Used Games

i found this post at joystiq interesting. gamers discussed in the comments section whether they prefer to buy games used or new, and what their reasoning behind each was.

personally, i probably buy more new games than used, but that trend might change a bit. growing up i don't think i ever would have considered buying used games, but back then mom & dad were typically the ones paying for occasional games. now that each $50 game hits closer to home, i certainly think twice before mindlessly shelling out cash.

whether you buy used games through amazon, ebay, half.com, etc i've found that most of the time the games' condition meets my quality standards just fine. granted, i don't think it's a great idea to buy a typical $50-new game for $45-used. when i've bought used in the past, i'm typically saving a good 50-75% off the MSRP.

there's such a huge bulk of games on so many platforms these days that you're bound to miss out on all kinds of great games in virtually every genre. i'm 24 years old with a steady job and plenty of other hobbies, so i don't exactly feel the pressure to get the latest coolest game on the street, so being a few years behind actually saves me a ton of money. when a game came out 2 years ago, you're almost guaranteed that you can find it either new (greatest hits, heavily discounted, etc) or used (just from sheer volume used shops have) for a much cheaper price.

when i was a kid, my sister and i devoted several hours after school and on weekends to one game, so if we kept at it, even the longer games we'd be done with in a few short months. present day, i don't have the kind of time where i can just burn 4 hours every night to get through a game. not to mention there feels like such a steady flow of quality content (admittedly, in parallel to a much longer steaming pile of terrible games) that you're rarely left feeling like you have nothing to play until that next great game you're anticipating hits the street.

it's actually gonna create kind of a weird situation when the wii and PS3 come out, cuz i've still got enough to keep me entertained on my gamecube and PS2. luckily, both new consoles (well, all 3 actually) are backwards-compatible and will play my games for the previous console. but even with the gems yet to play in the past, most people (including myself) would prefer to boot up a game where the trademark year on the startup screen matches the current.

i haven't decided yet which console(s) i'd like to purchase for the next generation, but i know i'm not interested in plunking down $50-60 for each game that often. i may have more disposable income now than when i was 16, but it doesn't mean that i feel justified paying full price so often. thus, the entire concept of buying games secondhand benefits me greatly.

--justin