Video game hype works and I hate it
I hate to admit it, but video game hype works on me. Ever since I got my Xbox 360 I’ve been sucked into video game hype like never before. With a slew of good games coming out over the past year, I’ve become a sucker for getting games when they come out. And I don’t like it.
I read video game blogs, twitters, and all sorts of other gaming media. It’s a hobby and I make no excuses for that, but as games get better, cheaper, and more fun to play on-line, I find myself getting sucked in to getting them way early for no reason.
Games do have a shelf life but it’s pretty long. If a hot new game comes out on a Monday, in a month it will still be hot and you’ll still find people playing it. I takes years for a good game to lose its value. Look at a game like Call of Duty 4. It’s two years old and still ranks on the Xbox Live Top 10.
Games like CoD4 is one thing since they are full retail box games, the good ones are fewer and far between, but it seems like the DLC arcade games are kicking a lot of ass - and they’re cheap. It’s even harder to not get sucked into the “gotta guy it now” mentality because these games are $15 or less. What’s $15? Well, if you buy four or more games a month, that’s $60. That’s a lot to spend monthly on video games.
Shadow Complex came out last week on XBLA to rave reviews. It’s game I like (thanks to the demo) and one I want but I’m not buying right now. Why? Because I have too many other games that I have yet to finish, nor have I completely worn them out.
Shadow Complex will be available there, well, forever-ish. It’ll be there in two months, three months…even a year. And who knows, by then it may be cheaper?
Video games aren’t movies. You can always see a video game on the big screen. There’s really no need to rush for a purchase. I can’t think of many other things that have the shelf life of video games that makes people act like there are limited quantities. Films have a shelf life (in the theatre), food has a shelf life. Music doesn’t have a shelf life but I don’t think people rush out to buy new music like they do video games (at least not in album form).
It’s weird and I don’t like it. So if you’re like me and have a stack of games yet to be played or finished - PLAY THEM.
Play them, enjoy them, get really good at them, THEN go buy a new game when you need something fresh. Those games will be there. The longer you wait the cheaper the game may be, and that’s a win no matter which way you cut it.
When we first got our GameStop here in town, I spent about $400 in the first month and everybody new me by name. Now I usually wait for them to come down to around $20-$30 dollars. I keep telling myself I’m going to finish everything before I buy something new, but I always break down.
I’ve had games that it’s taken me over a year to finish because I kept buying or renting new games. Sometimes it can be beneficial to take a break from a 60-hour game by playing a 10-12 hour game.
The only downside to waiting is that it’s hard to find multiplayer action after the first few weeks of a game’s release. Exceptions to that are games like CoD4 and Halo 3. For single player games, there shouldn’t be any rush.
It is hard not to get all caught up in what’s hot right now. Especially if you have friends that are way into going out and getting the latest… whatever, not necessarily video games. You want to know what all the talk is about.
I think you’re right though, video games are definitely pretty bad at that. I mean, sometimes movies are pretty bad, they come out and if you haven’t seen them that first weekend well you might as well forget about it because everyone’s seen it and is done talking about it. But that’s only for a few movies. Video games are like, oh you’re not playing this game? Lame. Plus there are quite a few snooty ass gamers who are like “oh yeah, that game was fun… in 2007 back when people were into it.”
Either way, I’m still intrigued by Arkham Asylum and I have no idea why.
Batman was a pretty good demo. Certainly a game I’ll consider buying but only once it gets to that $30 or below level. That’s usually my price point for games unless they are ones I *really* want.
Modern Warfare 2 and probably the Beatles RB are going to be ones I get soon after launch. Both of those I forsee having long shelf lives but they are both games/genres I’m in to so a $50 game here or there is not big deal. I just don’t know how folks can drop that weekly.
Shy of games like CoD and Battlefield, I’m a solo gamer for the most part. I’m happy with single player games (especially the arcade games). Shooters are just meant for multiplayer, no question there.
Oh how true.
What’s worse, feeding the addiction with Gamefly. Though I’d say cheaper in the long run.
And there are some ridiculously good games coming out in November: Dragon Age: Origins, Assassin’s Creed 2, COD4-2, and if you’re my wife, she would also say Lego Indy 2 will be great.
Sigh.