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Gaming on a Budget, Part 2: Buying New
By Marc | January 14, 2009
Welcome to the second part of a guide to getting the most out of your hard-earned gaming dollar. Yesterday, I gave my history of gaming as an example of frugality and its benefits. Today, let’s talk about purchasing brand new unopened games.
Personally, I don’t like paying more than $20 for a game. Lots of time I drop that down to 10 or 15 dollars. If I can find a deal for five bucks or less, I’m in heaven. If the game stinks, I wasn’t out a lot of money. If it’s good, or even mediocre but takes me a long time to play through, I consider it a wise investment.
The Waiting Game
If there’s a game you really want to play, rent it first. Then, if you still like it, wait a while. Sometimes it may take a year or so, but that game you covet could head to someone’s bargain bin. In that time of waiting, you get an extended “sleep on it” period. Think about it. Take in some reviews. Watch footage online. Figure out if that title you really can’t live without is worth potentially wasting your money.
Here are a couple of good review places to start:
There are instances where some publishers have given incentives for good reviews (and punishment for bad ones), but checking out more than one site betters your odds for a fair opinion. Chances are that if they all have good reviews, there might be some truth.
“Greatest Hits”, “Player’s Choice”, etc.
When Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo sell enough of a certain title, a lot of times the game gets into a special category with reduced pricing, usually around twenty bucks. For Sony, it’s “Greatest Hits”, Nintendo has “Player’s Choice”, and Microsoft goes with “Platinum Hits”. These may not be the newest games, but most of the time they are pretty good and you know they have been pretty popular. Better still, you won’t have to fork over twice to three times as much for a game you may not like.
Check the Sale Ads.
This mostly only really works for the newest titles. Usually, the ones listed are whatever is released that week. But occasionally you can find a sale for their “Greatest Hits”-type inventory for a little less than most stores.
Clearance
Most discount stores like Target have a clearance section for each department. Before I even check the class cases and special sections, I scope these out.
Our local Target usually has an endcap located between electronics and toys with a handful of titles. Most of the time, the games aren’t really that good and they usually only discount them by 30%. Occasionally you will find that rare gem that needs buying.
One of our regional chains, Shopko, does the same thing. Their clearance games often times were too good to pass up. Many times I used to see older games for around five to ten dollars. But in recent years their selection and prices seemed more of a joke than a serious clearance.
I haven’t seen a clearance section in our local Walmarts for a long long time. The best they do is a Greatest Hits rack with games a nickel cheaper than most other stores’ pre-sale prices. That’s all I’m saying about them.
Toys“R”Us is the last place I will attempt to look for games if I’m looking to save money. They may have a decent selection, but it’s rare to find any deals. They will try to get full MSRP (or a little higher) on almost everything. Six months or so after the demise of the Dreamcast, they had a stack of games for it on a shelf, most of which were at full price. I’m not paying $50 for something on an outdated system.
Websites
There are lots of places online that offer really good deals. But, where do you start?
One good easy place to start is Amazon. I like this a lot of times because I can get about anything else I want right there. Also, check to see if the product you’re buying at the price you’re paying is eligible for Super Saver Shipping. This gives you free shipping for orders over $25 of applicable merchandise. Also, depending on your state, you don’t have to pay sales tax either.
Here are some good places that give you comparison shopping for different venders all in one place:
Another really good place to stop, especially if you’re looking for newer titles, is a site called Cheap Ass Gamer. They do things like scour the web and Sunday ads for the best prices. They even have forums for users to add their own finds such as a thread for clearance prices at Sears stores.
If you insist on buying your games new, either for yourself or especially as a gift, you certainly don’t need to spend full price and you certainly aren’t restricted to paying what The Man is charging. Use a little discretion and get the most bang for your buck. Think “value”, not just in saving money, but also in terms of fun.
Check out the next installment when we dive into the market of used stuff.
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