originally posted by gamevet
How's that? If the average family only made about $22,000 a year (1980) versus $35,000 a year now, the $50 price tag would be like buying a game for $80 today.

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If a family making 20,000 dollars a year today is still making 20,000 dollars a year two years from now, they're not really making 20,000 dollars a year, acording to PV$1 (that's "Present Value of One Dollar") charts. Reguardless of the interest rates and at what level they fluctuate, the value of one dollar will always decrease with time.

This is to say, if I have 20,000 dollars and invest it at 10% per year for ten years, At the end of the 10 years I'll have $47,158.95.

Therefore, the present value of 20,000 today is aprox. $47,000 ten years from now at a 10% interest rate.

Therefore, I need $47,000 in ten years, to buy $20,000 worth of goods today.

The value of a dollar has gone down.

What you're refering to (income = value) is called money illusion, and is the most basic of the basic "no-no's" when dealing in economics. It just isn't true.

That's the really peared down explanation. So much so that, now looking back on it, it kind of makes no sence.

veg, im going to start explaning the jungian concept of archetypes if you dont desist with the fancy book larnin' posts, i survived micro-economics once as a dos course, never again.

i thought i was being hasty in buying tenchu 3 for full price, but it was more than worth it.. really kickass game..

and zelda and metroid were great at full price too..

i don't buy much else at full price, though.. i'm trying to round out my collection, so i'm doing a lot of spending.. i have to find the best price for everything.. ebay or not.

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Originally posted by Captain Vegetable

And I'd say that the games that are worth $50 are the ones you're willing to pay $50 for. I'd say IIDX 6th is worth it, but others would disagree. I'd also say Primal is worth it, but others might still disagree. Ultimatly it's a matter of individual taste.

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Well put Veggie :kirby:

Rez is worth $50, Ico is worth $50, Zelda WW is worth $50, Dark Cloud 2 is worth $80 but it's only $40.

So overall, I've no problem with $50, depending on the game. Especially seeing as it's cheap compared to SNES/Genesis cartrige new release prices.

James

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Ico is worth $50

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No it isn't. I waltzed though it in under four hours, had I of payed full retail (christmas present) I would have been pissed.

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Originally posted by Ragnarok the Red
Well put Veggie :kirby:

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Thanks...but what's this "Kirby" thing all about?

I used to purchase most of my games new for that price, usually more.

Most SNES and Genesis games used to go for $60 new. But now when I see what most of the games I payed so much for are going for now, I rarely purchase games when they are new and expensive.

There are exceptions though, some games, like Halo 2, I feel I will have to play right away. So it will get my money on day one.

When it comes to SNES and Genesis games, $15-$20 is my limit. I've gotten some games on Ebay for $1.25-$1.75, I think paying $4.00-$5.00 is too much for some games.

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Originally posted by Regus
Check the Discount Thread! Just walk into your local Block Buster, and if they have any [i]NEW[i] copies of the game for sale, not a used one, ask them to price check it for you.

You'll see. :)

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Worde. Thanks for the tip!

Zelda was...I only paid 40 though :)!

The price of a U.S. dollar, in U.S. dollar terms, remains at $1. Relative to foreign currencies, it doesn't necessarily rise or fall over time. Recently, for example, the dollar has been under pressure relative to the yen and Euro.

That being said, you know darn well what Haoh was saying. If the price of games had kept up with inflation, games that sold for $50 in 1980 would be selling for much higher prices today.

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Originally posted by Captain Vegetable
If a family making 20,000 dollars a year today is still making 20,000 dollars a year two years from now, they're not really making 20,000 dollars a year, acording to PV$1 (that's "Present Value of One Dollar") charts. Reguardless of the interest rates and at what level they fluctuate, the value of one dollar will always decrease with time.

This is to say, if I have 20,000 dollars and invest it at 10% per year for ten years, At the end of the 10 years I'll have $47,158.95.

Therefore, the present value of 20,000 today is aprox. $47,000 ten years from now at a 10% interest rate.

Therefore, I need $47,000 in ten years, to buy $20,000 worth of goods today.

The value of a dollar has gone down.

What you're refering to (income = value) is called money illusion, and is the most basic of the basic "no-no's" when dealing in economics. It just isn't true.

That's the really peared down explanation. So much so that, now looking back on it, it kind of makes no sence.

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Yeah, it's called inflation. You have to make $47,000 a year, to buy what you could back then, when you were making $20,000 a year. Back then, $350 for a television was about as much as most people would pay. That would get you a 19" color TV. An IBM AT was also selling for over $1,000 back then. You can now buy a 30" television for under $400, a decent P.C. for under $800 and a console videogame for under $50. Back in the 80's, that kind of money did'nt come along too often.

When I graduated Highschool in 86, my old man made about $48,000 a year. We did'nt have a fancy house, big time electronics or a fancy car. We were living a very ordinary lifestyle, with a tight budget. It was'nt too often, that my old man, nor I would be willing to plop down $50 for a game on the old Atari 2600. We generally ended up with 2 or 3 games a year in our household. Nowadays, $50 is chump change.

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Originally posted by RoleTroll
The price of a U.S. dollar, in U.S. dollar terms, remains at $1. Relative to foreign currencies, it doesn't necessarily rise or fall over time. Recently, for example, the dollar has been under pressure relative to the yen and Euro.

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You're wrong. The US dollar fluctuates dependant upon US interest/inflation rates.

That said, you're right! I did know what Haoh was getting at, and chose to be picky about it. ;)