How or Do You Refrain From Buying Games?

[PinkPanzer]

I have to buy an engagement ring within the next few months so that is a slight deterrent to spending money on videogames (plus I have enough already including ones I haven't even touched)

I could always sell my collection and probably get around $4000 for it but I have pretty great saving ethics so luckily I won't need to resort to that

[Tanooki]

Just be smart with the money, commit to what you buy, and if you're backlogs work up a shame list so you're constantly reminded of it so you either play it or sell/trade it away to solve the problem.

[Sano]

I usually can't refrain. However I only like 2 or 3 games per year; games I want to buy anyway... so its not that bad

[Nintendork666]

1) Actually beat a game, or two, or three before buying a new one.
2) Only buy games you want to play NOW. Not game you "may want to play later". That's the exact mentality which leads to an embarrassing position in this hobby.
3) Realize that you more than likely own too much already, and that a lot of the games you own probably suck and you hang onto them anyway.
4) If you don't like it, sell it! Don't buy it back again either. Remember WHY you sold it. There's likely better games to be played.
5) Get games for free from the library to satisfy your game craving at no cos whatsoever.

[dsheinem]

Only buy games you want to play NOW. Not game you "may want to play later". That's the exact mentality which leads to an embarrassing position in this hobby.

What's "embarrassing" about building a library for future play?

[samsonlonghair]

5) Get games for free from the library to satisfy your game craving at no cos whatsoever.

What library has video games?

[Gunstar Green]

1) Actually beat a game, or two, or three before buying a new one.
2) Only buy games you want to play NOW. Not game you "may want to play later". That's the exact mentality which leads to an embarrassing position in this hobby.

If you collect retro games you've usually got to buy games when you find them for the price you're willing to pay.

If every game I had was a game I bought because I want to play it "now" my hobby would be actually be a lot more expensive.

[Exhuminator]

What library has video games?

We haven't heard of it because the library is too embarrassed of its position to advertise the fact.

2) Only buy games you want to play NOW. Not game you "may want to play later".

Indeed it must be economically beneficial to have such limited genre/platform interests that one only buys a single game or two a month. Personally speaking if I bought every game I know of that I'd like to play NOW, I'd probably go into debt. That's why a budgeted trickle of weekly games works for me.

Something I want to reiterate is that for some of us, actual collecting of games is itself a hobby. A hobby outside actually playing games. Thus a continued influx of games into our libraries is a pleasing experience. For others buying and reselling games is sort of a side business in and of itself. In both of those regards I still believe a proper budget is the only sustainable answer.

[Blu]

What library has video games?

We haven't heard of it because the library is too embarrassed of its position to advertise the fact.

http://www.lib.umich.edu/computer-video-game-archive
Just a short bus ride away from the campus I work on. It has a surprising variety of mainly console games. Absolutely great selection, you can play anything there while you're there, but you can't check them out, which isn't surprising.

______________________________________

As for me, I don't mind adding games to my library that I will eventually play. There's games that I'll play immediately, there's games that are part of my backlog, and there's games that I've played in the past and enjoy them being part of my collection.

Find what works for you. If it's a budget, do that. If it's a one game purchase a month, do that too. If you find a good deal and your finances are in order, then why not?

My backlog is around 56 games. Those include games that I have made progress on but stopped at some point and include games I have recently purchased and have yet to play. As long as you're conscientious of what you already have and have not played and can strike a balance on what you wish to spend your time on, there should be no major concerns.

[Nintendork666]

Only buy games you want to play NOW. Not game you "may want to play later". That's the exact mentality which leads to an embarrassing position in this hobby.

What's "embarrassing" about building a library for future play?

As long as you actually play them? Nothing. The OP's question asks how to refrain from buying games, and this absolutely cuts out like 95% of all purchases I'd ever make while actively collecting. I own hundreds of games with the intent of future-play, I'm lucky if I actually get around to 10% of them within the next decade.

5) Get games for free from the library to satisfy your game craving at no cos whatsoever.

What library has video games?

My public library, and most likely your's too. You can rent games for up to three weeks for free. They're not exactly gonna have Panzer Dragoon Saga, but it definitely helps satisfy the urge to constantly acquire random media and won't cost you a dime.

2) Only buy games you want to play NOW. Not game you "may want to play later".

Indeed it must be economically beneficial to have such limited genre/platform interests that one only buys a single game or two a month. Personally speaking if I bought every game I know of that I'd like to play NOW, I'd probably go into debt. That's why a budgeted trickle of weekly games works for me.

Something I want to reiterate is that for some of us, actual collecting of games is itself a hobby. A hobby outside actually playing games. Thus a continued influx of games into our libraries is a pleasing experience. For others buying and reselling games is sort of a side business in and of itself. In both of those regards I still believe a proper budget is the only sustainable answer.

It's not what you'd like to play NOW. It's what you are going to play NOW. I don't know about you, but between my job, college, other media, and my social life - there's very little time left to game. Especially when you have a fetish for random time-hogging JRPG's like I do.

I used to collect just for the sake of it, and I'd defend the hobby until I was blue in the face (if need be). It's not a healthy habit though, there really is no end in sight, and being a re-seller is morally questionable to some (not to me though, yay capitalism).

Set your budget all you want, but if you want to COMPLETELY REFRAIN from buying games, as the OP suggests then you'll really need to look at what you've amassed from an outsider's perspective and conclude that you don't necessarily need whatever cool, rare item you're obsessing over. Those items remain cool and rare whether or not you own them, and the majority of people who post here don't need another video game-related dust magnet. I know I sure don't.

Take my words with a grain of salt, of course. As someone who has escaped the hobby for the most part, I'm speaking from nothing more than personal experience. Had I not wasted so much cash on random games, I'd likely be living in a nice apartment with my girlfriend right now. I'd never stick to my budget and I regret it now moreso than ever.

EDIT: Clearly my original post was aimed at someone who wanted to quit spending so much money on the hobby which he feels he has wasted. Everyone responding to me directly seems completely content with their purchasing decisions and all the more power to them. I posted my list to help the OP, as it is the mentality which helped me clear my head, and see the forest for the trees.