Why do you buy new games? And don't get me started on preor

[MrPopo]

I don't.

You would if they made a new Ys for the Turbografx.

[ElkinFencer10]

There's been a lot of touching going on with my copy of Custer's Revenge.

That's racist.

I meant that I fondle the cartridge because it's a rare collection piece. Geeze, what were you thinking?

[Sarge]

I buy new when it's something that I really, really want to support. Stuff like Dragon Quest (although I've not bought many spinoffs, or DQ8), or other lower-visibility games. I also buy games that I know I'm going to play right off the bat.

I still shop the bargains, though. There are games that I'll wait until they get cheaper, because I have a pretty sizable library as it is. I also hit the used stuff pretty heavy, too. Basically, I'll take my games however I can get 'em.

[BogusMeatFactory]

I buy new for games that I really want and think that people should use their money to cast a vote in how they feel the game industry should go. That $60 for a new game goes to the people who made it and I want to let them know that I want to see more ideas like this.

[isiolia]

I tend to buy new for one or more of the following:

- If I anticipate playing it right away.
- If I think it may be in short supply.
- If I want to show support for the game/developer/genre.

Otherwise I'm usually content to wait for a price drop. Though as has been pointed out, these days, given that usually buy from Amazon, preorders or new releases are 20% off anyway.

Most stuff I do tend to wait on.

[Exhuminator]

I tend to only buy new games. Granted sometimes these games are still brand new and sealed but years old, so they are not only still new (in the physical sense), but heavily discounted as well. However I often still buy brand new Vita and 3DS games upon their release.

3 reasons I buy new...

1. To directly support the publisher/developer* by buying their game when it releases. As opposed to waiting and buy the game used or second hand from a reseller, which nets the original publisher/developer* jack squat.

2. Because in my experience Americans do a piss poor job of taking care of their used games. I do not enjoy scratched discs, bent (or missing) manuals, missing jacket inserts, stickers all over the game cases, damaged jacket inserts, marker writing any random place, and various sticky/smudgy substances on any random part of the product packaging. Fuck all of that with a giant fuck that stick. If I'm buying something as a hobbyist it needs to be worth my money and not compromised. I don't mind paying a few bucks more for a brand new, minty fresh, still sealed, not violated game.

3. Peeling the plastic wrapping off a ten year old game and smelling that sweet time capsule manufacturing aroma is a nostalgic blast.


*Sometimes developers get royalties on units sold, so they are still making money beyond the initial pay the publisher provided to create the game.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Peeling the plastic wrapping off a ten year old game and smelling that sweet time capsule manufacturing aroma is a nostalgic blast.

I like this too. There's nothing like the smell of sweet, sweet ozone.

That said, the only games I buy new are digital. (I also buy the occasional new, physical game to support the developer. That is rare, however.) I love getting good prices on used games, and I can clean most of them up to the point where they are in very good to excellent condition. (If I can't I don't buy them!)

[BogusMeatFactory]

Peeling the plastic wrapping off a ten year old game and smelling that sweet time capsule manufacturing aroma is a nostalgic blast.

I like this too. There's nothing like the smell of sweet, sweet ozone.

That said, the only games I buy new are digital. (I also buy the occasional new, physical game to support the developer. That is rare, however.) I love getting good prices on used games, and I can clean most of them up to the point where they are in very good to excellent condition. (If I can't I don't buy them!)

Here is a hot take not loved by the retro community. I LOVE buying digital, because there are tons of old games that aren't normally available on the market in a physical release that helps show a developer that there is an audience for it.

[fastbilly1]

isiolia and I follow similar guidelines on this.

I typically buy two games a year at full price. They are almost always a 1st party Nintendo Handheld game (which dont drop in price) or something that I will play immediately. The last game I preordered (before the Switch) was probably Cubivore.

[marlowe221]

It's rare for me to buy new games on any platform at this point in my life.

I might buy 1-2 per year. I don't pre-order unless it's a physical release of a game that I think will be in short supply or a low print run.

Recent example: The Wii U version of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.