Being a savvy game buyer

um7y1h83ge06nx

This year I'm being much more strict with myself as regards buying games. The amount of times I have bought games on launch only to start playing it months later when I could get it half the price is scandalous.

I've started using the Android app My Game Collection to manage not just my backlog but also to manage my wishlist.

Through using sites like xboxpricecheck, ps4pricecheck, psprices, xbox-store-checker and of course Boards I've been getting some decent bargains. Obviously it helps that I'm not buying many new releases.

I've started now to record my purchases to see how much I am spending on games. Here are my latest purchases:

Doom PS4 - Base.com - €24.09
Dead Rising 3 Apocalypse Edition - Xbox Store - €7.90
Dishonoured Definitive Edition PS4 - Gameseek - €18.24

Total - €50.23 Average - €16.74

Two games on my shortlist that I probably will buy:

Until Dawn PS4 - PS store - $11.99 - €10.82
Ratchet and Clank - PS Store - €17.49

Obviously If I was a PC gamer I would be a Steam sale fiend!

Needless to say it's a good general rule of thumb to avoid Gamestop like the plague.

So do you guys have any game purchasing do's and don't's or do you just buy on impulse?

super_furry

I'm getting that way. Friday used to be the day I looked forward to for new releases, now it's Tuesday and Wednesday when Microsoft and Sony update their weekly sales. The thing is that now I have more games than I can play, and my backlog is huge so I can afford to wait for a sale or drop in price.

There are still a few games I'll buy at launch but even then, with some hunting around, you can get a good deal. I got a Gears of War 4 key on launch day for €38. Same deal with Titanfall 2 - got a PC key for €35 on the day of launch.

Thank fook for argos for day one stuff is all I can say on the matter.

Gonzo

Instant-gaming, Steam Sales and Argos is all you need.

lertsnim

Been a while since I bought day one.

SeantheMan

g2play all the live long day for newer games

Skerries

SeantheMan wrote: »

g2play all the live long day for newer games

CD-keys and Instantgaming have given me better bargains for day 1 releases
but check http://www.allkeyshop.com/

um7y1h83ge06nx

Also another tip I forgot to say is don't buy Xbox Live subs at full price!

They can be gotten much cheaper on sites like CDKeys and German site GameLaden. The cheapest I've bought a years sub is €27-28 and most was about €35. It's €60 direct from Microsoft.

For PS Plus options appear to be very limited - best that can usually be had these days is a €2 saving in Argos for a years sub.

I remember back in the early days of the 360 Play Asia and Video Games Plus in Canada used be great for region free games. Prices however have came down in Europe so in most case they are no longer worth it unless you want to get some quirky imported games.

I remember educating a work colleague who was a mother with a gamer son to the joys of those 2 sites. She was shocked at the price difference to the likes of Gamestop.

Mickeroo

Get a pay as you go mobile phone plan that doesn't use your credit, like the all you can eat data one with Three for example, then convert your excess phone credit to PS/XBL currency every month. So even if you are tempted by a game day one on the digital stores you'll often have 20 quid or so sitting in your account to take the sting out of it a bit.

readyletsgo

I could use all the advice in here.

Only started with PC gaming this year, some CRAZY deals through sites mentioned above, have saved a lot by not getting ps4 versions . But now by back cat is even more ridiculous lol.

Kenjataimu

I use hmv game credit to use up my Three phone credit.
20e psn credit will cost you around 23e phone credit. I don't think it works with Meteor.

Handy for buying the reduced games that are less than a tenner.

I'd usually have over 23e phone credit left over every 2 months so that's about 120e worth of psn credit I can build up in a year.

K.O.Kiki

... all these key sites, smh

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=99760162

SeantheMan

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

... all these key sites, smh

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=99760162

I dunno if they fall into the same category as G2A, maybe they do.
I've only heard of G2A within the last 2 or 3 years due to all the controversy and stuff...
I've been using G2PLAY since 2008-9...doesn't make em any more legitimate, in fact a lot of the codes they send me are clearly pictures of game boxes or serials...that maybe fell off the back of a truck. I honestly don't know.
Great service though.

Stone Deaf 4evr

Mickeroo wrote: »

Get a pay as you go mobile phone plan that doesn't use your credit, like the all you can eat data one with Three for example, then convert your excess phone credit to PS/XBL currency every month. So even if you are tempted by a game day one on the digital stores you'll often have 20 quid or so sitting in your account to take the sting out of it a bit.

readyletsgo wrote: »

I could use all the advice in here.

Only started with PC gaming this year, some CRAZY deals through sites mentioned above, have saved a lot by not getting ps4 versions . But now by back cat is even more ridiculous lol.

How exactly do ye go about this lads? I'm out of contract next month and tbh a credit phone wouldnt be a major hassle to me as I make next to zero calls or texts every month.

Mickeroo

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

How exactly do ye go about this lads? I'm out of contract next month and tbh a credit phone wouldnt be a major hassle to me as I make next to zero calls or texts every month.

Just use this site: https://www.hmvgamecredit.com/

Kal El

Only games I get day one are sports games. Everything else can wait till its on sale imo. I dont play fps so I could understand them being must haves for some

Taylor365

Savvy game buyer?....patient game buyer is where its at!

I've enough games to keep me busy and multiplayer wouldn't been my main focus so pick up everything for less than €20.

Steam sales, Humble Bundle or G2A for those extra extra cheap games. I wouldn't trust G2A with anything more than €10, not that I'm afraid of scams - just a preference.

Kal El

Taylor365 wrote: »

Savvy game buyer?....patient game buyer is where its at!

I've enough games to keep me busy and multiplayer wouldn't been my main focus so pick up everything for less than €20.

Steam sales, Humble Bundle or G2A for those extra extra cheap games. I wouldn't trust G2A with anything more than €10, not that I'm afraid of scams - just a preference.

Yup I have kinda a unwritten rule that I wont pay more than 20 euros as well, lads think I spent loads cause I have a nice collection, but its less than 200 euros a year

theteal

Thanks to Games with Gold and EA Access I've spent a sum total of £37.64 on actual game purchases this generation - and this amount only accumulated in the last month with Gears 4 and Titanfall 2

ShadowHearth

I just stoped buying brand new releases unless it's blizzard stuff or just something specific that I really love, Aka killing floor 2! Got that as soon as it went early access. Not disappointed yet.
With blizzard stuff its even better. Brother in law works for them, so... Yeah.

I think last game I properly bought was rainbow six siege for 20 quid on steam sale. Oh, and little big planet 3 purely to try it playing with my misses amd see if I can get her in to gaming. Shockingly she loved it and both of us had smashing time.

So yeah, just ignore new releases and buy older games if I really want to play them, not because game is cheap. Playing games like wow does not help too. Saved a fortune lately.
Back in the day I would buy everything that's on the hype as I didn't care about money and was earning a lot as a young fella.

sweetie

For new releases, single player mainly, use simplygames, the game collection etc and can trade in for nearly full cost to CEX if you've finished it. Gears of War 4 cost me 48.99 from argos, got 47 cash for it two weeks later from CEX.