Why bother buying an 8th generation console?

[msimplay]

Theres advantages and disadvantages to that tactic.
At the moment I've found some bargains like Metroids other M for £7.99 but that could go up.
Prime Trilogy was £30 on release and now I can't seem to find it less than £45.
Plus since the games are no longer sold in the shops makes them harder to obtain at reasonable prices those ones that become rare.
I mean I bought Panzer Dragoon Saga at a reasonable £20 new but I have seen it go for ridiculous prices on Ebay now.

I think the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, if you're buying games in any quantity. Metroid Prime Trilogy is a current-gen example. By next-gen, it'll likely come down a bit.
Yes, some games go up and never come down, but they're exceedingly rare. Sure, Panzer Dragoon Saga now sells for, like, 4 times its original price, but most used games are selling for 10-25% of their original price. Ten new games will be around $500. Panzer Dragoon Saga, along with nine other good, cheap, used games will be around $250-$300 total, and that's in today's money. Don't forget about inflation.

I'm not sure about them outweighing as when you wait for a cheap price the way you would when a consoles life cycle has finished then it would also mean that the products are now used.
I mean with games being on optical media this introduces a whole host of problems.
There's also the issue with games not coming complete like without box and instructions.
I've seen not really rare gameboy games selling for same price as when they were first in retail because they come with box and instructions and sometimes not even in good condition that would cost even more.

This is one of the reasons I ended up not playing games for the last gen because sometimes I would go to the store and next thing ya know the game was there before and then you couldn't even find it again.
It played a part in me becoming a hoarder

[Limewater]

I'm not sure about them outweighing as when you wait for a cheap price the way you would when a consoles life cycle has finished then it would also mean that the products are now used.

Yes. They are used. I don't find having something "new" to be worth the $40 premium when the used model works just as well.

I mean with games being on optical media this introduces a whole host of problems.

This has not yet caused me any problems. A couple of times, I've decided to not buy certain games because I didn't like the looks of the disc, but that's been rare.

There's also the issue with games not coming complete like without box and instructions.
I've seen not really rare gameboy games selling for same price as when they were first in retail because they come with box and instructions and sometimes not even in good condition that would cost even more.

I don't understand paying $40 for a cardboard box.

[msimplay]

I'm not sure about them outweighing as when you wait for a cheap price the way you would when a consoles life cycle has finished then it would also mean that the products are now used.

Yes. They are used. I don't find having something "new" to be worth the $40 premium when the used model works just as well.

I mean with games being on optical media this introduces a whole host of problems.

This has not yet caused me any problems. A couple of times, I've decided to not buy certain games because I didn't like the looks of the disc, but that's been rare.

There's also the issue with games not coming complete like without box and instructions.
I've seen not really rare gameboy games selling for same price as when they were first in retail because they come with box and instructions and sometimes not even in good condition that would cost even more.

I don't understand paying $40 for a cardboard box.

You don't have to wait until a consoles life cycle runs out to get a cheap deal many boxed games I have I never paid the full price £40 for as retailers often have some kind of sale going on they have to stay in business after all and why wait play now that game you wanna play if its a good price.
If the used condition is good then okay but when something is used the condition from what I have found is usually nothing like new.

I've personally had issues with games I have purchased online that were listed as working condition but I have had problems with.
This has happened quite a few times to be honest but with new games you have that peace of mind that they will definitely work.

I like the case for storage purposes and I like reading instructions as a precursor to playing the game as they often include story elements and an overview of the game.
Which is helpful if you haven't already looked everything up about that game on the internet.

[Limewater]

You don't have to wait until a consoles life cycle runs out to get a cheap deal many boxed games I have I never paid the full price £40 for as retailers often have some kind of sale going on they have to stay in business after all and why wait play now that game you wanna play if its a good price.

Delayed gratification is the real downside to staying behind a generation. Also, you miss out on directly supporting the developers.

If the used condition is good then okay but when something is used the condition from what I have found is usually nothing like new.

That matters if you want to keep your perfect boxes lined up in a row to look pretty. It doesn't really make much difference in terms of actually playing the games.

I've personally had issues with games I have purchased online that were listed as working condition but I have had problems with.
This has happened quite a few times to be honest but with new games you have that peace of mind that they will definitely work.

If you're buying a game for 10% of its original sale price, you can buy a second copy and still come out ahead by 80%.

I like the case for storage purposes and I like reading instructions as a precursor to playing the game as they often include story elements and an overview of the game.
Which is helpful if you haven't already looked everything up about that game on the internet.

Most used disc-based games come with cases. If you're lucky, they come with manuals. Whether the manual is worth the extra $40 or not is up to you.

[msimplay]

Delayed gratification is the real downside to staying behind a generation. Also, you miss out on directly supporting the developers.

You also risk the game becoming rare

That matters if you want to keep your perfect boxes lined up in a row to look pretty. It doesn't really make much difference in terms of actually playing the games.

Pretty is not my only worry to be honest I don't like games taking up room so to be able to stack them easily is good makes them easier to find.

If you're buying a game for 10% of its original sale price, you can buy a second copy and still come out ahead by 80%.

Depends if the game you bought works correctly or not by the time you get it.
Sometimes you can play a game for the 1st part of the game and then later on the game will stop working or if the game doesn't work at all once you get it home.
There's two problems if the seller accepts the return you wasted your time and top it off you still probably want the game.
Two if the seller doesn't accept returns for some reason then you've not only wasted your time but also your money.

Most used disc-based games come with cases. If you're lucky, they come with manuals. Whether the manual is worth the extra $40 or not is up to you.

You said most that's another problem right there most meaning not all.
Second hand games you risk the game not even coming with a case and I've personally bought one of these.

Sorry but every retail game does not cost $40 sometimes even a retail copy can be much less than a second hand copy depending on various conditions such as sales, rarity etc.
Just use common sense and look for the good deals.
There's no real contest to be honest new is always better than old and used but I guess price is the only the main factor some will be willing to put up with the inconveniences

I got my Metroid other M for £7.99 and I haven't seen that even second hand for that price and I didn't have to wait until the end of the Wii's life cycle.

Also even if prices are cheap now no telling if a game will end up rare.

I've seen the Tales of Vesperia ramped up in price second hand or not I personally doubt it's gonna go down.
Now while am not too interested in the game if I had been I wish I had bought it earlier when it was cheaper.
What's even more unbelievable is that the strategy guide for game is selling for more than the game itself.

[Inazuma]

Waiting a few years to buy video games to save money is generally a good idea, or at least used to be a good idea. Of course there are a few games that actually go up in value but the vast majority of games will be nearly worthless 5-10 years later, when everyone is selling their old games to buy the next generation of games.

The game industry knows there are some people who do this to save money and they don't like it, so they are doing everything they can to stop it. Many of today's games have online play, but only for a few years. They also have DLC, which is only available for a few years. If you want to wait 10 years to buy a PS3 game, the game will be worth almost nothing because both the netplay and DLC will be impossible to access through legitimate means.

And this is just for the physical games. More and more games are download only now, so they will pretty much cease to exist when they are taken off the server (piracy aside). The used game market doesn't have much of a future. Nintendo games are the only exception. When Nintendo decides to really take some action, "retro" gaming will stop there.

[Gunstar Green]

The only generation console I wasn't behind on was the Dreamcast which worked out for me well because I have a host of rare games that I didn't pay a whole lot for when they were still on the shelves. I remember getting Marvel vs. Capcom 2 brand new at Sears for $19.99.

I also tend to stay current with handhelds but as I said that's probably going to end with the new handheld generation.

Usually though I like to lag behind and scoop up the deals at the end of a system's lifespan. I've already come across rare games for good prices on systems I don't yet own that I've bought just to hold on to for when I actually do get around to getting that system. It might seem a little odd to some people but you don't need to own a particular console to buy games for it.

[Pichu]

Nintendo games are the only exception. When Nintendo decides to really take some action, "retro" gaming will stop there.

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