Do you buy a lot of games?

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Voor
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Do you buy a lot of games?

Postby Voor » July 11th, 2020, 8:59 am

I was thinking about how the 64 is often criticized for not having a lot of games, especially compared to its competition. I’ve never felt this was an issue—I had probably 7-8 what I considered to be very good and replayable games and that felt sufficient.

Looking back, I remember that it’s always been that way for me, I don’t think I’ve ever owned more than 10 games for any of my systems (though I’d obviously rent games when that still existed). Maybe it’s a product of being a kid without a lot of money or just being very selective, but fast forward to today...

I have a switch, 4 games, and as I was looking over games I wanted to add, I could only come up with 3 for now. Just curious if other were like this.

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DrLitch
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Re: Do you buy a lot of games?

Postby DrLitch » July 11th, 2020, 10:26 am

I think owning a small selection of titles applies to most of us. Even as a kid I could not build an extensive gaming library, not only due to finances but time as well - homework, sports, and then the mall or beach hangouts with friends. Time is often the biggest thief of enjoying ones gaming hobby. Covid 19 has seen me play more today that I ever did as a kid or young adult.

Indie titles are keeping this generation afloat in my opinion so branch out there if you have not already. Many AAA titles have been disappointing this generation, including the recently released Last of Us 2. It seems like Indie developers try harder and have more interesting ideas than these big studios.

The N64 tends to bunch it's good games in only one or two genres and that is probably why most criticize it's library. If 3D platformers are on the menu there were several on the N64 that were good for the time. FPS genre was also represented fairly on the N64. In both these genre's the N64 could be considered a better console than PS1 or Saturn. Pickings get slim once one looks at fighters, 2D platformers, shooters, RPG's, Stealth, Horror, Action Adventure and so on. It is notable that JRPG's were absent on the N64.

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ActRaiser
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Re: Do you buy a lot of games?

Postby ActRaiser » July 11th, 2020, 12:29 pm

Hmm, it seems to go in cycles for me. As a kid I don't remember having a lot of games but in actuality I had a ton. College was a lean time due to tight money and no time to play. After college and oh, say 15 years I acquired a massive amount of games. I'd wait for a boat load of games to go on clearance at Best Buy and stock up. Or, I'd go hunting on eBay for collections. That would drop a ton of games for a small amount in the big scheme of things. However, in the last 3-4 years I've bought far fewer games and played even less. A kid, yard work, and actual work seems to zap my time. Plus, I've started reading books again (well, comic books) and drawing. Who knew that could be a hobby? These days I spend more time reading about games than actually playing them.

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scotland
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Re: Do you buy a lot of games?

Postby scotland » July 13th, 2020, 9:48 am

I was looking at an article saying video game prices may be rising with the new generation, and how it might be a return to exactly this - people buying only a few games a year and playing the heck out of them. Birthday and Holidays were the main game buying times.

Dave's site is evidence we've had solid interest in retrogaming for 20+ years now, which has given us a skewed look at gaming. We judge systems by the breadth of their libraries. A wide library is good, but really a system was best known for its best games. Dave had a observation recently on how an Atari package lacking the best games slights the system's legacy.

Its also good to look at parts of gaming history, like Atari with E.T. and Pac-Man. I know there are many who say "Those are fine games" but if you only got a game now and again, and bought one of these games and were disappointed, it mattered.

Nevermind
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Re: Do you buy a lot of games?

Postby Nevermind » July 14th, 2020, 7:57 am

Never bought a lot of games. I’ve been the same since the 80s, but I’ve always consumed games reviews and considered purchases hard (hence my appreciation of this site). As a child I used to copy review details to a set of index cards - very sad.

I still have the same buying approach now with the Switch. I enjoy reading and comparing reviews, considering what I enjoy and finally parting with my cash. Money is no longer the limiting factor from my childhood, but I consciously limit what I spend. I bought my SNES mini with Christmas money from my parents (I’m 37!). I think waiting and hunting for an eBay bargain made the purchase sweeter.

LuckyWDFN
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Re: Do you buy a lot of games?

Postby LuckyWDFN » July 14th, 2020, 11:07 am

Nevermind wrote:Never bought a lot of games. I’ve been the same since the 80s, but I’ve always consumed games reviews and considered purchases hard (hence my appreciation of this site). As a child I used to copy review details to a set of index cards - very sad.

I still have the same buying approach now with the Switch. I enjoy reading and comparing reviews, considering what I enjoy and finally parting with my cash. Money is no longer the limiting factor from my childhood, but I consciously limit what I spend. I bought my SNES mini with Christmas money from my parents (I’m 37!). I think waiting and hunting for an eBay bargain made the purchase sweeter.


I'm the same way. Very grateful for the critic for all those reviews when I rarely do open my wallet to purchase a game, even if it's cheap or easily found. I don't consider myself to be "cheap" except when it comes to video games.

Also, I tend the almost literally beat the hell out of games. Beat a game, then try to do it faster or with a higher score. Buy the latest Madden or EA NHL, play Franchise mode for 10+ seasons... etc...

I guess I fear that if I put one game down to buy another one, I won't go back to the original game or have as much fun with it. So, I just don't. Once in a great while, I'll bounce around and go on a quick retro arcade games "go for the high score" binge. But that's rare.

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MSR1701
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Re: Do you buy a lot of games?

Postby MSR1701 » July 14th, 2020, 12:11 pm

To me it is a system by system basis for how many games I would buy. For a system like the Neo Geo Pocket Color, it has a reputation for Quality over Quantity (which I agree as being accurate), and owned only so many of the games. On the other hand, systems like the Game Boy Advance sees my owned titles going up exponentially due to the number of good games worth playing.

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velcrozombie
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Re: Do you buy a lot of games?

Postby velcrozombie » July 14th, 2020, 10:29 pm

I buy too many games considering the amount of time I actually spend playing them. It's probably a reaction to only being able to buy a handful of NES games a year as a kid and even fewer Genesis games later on (although that was just as much a case of shifting priorities, since I started putting more time and resources into music about a year after getting the system). Back then I was at the mercy of my parent's finances and I had no reliable way to earn money, so when I got back into gaming around 2008 with far more cash at my disposal I foolishly bought just about anything that had a good reputation or a high review score (although mostly used or at deep discounts). Over the years I've made a concentrated effort to narrow the scope of my buying further and further as far too many games have collected dust but I still find it difficult to pass up a big sale without a purchase, even if it's just a game or two. The recent realization that I no longer want to play many of the games I've accumulated over the years and that, even if I still did, I would never have time at my current rate has me rethinking my collection and what I'll be doing going forward - like most people it's a combination of dwindling personal time, increased responsibilities, other interests and attempting to advance my career through continued education. This may even be my final console generation, although I do intend on building a new gaming PC within the next year or so to replace my aging tower.

newmodelarmy
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Re: Do you buy a lot of games?

Postby newmodelarmy » July 15th, 2020, 6:39 am

i have never been a collector so I usually only buy the games I intend to play. That said, I don't buy too many any longer and if I do, it is normally via download and at a deep discount. I am not sure why folks run out to buy the latest game at $60. Unless it is a Nintendo game, you can be sure that it will be $20 off within a few weeks. Also, I recently had my Sega Genesis Mini modded with around 1,000 games for about $50! I have been playing the heck out of it and honestly really don't need anything else. NHL 98 is just as fun and addicting as I remember it.

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C64_Critic
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Re: Do you buy a lot of games?

Postby C64_Critic » July 16th, 2020, 1:51 pm

Interesting topic. I probably buy more games now than I used to because Steam makes it so easy and convenient, and they constantly have great sales. Although I prefer physical media, being primarily a PC gamer that's just not a viable option any more. However, I'm way more price conscious than I used to be so while I buy more games now in terms of sheer numbers, I probably spend less money on games overall - I can't remember the last time I spent more than $10 on a single game for myself, and more often than not I don't spend more than $5 on any single title. I *never* buy a game within the first month of it's release because I know the price will drop dramatically within just a few months, and I have such a backlog I feel no rush to get something (without physical media being an issue, I know the game that gets released tomorrow at $60 isn't going anywhere and has zero chance of being 'sold out').

On the flip side, when I make the rare C64 game purchase off Ebay, I am usually spending way more than I want simply because of scarcity. Luckily there aren't many titles left that I'm looking to grab, so if I have to spent $150 on a game I know it's probably the only game I'll be buying for the system for quite some time and it makes it easier to swallow.


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