Why Do We Buy What We Don't Play?

For a while now, well over a year, I've only really been picking up quality games at a price I like. So while I have developed a big 360 backlog, really it's full of pretty good games the vast majority of which were purchased at $20 or less.

For example, I picked Resident Evil 5 for $20 around Christmas time or thereabouts. Won't get to it for a while until after other action games like Devil May Cry 4 (bought $15) and Prince of Persia ($15). About three weeks ago I bought DiRT 2 for $20, but won't get to it until after racing games like Burnout Paradise ($18) and Project Gotham Racing 4 ($20).

Just started on my 360 RPGs with The Last Remnant ($20), and after that plan to play Infinite Undiscovery ($10), Star Ocean: The Last Hope ($20), Eternal Sonata ($20), Tales of Vesperia ($27), Lost Odyssey ($20), and then Mass Effect ($20). I'll definite add Final Fantasy XIII in the future once I can get it around $25, of course there's no rush for the time being as I wouldn't play it any time soon anyways.

Assassin's Creed II was on sale for $30 last week. I want the game but didn't pick it up, it will only get cheaper. When Bayonetta hits $20 I'll buy it.

And so on and so forth.

I'm sure I'll eventually get through all the games, at least I hope to. If I sell off these games for half of what I bought them, I think that pretty much covers the enjoyment and time I got out of them.

The only games I can see myself buying day one are Halo games, because my brother and I love them, and they provide more than my money's worth. And even then nowadays there's some kind of discount/promotion (I pre-ordered Reach on Amazon with the $20 GC).

So that's how it is for me, at least. That's why I say my 360 library is far and away my most cost-effective console game library, and quality per game per dollar it blasts anything I've had before out of the water. Just wish I could have had it this good when I was much younger, I could have enjoyed it a lot more.

I suppose it does help that I hardly ever go to the cinema or buy DVDs anymore. I'm even more selective there and with my bookshelf, I'm constantly looking at what I can take off/out more than what I can add. I want to refine it all.

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Originally Posted by Geo

For a while now, well over a year, I've only really been picking up quality games

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So you say, but then...

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Originally Posted by Geo

Just started on my 360 RPGs with The Last Remnant ($20), and after that plan to play Infinite Undiscovery ($10), Star Ocean: The Last Hope ($20), Eternal Sonata ($20), Tales of Vesperia ($27), Lost Odyssey ($20), and then Mass Effect ($20).

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That last one's the only one that fits. The prices you listed for the others? That's less that what somebody would have to pay ME to touch them. :p

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Originally Posted by Fe 26

mutliplayer games are TNL's new shitty Japanese imports.

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You're not right often, but you fucking nailed that one.

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mutliplayer games are TNL's new shitty Japanese imports.

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yeah.

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Originally Posted by The Gas

So you say, but then...
That last one's the only one that fits. The prices you listed for the others? That's less that what somebody would have to pay ME to touch them. :p

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Hah, well I guess I'll find out for myself soon enough.

For what it's worth, I've been surprisingly impressed with and have enjoyed The Last Remnant so far. Except for the main character being such an annoying dipshit.

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Originally Posted by Fe 26

mutliplayer games are TNL's new shitty Japanese imports.

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Nah, inasmuch as we actually play them.

A good multiplayer game is better than a good Japanese import. Simple as that. Also, the fact that you are buying it to play with others means you are actually playing it, and it does not sit in some pile of shame.

My pile of shame tends more to more often be XBLA games that have to do with nostalgia. I get a game remembering how great of a time I had with it in my youth, and still do enjoy it when playing it again, but would much rather spend my time playing something new.

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Originally Posted by Geo

13 games for $215

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This.

Blowing $60/game when, if you're patient, you can get it for a quarter the price? Yes, please.

I can burn $20 and feel no remorse. $60 is a different story. That's a bottle of Jameson Redbreast!

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Originally Posted by Fe 26

mutliplayer games are TNL's new shitty Japanese imports.

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?

Some multiplayer games are amazing (Gears 1, NHL series, Bad Company 2, fighting games with good netcode), and others are terrible. The good ones have almost infinite replay value. There was a time when some TNLers would play Gears 1 every night. Since it is private game, no one exploited and it was fun for everyone. There is nothing wrong with it and I got more than my money's worth in that game.

If you don't play good MP games with your friends or TNL, then you don't really know what you are talking about.

I'm actually getting better at avoiding this.

The existence of a backlog of several games (I have it down to under a dozen or so at this point) has made me back off from buying a lot of games that I otherwise would have purchased. Back in 2006, I was happily buying four to six games a month. Now I'm buying maybe one or two games a month. Even bargains can't tempt me anymore: my time is more valuable than my money, and I'm not going to buy games just because they're cheap.