Been my favourite games sub on Reddit for years. I don’t even play most of their games, I just appreciate it’s a positive gaming sub that stays on topic talking about the games they like to play without being a bitchfest. Stunningly rare.
Although at some point it’s not being good with money and it’s simply necessity. Someone who’s poor might have to pirate a bit, but someone who just doesn’t want to drop $70 every time a game comes out might choose to wait, even if they can technically afford it.
True. I usually give early access games at least a year in my wishlist before I either buy them or toss them. It’s nice to see all the changes and the review updates (assuming it doesn’t get abandoned)
I mean, after a year most of the patches (at least the more significant ones) will almost certainly be out already and games are getting pretty good deals a few months after launch, let alone a whole year.
That’s a pretty good time to get a game imo, you’ll probably not be able to save up much more even if you wait much longer.
Literally every word in every language is gatekeepereeped by the people who speak that language.
Except y'know, the people who overuse certain words to the point of meaninglessness.
I'm not quite that far behind but I love being able to buy games a year or 2 after they come out, cheap and with all dlcs included, way better than paying $100+ for a new game that often is full of bugs and not properly optimised.
Nintendo sucks honestly. Compared to the value you get with Sony or Microsoft, it’s hard to justify paying full price for their games that are 5 years old now.
So wait until they are on sale.
Every one of their flagship games eventually go on sale. Right now both physical and digital Mario games are on sale right now celebrating the movie release and Mar10.
One thing Nintendo is really good about it keeping most their games in print. You can complain about the price, but as someone who picked up a switch late I really appreciate being able to buy brand new copies locally.
Steamdeck blows them all out of the water if you like gaming on the go. Just look at this humble bundle for example, just 12 bucks. Death Stranding, Roller Dome, Alien Fire team, and others. You save SOOO much money gaming on PC, and no annual memberships. Best part, very emulation friendly so not getting nickeled and dimed for 10 year old games.
[https://www.humblebundle.com/membership?hmb\_source=navbar](https://www.humblebundle.com/membership?hmb_source=navbar)
I still have a PS4Pro and Switch for local co op and first party games, consoles are still the best way to do local co op and docked play, but I honestly play my SD more than both of those combined due to the ease of access.
Mainly nice if you like gaming on the couch, in bed or on the go. If you prefer at your pc it is probably more powerful than the steam deck if you have a gaming pc.
I think I read somewhere it’s due to how much the cartridges themselves cost to manufacture, and the digital versions have to be priced the same otherwise they’d have no physical sales
I’m not sure if that’s correct though but it would make sense, although I’m not sure as to why they haven’t found a cheaper alternative, although that being said Nintendo cartridges are ridiculously durable
It's as a result of maintaining value in their brand. Tons of large companies do this -- Apple is a pretty good example when it comes to phones. They have a product people want and it can't be replicated due to their unique offerings. (In this case, portability and exclusivity)
Why discount it when you don't need to?
Luckily, Nintendo has lost their edge on almost all of their franchises. SSB is great, but there are a lot of fun fighting games nowadays. Mario Kart is no longer the only party game in town, with fun games like Fall Guys freely available. For single player, Zelda [Edit: I meant BotW, the only new Zelda game to be released on the current console] is outclassed in every way by free content like Genshin Impact.
The only place they still reign supreme is in pokemon games. I don't know why, but good beast tamer games just don't seem to exist. It's especially hard to find good turn-based ones. I hear Capcom recently tried one with Monster Hunter? Maybe that's worth a shot. (Honestly, I just use an emulator and have a bunch of fun).
Yeah genshin is probably better if you dont want to spend 60 bucks, but its not similair to zelda at all. Botw? Yes maybe, but the other zelda games are so different and extremely good! Minish cap and twilight princess are probably my favorites
> Yeah genshin is probably better if you dont want to spend 60 bucks, but its not similair to zelda at all.
Idk, dude, I played them back-to-back and found a ton of similarities. This sounds like an effort to silo genres, where we pretend that two very similar video game experiences must be totally different because they have a few design differences. "No, you get weapons like *this*, not like *that*. It has *multiple* barely customizable characters with pre-made backstories." They're certainly different games, but they share a vast number of traits between themselves.
> Botw? Yes maybe, but the other zelda games are so different and extremely good! Minish cap and twilight princess are probably my favorites
With that said, everything I said initially and just wrote above is targeted at BotW specifically. I've edited the initial comment to clarify. I was trying to compare to current Nintendo offerings, but I see how I wasn't communicating clearly.
nintendo does keep it's game full price but they also have sales pretty often. sparks of hope has been out only a few months and it was already on sale for 50% off recently.
probably because it didn't sell as well but still it happens.
>way better than paying $100+ for a new game that often is full of bugs and not properly optimised
That can usually be avoided pretty easily by just waiting a few hours and check what people say about the game.
Still I'm with you, rarely do I buy games at release.
Eh it takes more than a few hours. Most of the time the first few days are filled with absolute circle jerking about how good or bad a game is based on minimal playing. Then you’ve got the weird cases like No Man’s Sky and CyberPunk 77 where they slowly got fixed over time.
That's if you don't know where to look for sources you trust. Also after a while it gets easier to block out the circlejerk comments and concentrate on the legit comments. At least it has for me.
I think they meant a game plus all the dlc adding up to that price. Either that or they are Australian. The game prices in Australia are bonkers from what I've heard/read.
As a fan of the originals I'm loving the remakes. Sure there's some cut content but they look and play so damn well. Really looking forward to when I can play REmake 4. Trying not to watch any gameplay of it haha
It exceeds the OG I’m on my 3rd play through now. Not having tank controls makes the annoying parts not a factor. It’s also a lot harder but in a good way.
I've come to it because of getting burned with pre-orders. No matter how hyped, I will wait to see the reviews now. Most of the time, that leads to just waiting for the next sale while I play something else. Win-win.
This is me. First time i Played portal when it came out in orange box. I felt like playing it again and one day portal 1 and 2 were on steam for like $3 or something. So now I get to experience portal 2 for the first time. And my ancient ten year old gpu or whatever the crap it is handles it fine.
If you get tired of it and don't have the funds or means to play BG3, try Pillars of Eternity. It's a baldurs gate clone that came out in 2015, systems are a touch different but the artstyle is wonderful (not to mention more modern effects) and the story seems decent enough.
There's also a portion of the game dedicated to running your own keep, generating income, having a place to rest, gives you bonuses as you upgrade it etc. But it's entirely optional and you can completely ignore it if you want.
Only downside is trying to avoid spoilers for a long time... that said it does make a lot of sense to continue with that; games are cheaper and are usually *complete* compared to the state they launch in these days.
Its not like people around you are just blurting out the twist or ending, as long as your not searching up the game you sshouldn't have any reason to see spoilers.
Unless of course you’re involved in the gaming industry, even on the fringes of it. You will then definitely get spoilers. But I agree with you that the pros far outweigh the cons.
I’m 55 and have been gaming for over 30 years. I’m currently doing another play through of one of my favourite games which came out over 10 years ago, Skyrim
Im playing Horizon Zero Dawn too, as well as Nier Automata; two 2017 bangers. I just work through my Steam library based on what i feel like playing at that time lol.
Fantastic and one of a kind. That’s all I wasn’t to say bc I think that game is best going in blind story gameplay wise. My advice would be play it but if it doesn’t seem like your cup of tee, give it some time until at least you get to a more chill/at your own pace part of the game or the first boss fight which is a little passed that point. I loved it from the get go but know people that were turned off a little at first and then liked it but not bc it grew on them.
Nier Automata is great. Really smooth combat that can be deep if you look but isn’t necessary for beating the game. A compelling narrative that although the pacing can be questioned is still very intriguing the whole way through. The characters and lore is very, very deep if you’re into that. The VA performances and musical score are top notch.
My advice for new players though and especially those not used to bullet hells, start the first level on easy. Once you make it past there it’s a lot more forgiving as you adjust to the mechanics. But that first level…. let’s just say 2B isn’t the only one questioning God.
I totally understand you. I have been doing this for a while and I have long list of ps4 games still to go. I have been playing much older games recently such as Baldur's Gate 1&2 and Neverwinter Nights. I have no interest of buying ps5 for many years or even paying a full price for any game.
I need to read people's experiences like this because gaming has been a very slow grind for me and I've gotten so behind on my library... it feels good knowing that many others are playing much older titles as well
I mean, I can play all the PS4 games on my PS5 and with boosted framerates etc... a lot of them I got for free with PS Plus so for me a PS5 was a good investment and I can play both generations.
Exactly this.
Why play on outdated hardware for nostalgia?
Do you also play on an old wood framed television with crappy picture and bunny ears for reception?
I consisently go back and play 2017 or earlier games on my ps5, I don't need to increase load times and have crappier graphics to enjoy older games.
Sure and most smart phones are worth $1,000+ now and good internet is $100/month.
It's 2023.
I get saving a dollar as much as the next but if the premise is loving gaming seems an odd place to save a buck.
You're gonna spend $200 for a used ps4 with no warranty and $20-30 a game (disc) when you can get a ps5 for $500, decent internet and most those games are digitally free, can be streamed or are 1/3 the cost and your outdated ps3/ps4 may brick in a year.
Go on that other sub and look at all the ps4 setups sitting next to a $2000 oled. OP maybe posted about saving a buck but most of it is about purists and OG systems which to me makes no sense.
Simply put, there is no big reason to spend 300 dollars more for a PS5 just to get shorter loadscreens. It's not worth it, it's the same games. Even if you can afford it.
To each their own.
But it's more than load times. Most older games come with free graphical and audio upgrades now and the newgens are built to work with your new tv. That and the haptic feedback and controller response is great.
If the devs had access to this hardware back when they made those classics they'd be the first one to tell you to play it like this.
Not intending to fight, just posing an debate.
We are all gamers here, safe place man I come in peace lol
No, it's called planning.
OP has a system of waiting until the next gen is out to buy the last gen for a 60% less?
Why not save about 10 cents a day over the same 8 years and have the extra $300 for the next gen? 🤷♂️
> Why play on outdated hardware for nostalgia?
Where are you pulling “nostalgia” from? It’s pretty clear OP went for the PS4 because it cost less than half of the price of a PS5
I’ve been taking this in the reverse. I’ve been going through Nintendo 64 and PS1 games. I don’t know what it is but these older games are the best “mobile games” “before bed games” whatever you want to call it. I have been having fun playing these games compared to most modern age triple aaa games. I miss when games where truly games and not what it is now. A science structure of dopamine and business practice is built into all our games nowadays but back then it was the Wild West. Where gaming stereotypes are being used for the first time. Rather than fleshed out for optimum time sinkage and cash grab. I may be the only one who feels like that.
The only trade off is not being able to engage in discussions as the game come out and not being able to discover anything unless you avoid spoilers for a full generation.
If you don’t care about community or spoilers it sounds like the best option
Patient gaming is great. Of you wait, a lot of really popular games rerelease as GotY with all of the DLC bundled with the main game. Sometimes they'll remaster a good game or remake it for a new console release. You basically get a fresh, updated, and complete version of what everyone else paid $80 for to be real world bug testers.
I'm also a fan of being this style of gamer. And spoilers don't phase me because it doesn't matter what people tell me about the story, it matters how I experience it. So, good on you!
If this is your method, pc would be great too. A basic low/mid range system right now will CRUSH games from the last gen. Plus all the mods that have had years to accumulate now. Even the Steam Deck becomes appealing
Unless you've been playing current games for 20 years. I understand why some people do the whole patient gamer thing, but personally one of my favorite things about a new game is the conversation around it. Nothing like all your friends playing a game at the same time and being able to discuss bits of it.
I had the same computer from 2010 up to 2018, so i missed out two or three generations, now I'm playing Prey 2017 for example, zero complains. Plus I don't need hardware upgrades soo often since I don't play the newest game as often as most people.
I’m not a whole generation behind or anything but unless it’s something I really love (like Resident Evil), I’ll just put games on my Steam wishlist and buy them whenever they have steep discounts. I got Doom Eternal for like 50% off because I waited a bit. You also get the bonus of playing games that are already patched and see what the general user opinion is.
You should have bought PS5 instead. Almost all PS4 games are playable on PS5 and many of them perform even better. Plus, you won't need to buy PS5 again when PS6 come out.
Really happy you’ve got a way of engaging with games that works for you - and saves you money - but I just love participating in the community aspect of new games. Learning and talking about the game, its story and its secrets in real-time with others. Just love it.
That's pretty smart but these current consoles play every single Xbox One and PS4 game on their respective consoles so you can find cheap last gen games and still play them on current hardware
Yup.
I've been preaching it to the winds. Current industry business models and practices make the day one buyers... well, chumps.
Unfinished games, predatory business models, vaporware road maps. I'm at least 4 years behind and I've yet to play a suck game or pay exorbitant prices. Every game I've played has been finished, has all caveats exposed, and has usually come at a very affordable price.
I'll never understand why anyone actually preorders, or even buys day one. For starters, wait to see if it's even good or not bugged to hell.
I was hyped to play MK11 when it was heading to release. Comes out and it's all over the shop. PC release was a short straw deal. I ended up deciding not to even bother getting it about a month in. I didn't get the itch to try it til a few years later.
This is where having a terrible memory becomes a superpower. If they didn't spoil it in the last month, I probably only very vaguely remember what they said and have no context for it. Sometimes it will come to me as the game's story is revealed, but it rarely feels 'spoiled'
spoiler culture more specifically. the best most recent example i can think of was last of us 2 plot spoilers long before the game even launched. everyone has to know everything all the time. its pathetic.
Can confirm this is the way to go. Waited years to get a refurbished PS4 and just got a Switch last month. I also have a very high tolerance for sub-par graphics, which doesn't hurt in this situation.
I can't bring myself to play a whole generation behind, but I almost never buy brand new games anymore. And I have no problem going back a generation to play a title I missed but always wanted to play, too. This happens a lot with RPGs; for example, I'm currently playing through the first Xenoblade Chronicles for the first time.
I'm generally about a year or so behind when it comes to new stuff, and that's just fine with me. Once a game has been out that long, you can easily find it on eBay for cheap; I rarely pay more than $25 for any game now, and it's usually much less.
Thing is, there are SO many games released each year these days that it's basically impossible to stay up to speed (unless you literally have no life and play 50 hours a week or something). Once you factor in other hobbies and things you want to do outside of gaming, you find you're always operating at least a year behind the curve. At least for me. And I have no problem with that at all.
For me one of the downsides of being a patient gamer is being well behind the discussion of it and also not supporting the developers paying MSRP for games. I know people look down on that but voting with your wallet does matter. If everyone was a slow gamer and never paid full price, games would be released for the worse
I suppose that's true to a point. But the industry has changed dramatically over time; games have much longer life spans these days due to DLC, expansions, season passes, and other ways of extending the appeal of a new title (even for single-player-oriented games). That's worked into the budgets and goals of publishers and developers, so they're not expected to release a product that makes virtually all the money it needs to make in the first month or so (which is the way it used to be).
The money brought in also comes from a myriad of sources these days, too; it's not only driven by the consumer buying the product. Considering all this, I don't think you're hurting developers - especially good-sized teams that have been firmly established - by getting the game a year after it comes out or so. Of course, if we're talking about several years or an entire generation, then yeah, that's not helping the people who made the game anywhere near as much (if it all, depending on how much time has passed).
One last thing to remember is that you and I will always be in the minority. While more games and a larger audience means more people will be waiting to buy new titles, sales out of the gate will always be driven by the avid/hardcore crowd. And based on the numbers the big fans put up when a new game releases, it doesn't appear as if they're letting the devs and pubs down. The heavy hitters always push any hobby-oriented industry forward the most; it's only when you start to lose them that you have to worry.
I was a gaming journalist for over a decade a while back, and it always surprises me just how MUCH things have changed from a production and sales standpoint, and how gamer habits have changed.
No problem. Yeah, it was rough in the past...gaming was a risky investment for all concerned, jobs were almost impossible to hold onto for any length of time, and if a game didn't swim in the first month, it'd almost inevitably sink.
But these days with mammoth developers and publishers, and a worldwide audience literally 10 times the size of what it was in the '80s and '90s, there's a lot more room to breathe. That said, there's also a much wider strata of development; you've got the super huge, the mid-range (which is most), and the tiny guys just starting out. So in that respect, if you see a game made by a brand new team with only a few dozen employees (if that) and you want to play it, buying it sooner rather than later would be a big help to them.
For the most part, though, you can always rely on the hardcore gamers and the business savvy of established devs and pubs to carry things. The days of the dude who programmed the game also trying to figure out how to market the game are long gone. ;) But I do agree with your general principle; i.e., supporting those who provide the games and service. Thankfully, the burden doesn't really fall on us patient gamers so much, given the whole system and structure.
Very cool man. I guess it’s a great thing that there’s many more gamers today alongside much bigger game development companies. Guys like you should make posts like these
I have to say, I don't post much because after doing this for so long as a job, it really burned me out. And I got a little disillusioned with the gaming audience as well. I was thinking about writing a post about my experiences as a journalist/critic but I doubt anyone would care much.
But I am getting back into it just a little more, even though it's no longer my primary hobby.
I've been doing this with the PS3, started playing it regularly around 2016. Got my PS4 in October 2020, just before PS5 launched. It was great snapping up loads of great games for a fraction of what they cost at launch.really enjoyed The Witcher 3, Persona 5 Royal. I've got plenty of other games I'm still playing.
The only pet peeve is that Switch (which I bought in 2021) games are still full price even though they are pretty much in-between generations at best.
I need to try the witcher 3 keep hearing non stop love for this game, I hear its incredibly long which is why I've been avoiding it, I take a long time to beat these games I could be at it for a year.
I do this but with phones.
Each phone is new to me, but $100-$200 bought outright at most. It's great.
I'd do this with games but I'm a PC gamer who loves multiplayer. So not as feasible.
Reviews. Everything I buy that I want to work for longer than 2 months I look through into reviews.
Last time I purchased a phone I compared 7 phones.
I first look up phones under $100, compare the specs with my existing phone, if I don't like anything I bump the budget. Wont exceed $200 though.
With the budget increase there is always a better phone (they typically last 2-3 years). I then compare the list of phones with specs I want, then finally look at reviews to ensure mostly reliability.
I have had to back out of my top 3 before because some phones had bad reviews and take a seemingly lesser in specs power because of more reliable specs.
Rather have shit that works than a better piece that breaks down in 3-12 months.
The best part is that by buying these older models, the flaws have been fleshed out.
Thanks for your reply. I do basically the same thing. It can be a challenge though as often a good budget phone will have one odd feature like a 720 display when all the others are 1080p.
So when you are shopping around are you looking at an old top of the range phone or a recent phone lower in the range?
Agreed, I've faced that as well. Lesser display than I'd like or less onboard memory than I like.
I primarily look at the Motorola family of phones, as the first time I did this I settled on a Motorola because it was actually a great phone for like $50 at the time, and every time I've done it since I find they still have very good phones at great prices. I do occasionally look for competing specs though simply through Google searches "phones under $200" just to see what's available. I don't look at old/new phones necessarily, just looking for prices and comparing specs.
There are some good websites out there that let you put specs side by side, which I use frequently when comparing.
I am much the same luckily I have never used or owned a high end phone so I don't know what I am missing.Those sites that let you compare are a lifesaver!
It's really the smartest move, considering how sleazy gaming publishers have become.
It allows you to play the game stable state, rather than the broken one it is on release.
You get special editions with all the post release content.
The biggest hurdle is not be swayed by ads and hype. I'm sorry to say that while having this philosophy I was still duped by Cyberpunk and AC Valhalla. Gotta stay strong.
I find i tend to really enjoy older games over newer ones, and because of that i really notice just how sharply quality has decayed over the last 5 years compared to games made before that.
It helps that, when playing older gamses other people have already treaded the path before us - any scummy publisher/developer decisions made after you purchased the game have already been made, expansion content and refinements have already been applied and sequels might already be out or right around the corner.
“Patient gaming” sounds like dumpster diving to some, but i’d rather compare it to wine sampling. Truly great games age really well. And sometimes games that were mediocre at the time of their release become much more palatable over time, either because their unique quirkiness appeals to the person you’ve grown into, because they were overshadowed by other releases of their generation or because so many modern releases are such crap shows that a genre becomes starved for quality.
Honestly I keep a log of my games completed and in the 21 I've completed so far, 13 of them are last generation and behind. I also get much more enjoyment from the older generations. The games were just better.
Retro is the way to go.
I'm about to sound like a crusty ass old man, but at this point, even a majority of games released in the 2010's are strictly just better. I'm talking even just technical stuff. There isn't a game released recently that doesn't have a massive problem, or actual game-breaking bugs (except for maybe GoW Ragnarok, I don't remember hearing anything about that side of it) that I've played recently, except for Elden Ring. It's the only major budget title I can remember in recent time that I hadn't run into a single noticable technical issue. Even the company that polishes games like crazy, put out Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, which were both messes on launch.
I started this too when DLCs became common, now I see no point as a pc gamer to buy things on release day. Pay top price for something that is usually unfinished or broken on release. Just recently got a ps5, and play used games for <50% price only. Wish more gamers did the same and send a message to developers
I always bring this up in these kinds of threads...
Get a used PS2. The greatest console of all-time. And there are an \*unbelievable\* amount/variety of games. Google around for "PS2 hidden gems" to find stuff you've never heard of that is great.
As the years go by, I become more-and-more convinced that the PS2 is the only game console anyone really needs, if you play games for fun.
The Nintendo DS is the other contender.
Currently best thing about the PS5 is smoothly playing games that the ps4 struggled with like Assassin’s creed origins, The witcher, Red dead etc…
IMO We’re still in the previous gen since no truly Next gen games have been made yet, And they don’t seem likely to come soon either
I didnt get a ps5 because of the shortage and i learned I could live without one so I never got one. I'm just going to wait for ports and then when they get discounted. I somehow can't find any groundbreaking games that makes me want to play current games. Ironically my most recent purchase is a remake of RE 4 that almost plays exactly the same but better. I feel like 2000-2020 was the golden age
This is a good strategy, but it isn't without its hangups for sure. PS3 was arguably the last "console generation" in the traditional sense. From here its crossgen all the way down, so a PS5 would likely serve you better since it'll play PS4 and probably PS6 titles, too.
This is the first time since the ps2 I've been up to date, so to speak, on the consoles got my ps3, ps4 and xbox 360 near the end of their time.
And now I've had a ps5 for some time I find I've been playing mostly ps4 titles and even some ps1/ps2 games I've bought off the ps store.
I think at 38 i just like the older stuff more. New games are amazing but I don't get the same enjoyment out of them. Even with ps4 games it was very hit-and-miss. (The only exceptions I've had have been cyberpunk and star ocean 6, love those games)
But to each their own I say, I'm just glad I can play wild arms 2 and 3 and legend of dragoon on my ps5.
I just got an xbox 1 a few months ago and it's 50:50 360:Xbox one games, with the newest being doom eternal just because I really wanted it
It's just more feasible to do so imo. For instance, I got 6 games for 15 euro a few days ago
This is the best, most economical way to game.
I bought Spiderman on PS4 a year or two after it launched for either $15 or $20, and I was so blown away by the value I got at that price. That game is awesome. Shortly thereafter, I bought HZD for the same price. Again, a great game with tons of content at an absolute steal of a price.
After this, I realized that if I could wait 12-18 mos after a game was released, I could save a ton of cash by getting it just a little later. He'll, I'm playing Nioh 2 for "free" right now, thanks to Playstation Plus.
Now, only two conditions warrant me paying full price for a new game:
1) it's an absolute MUST play and/or a franchise near and dear to my heart. For instance, I pre-ordered Metroid: Dread, Elden Ring, and Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (I also splurged on pre-ordering the Zelda themed OLED Switch)
2) it's a game from an indie developer that I want to support, such as Super Mega Baseball 3 by Metalhead (bought out recently by EA - fingers crossed they don't ruin that amazing baseball franchise), or Hyper Light Drifter (and soon Hyper Light Breaker) by Heartmachine.
I'm getting there. Still on my xbone that I bought in 2015 and I play it more now than I did then. Thought about upgrading a bunch, but I just don't care.
Thanks for making me realize I’m also playing last-gen games, but at full price.. on the Nintendo Switch.
I actually think it’s fantastic, though. The large game selection (probably the best non-handheld situation for Nintendo since the SNES) + Nintendo’s first party stuff is a huge draw. I just have to be judicious with sales and money-saving tricks.
In principle, I think getting a PS4 now is a fantastic situation. I just have some kind of mental block that prevents me from buying stuff that’s being obsoleted. Another, admittedly huge factor is that I can buy almost any of these last-gen titles on PC.
Same boat.
Old games are new to me. They're cheap. All the bugs have been cleaned up. The "hype" and expectations aren't impacting my enjoyment of it.
I'm a pretty casual gamer anyway, but knowing I'm spending like $20 on a game that's patched/actually completed when people were paying $80 for a bug ridden version of the same thing is hilarious.
Also, fallout 4 haters, you are wrong. I'll fucking fight you about it.
I love being behind on current games. Gives me a vast catalog of games I can stream. I love it! Most streamers have to jump onto the newest game to maintain “relevant “
Same here, I bought Series X couple months ago and been playing old gems a lot than new games, backwards compatibility, 4k upscale and fps boost helps me a lot
Yeah at this point I’ll play whatever looks fun that I never got to yet. New games so frequently come out buggy and unfinished anyway these days. Recently I was playing Heroes of Might and Magic 3 from 1999 and had a great time lol
Welcome to r/patientgamers
Omg! My kinda people!
I found my people! Yes totally game a generation late.
I get the newest hardware only to play last gen games
honestly thinking about joining the military solely so i’ll have 4 years of new shit when i’m done
Dunno what country you're in, but most militaries aren't like you think. You don't disappear for 4 years. You just work a job in a uniform.
whaaat, i thought it was like going to sleep and waking up bald and traumatized
Actually, nvm. You pretty much got it.
That's not accurate at all. Sometimes you get to keep your hair.
that's also not true, you don't get to sleep lol
Yeah. Pretty much just the trauma.
You act like you can’t game in the military. Almost all the people I play with are in the military and they play all the time.
me too! the hell did i not know about this sub before?!
Thanks for this post, didn't know about this sub til now and I'm loving it already.
Been my favourite games sub on Reddit for years. I don’t even play most of their games, I just appreciate it’s a positive gaming sub that stays on topic talking about the games they like to play without being a bitchfest. Stunningly rare.
This perfectly represents the type of gamer community OP would fit into. This one is just too broad
Join us!
Thanks folks. I've found my new home.
Is there an impatient gamer sub? I like new things
Tell me you’re good with money without telling me you’re good with money.
To be actually good with money you'd frequent r/freegamefindings and the 3rd rule of r/gaming
Although at some point it’s not being good with money and it’s simply necessity. Someone who’s poor might have to pirate a bit, but someone who just doesn’t want to drop $70 every time a game comes out might choose to wait, even if they can technically afford it.
I'm a patient gamer (except with Destiny) and I'm terrible with money..... I just have enough of it that being terrible won't financially ruin me.
Even they aren't *that* patient. They consider waiting a mere year after release to be patient enough to post about, which is nothing for PC gamers.
One year is enough to reap most of the benefits though. Its enough for the game to have been mostly patched and for promotions and price cuts.
True. I usually give early access games at least a year in my wishlist before I either buy them or toss them. It’s nice to see all the changes and the review updates (assuming it doesn’t get abandoned)
I mean, after a year most of the patches (at least the more significant ones) will almost certainly be out already and games are getting pretty good deals a few months after launch, let alone a whole year. That’s a pretty good time to get a game imo, you’ll probably not be able to save up much more even if you wait much longer.
You seem to be thinking of r/prudentgamers.
You seem to be gatekeeping patience.
Literally every word in every language is gatekeepereeped by the people who speak that language. Except y'know, the people who overuse certain words to the point of meaninglessness.
Mate, what the fuck are you even talking about lmao
I'm not quite that far behind but I love being able to buy games a year or 2 after they come out, cheap and with all dlcs included, way better than paying $100+ for a new game that often is full of bugs and not properly optimised.
Doesnt work as a nintendo fan 😔
Factual. Their games just keep trucking at perpetual full price.
Some are worth it, but im not paying 60 bucks for a tennis game thats 5 years old
I totally hear ya.
GameStop has entered the chat.
This is one reason I like physical copies, they actually depreciate like most things, aside from certain rare copies.
gotta get in when they go dud like the virtual boy. 20 bucks for the unit, games 10 a piece at ebx circa 1996
I wish
just gotta wait til its EMU
I started getting switch games at a pawn shop , I bought botw 6 months ago in the Nintendo store ,full price . Never again lol
At least if you buy physical you get a good chunk back when you sell on the used market since they hold their value so well
True that, but im too impatient to wait 2days for my new game to deliver
You’re the perfect customer then.
I preorder for day-of pick up from Best Buy. You get to play the day it is released, and you get the physical disc. Best of both worlds
Nintendo sucks honestly. Compared to the value you get with Sony or Microsoft, it’s hard to justify paying full price for their games that are 5 years old now.
So wait until they are on sale. Every one of their flagship games eventually go on sale. Right now both physical and digital Mario games are on sale right now celebrating the movie release and Mar10. One thing Nintendo is really good about it keeping most their games in print. You can complain about the price, but as someone who picked up a switch late I really appreciate being able to buy brand new copies locally.
Steamdeck blows them all out of the water if you like gaming on the go. Just look at this humble bundle for example, just 12 bucks. Death Stranding, Roller Dome, Alien Fire team, and others. You save SOOO much money gaming on PC, and no annual memberships. Best part, very emulation friendly so not getting nickeled and dimed for 10 year old games. [https://www.humblebundle.com/membership?hmb\_source=navbar](https://www.humblebundle.com/membership?hmb_source=navbar) I still have a PS4Pro and Switch for local co op and first party games, consoles are still the best way to do local co op and docked play, but I honestly play my SD more than both of those combined due to the ease of access.
I’m thinking about buying it. Still have my PC so not sure I want to invest in it just yet but it’s on my radar.
Mainly nice if you like gaming on the couch, in bed or on the go. If you prefer at your pc it is probably more powerful than the steam deck if you have a gaming pc.
Age doesn’t decrease the value of a game. Their games are worth full price. Breath of the Wild is one of the best games of the past decade…
This is the only reason I still don't have a switch. It's got maybe 3 games I want to play, and they're forever $60 or whatever.
I think I read somewhere it’s due to how much the cartridges themselves cost to manufacture, and the digital versions have to be priced the same otherwise they’d have no physical sales I’m not sure if that’s correct though but it would make sense, although I’m not sure as to why they haven’t found a cheaper alternative, although that being said Nintendo cartridges are ridiculously durable
It's as a result of maintaining value in their brand. Tons of large companies do this -- Apple is a pretty good example when it comes to phones. They have a product people want and it can't be replicated due to their unique offerings. (In this case, portability and exclusivity) Why discount it when you don't need to?
Their cartridges can fit in a coin purse. They cost nothing.
Yeah, ive seen cart games for as low as 18 bucks new Edit: 18 not 8
Nintendo games have always been expensive
Luckily, Nintendo has lost their edge on almost all of their franchises. SSB is great, but there are a lot of fun fighting games nowadays. Mario Kart is no longer the only party game in town, with fun games like Fall Guys freely available. For single player, Zelda [Edit: I meant BotW, the only new Zelda game to be released on the current console] is outclassed in every way by free content like Genshin Impact. The only place they still reign supreme is in pokemon games. I don't know why, but good beast tamer games just don't seem to exist. It's especially hard to find good turn-based ones. I hear Capcom recently tried one with Monster Hunter? Maybe that's worth a shot. (Honestly, I just use an emulator and have a bunch of fun).
Yeah genshin is probably better if you dont want to spend 60 bucks, but its not similair to zelda at all. Botw? Yes maybe, but the other zelda games are so different and extremely good! Minish cap and twilight princess are probably my favorites
> Yeah genshin is probably better if you dont want to spend 60 bucks, but its not similair to zelda at all. Idk, dude, I played them back-to-back and found a ton of similarities. This sounds like an effort to silo genres, where we pretend that two very similar video game experiences must be totally different because they have a few design differences. "No, you get weapons like *this*, not like *that*. It has *multiple* barely customizable characters with pre-made backstories." They're certainly different games, but they share a vast number of traits between themselves. > Botw? Yes maybe, but the other zelda games are so different and extremely good! Minish cap and twilight princess are probably my favorites With that said, everything I said initially and just wrote above is targeted at BotW specifically. I've edited the initial comment to clarify. I was trying to compare to current Nintendo offerings, but I see how I wasn't communicating clearly.
nintendo does keep it's game full price but they also have sales pretty often. sparks of hope has been out only a few months and it was already on sale for 50% off recently. probably because it didn't sell as well but still it happens.
Sparks of hope is a ubisoft game, thats why.
lmao, touché. makes sense then.
>way better than paying $100+ for a new game that often is full of bugs and not properly optimised That can usually be avoided pretty easily by just waiting a few hours and check what people say about the game. Still I'm with you, rarely do I buy games at release.
Eh it takes more than a few hours. Most of the time the first few days are filled with absolute circle jerking about how good or bad a game is based on minimal playing. Then you’ve got the weird cases like No Man’s Sky and CyberPunk 77 where they slowly got fixed over time.
That's if you don't know where to look for sources you trust. Also after a while it gets easier to block out the circlejerk comments and concentrate on the legit comments. At least it has for me.
What game are you playing $100+ dollars for?
I think they meant a game plus all the dlc adding up to that price. Either that or they are Australian. The game prices in Australia are bonkers from what I've heard/read.
Resident evil remakes are great currently my favourites
As a fan of the originals I'm loving the remakes. Sure there's some cut content but they look and play so damn well. Really looking forward to when I can play REmake 4. Trying not to watch any gameplay of it haha
It exceeds the OG I’m on my 3rd play through now. Not having tank controls makes the annoying parts not a factor. It’s also a lot harder but in a good way.
2-4 > 7 & Village when it comes to RE engine games imo
Not played 4 yet, 7 in vr was epic! And I didn't care much for village i enjoyed it but felt it strayed too far from the others
Village is more like 4 so it didn’t stray too far
I never played 4 but I've watched people playing it on twitch, I think I prefer the survival aspect in the first ones
Tbh, this is true even within the same gen. If there's a single player game coming out, just wait six months or so and you'll save tons of money.
I've come to it because of getting burned with pre-orders. No matter how hyped, I will wait to see the reviews now. Most of the time, that leads to just waiting for the next sale while I play something else. Win-win.
[relevant xkcd](https://xkcd.com/606/)
This is me. First time i Played portal when it came out in orange box. I felt like playing it again and one day portal 1 and 2 were on steam for like $3 or something. So now I get to experience portal 2 for the first time. And my ancient ten year old gpu or whatever the crap it is handles it fine.
Hahah, thanks for sharing.
That makes sense. The games are cheaper and they are curated before they get to you.
Here I am playing Baldurs Gate made around 2000 on my tablet.
If you get tired of it and don't have the funds or means to play BG3, try Pillars of Eternity. It's a baldurs gate clone that came out in 2015, systems are a touch different but the artstyle is wonderful (not to mention more modern effects) and the story seems decent enough. There's also a portion of the game dedicated to running your own keep, generating income, having a place to rest, gives you bonuses as you upgrade it etc. But it's entirely optional and you can completely ignore it if you want.
Welll I know what I'm looking up when I get home. Thanks kindly for sharing!
I finally beat it last year.
Only downside is trying to avoid spoilers for a long time... that said it does make a lot of sense to continue with that; games are cheaper and are usually *complete* compared to the state they launch in these days.
Its not like people around you are just blurting out the twist or ending, as long as your not searching up the game you sshouldn't have any reason to see spoilers.
Unless of course you’re involved in the gaming industry, even on the fringes of it. You will then definitely get spoilers. But I agree with you that the pros far outweigh the cons.
Good thing that the older you get, the shittier your memory and spoiler retention become *TapHead.gif*
I’m 55 and have been gaming for over 30 years. I’m currently doing another play through of one of my favourite games which came out over 10 years ago, Skyrim
I'm 54, and feeling like starting a new playthrough now...
Do it!
Im playing Horizon Zero Dawn too, as well as Nier Automata; two 2017 bangers. I just work through my Steam library based on what i feel like playing at that time lol.
From the same year i recommend Persona 5, masterpiece of its genre (jrpg)
Hows Nier I'm interested in that game aswell?
Fantastic and one of a kind. That’s all I wasn’t to say bc I think that game is best going in blind story gameplay wise. My advice would be play it but if it doesn’t seem like your cup of tee, give it some time until at least you get to a more chill/at your own pace part of the game or the first boss fight which is a little passed that point. I loved it from the get go but know people that were turned off a little at first and then liked it but not bc it grew on them.
Its great. Both the gameplay and story are very good, but the story in particular is amazing.
Nier Automata is great. Really smooth combat that can be deep if you look but isn’t necessary for beating the game. A compelling narrative that although the pacing can be questioned is still very intriguing the whole way through. The characters and lore is very, very deep if you’re into that. The VA performances and musical score are top notch. My advice for new players though and especially those not used to bullet hells, start the first level on easy. Once you make it past there it’s a lot more forgiving as you adjust to the mechanics. But that first level…. let’s just say 2B isn’t the only one questioning God.
I totally understand you. I have been doing this for a while and I have long list of ps4 games still to go. I have been playing much older games recently such as Baldur's Gate 1&2 and Neverwinter Nights. I have no interest of buying ps5 for many years or even paying a full price for any game.
I need to read people's experiences like this because gaming has been a very slow grind for me and I've gotten so behind on my library... it feels good knowing that many others are playing much older titles as well
Eventually you'll hit a wall, cause every new release will be a remaster of an old game
I mean, I can play all the PS4 games on my PS5 and with boosted framerates etc... a lot of them I got for free with PS Plus so for me a PS5 was a good investment and I can play both generations.
Exactly this. Why play on outdated hardware for nostalgia? Do you also play on an old wood framed television with crappy picture and bunny ears for reception? I consisently go back and play 2017 or earlier games on my ps5, I don't need to increase load times and have crappier graphics to enjoy older games.
because 200 dollars is less than 500
Sure and most smart phones are worth $1,000+ now and good internet is $100/month. It's 2023. I get saving a dollar as much as the next but if the premise is loving gaming seems an odd place to save a buck. You're gonna spend $200 for a used ps4 with no warranty and $20-30 a game (disc) when you can get a ps5 for $500, decent internet and most those games are digitally free, can be streamed or are 1/3 the cost and your outdated ps3/ps4 may brick in a year. Go on that other sub and look at all the ps4 setups sitting next to a $2000 oled. OP maybe posted about saving a buck but most of it is about purists and OG systems which to me makes no sense.
Simply put, there is no big reason to spend 300 dollars more for a PS5 just to get shorter loadscreens. It's not worth it, it's the same games. Even if you can afford it.
To each their own. But it's more than load times. Most older games come with free graphical and audio upgrades now and the newgens are built to work with your new tv. That and the haptic feedback and controller response is great. If the devs had access to this hardware back when they made those classics they'd be the first one to tell you to play it like this. Not intending to fight, just posing an debate. We are all gamers here, safe place man I come in peace lol
Are you serious right now?? It's not *just* shorter load times. You know that, right?
I could get a used PS5 for around $370 dollars.
It's called money.
No, it's called planning. OP has a system of waiting until the next gen is out to buy the last gen for a 60% less? Why not save about 10 cents a day over the same 8 years and have the extra $300 for the next gen? 🤷♂️
It's definitely a savings between the games and system but I could never do it.
> Why play on outdated hardware for nostalgia? Where are you pulling “nostalgia” from? It’s pretty clear OP went for the PS4 because it cost less than half of the price of a PS5
I did the same with PS3. Loved how they sold greatest hits games for $15-$20
I’ve been taking this in the reverse. I’ve been going through Nintendo 64 and PS1 games. I don’t know what it is but these older games are the best “mobile games” “before bed games” whatever you want to call it. I have been having fun playing these games compared to most modern age triple aaa games. I miss when games where truly games and not what it is now. A science structure of dopamine and business practice is built into all our games nowadays but back then it was the Wild West. Where gaming stereotypes are being used for the first time. Rather than fleshed out for optimum time sinkage and cash grab. I may be the only one who feels like that.
There’s still a gaming wild west: indies. Check out itch.io
No, I totally get what you're saying. You kind of hit the nail on the head.
The only trade off is not being able to engage in discussions as the game come out and not being able to discover anything unless you avoid spoilers for a full generation. If you don’t care about community or spoilers it sounds like the best option
Steam sales will backlog you like a bag of dried apricots. I’m playing fallout 4.
I'm playing Skyrim rn for the first time and it's amazing
Patient gaming is great. Of you wait, a lot of really popular games rerelease as GotY with all of the DLC bundled with the main game. Sometimes they'll remaster a good game or remake it for a new console release. You basically get a fresh, updated, and complete version of what everyone else paid $80 for to be real world bug testers. I'm also a fan of being this style of gamer. And spoilers don't phase me because it doesn't matter what people tell me about the story, it matters how I experience it. So, good on you!
Wouldn't reccomend this with PS4 since PS5 runs all of it's games and a lot better. That's why I bought a PS3 last month instead.
PS4? Damn. Outside of PC I'm still stuck and very happy with my PS3, PS2 a d 3DS
If this is your method, pc would be great too. A basic low/mid range system right now will CRUSH games from the last gen. Plus all the mods that have had years to accumulate now. Even the Steam Deck becomes appealing
So many gems that are or Will be stuck in the past, Is always a waste to ONLY play current games and not look at the past once in a while
Unless you've been playing current games for 20 years. I understand why some people do the whole patient gamer thing, but personally one of my favorite things about a new game is the conversation around it. Nothing like all your friends playing a game at the same time and being able to discuss bits of it.
I'm over here still trying to ascend in NetHack...
I had the same computer from 2010 up to 2018, so i missed out two or three generations, now I'm playing Prey 2017 for example, zero complains. Plus I don't need hardware upgrades soo often since I don't play the newest game as often as most people.
Does anyone see Advance Wars taking a steep discount like Sparks did or will it hang onto $60?
I’m not a whole generation behind or anything but unless it’s something I really love (like Resident Evil), I’ll just put games on my Steam wishlist and buy them whenever they have steep discounts. I got Doom Eternal for like 50% off because I waited a bit. You also get the bonus of playing games that are already patched and see what the general user opinion is.
In after all the bugs and patches, smart
You should have bought PS5 instead. Almost all PS4 games are playable on PS5 and many of them perform even better. Plus, you won't need to buy PS5 again when PS6 come out.
As a fellow poor man this is poverty cope.
Really happy you’ve got a way of engaging with games that works for you - and saves you money - but I just love participating in the community aspect of new games. Learning and talking about the game, its story and its secrets in real-time with others. Just love it.
That's pretty smart but these current consoles play every single Xbox One and PS4 game on their respective consoles so you can find cheap last gen games and still play them on current hardware
Yup. I've been preaching it to the winds. Current industry business models and practices make the day one buyers... well, chumps. Unfinished games, predatory business models, vaporware road maps. I'm at least 4 years behind and I've yet to play a suck game or pay exorbitant prices. Every game I've played has been finished, has all caveats exposed, and has usually come at a very affordable price.
I'll never understand why anyone actually preorders, or even buys day one. For starters, wait to see if it's even good or not bugged to hell. I was hyped to play MK11 when it was heading to release. Comes out and it's all over the shop. PC release was a short straw deal. I ended up deciding not to even bother getting it about a month in. I didn't get the itch to try it til a few years later.
The problem is spoilers
This is where having a terrible memory becomes a superpower. If they didn't spoil it in the last month, I probably only very vaguely remember what they said and have no context for it. Sometimes it will come to me as the game's story is revealed, but it rarely feels 'spoiled'
spoiler culture more specifically. the best most recent example i can think of was last of us 2 plot spoilers long before the game even launched. everyone has to know everything all the time. its pathetic.
Never been an issue just avoid looking up the game you want to play
Can confirm this is the way to go. Waited years to get a refurbished PS4 and just got a Switch last month. I also have a very high tolerance for sub-par graphics, which doesn't hurt in this situation.
Gotta admit, as time goes on the number of new titles that appeal to me goes down.
I can't bring myself to play a whole generation behind, but I almost never buy brand new games anymore. And I have no problem going back a generation to play a title I missed but always wanted to play, too. This happens a lot with RPGs; for example, I'm currently playing through the first Xenoblade Chronicles for the first time. I'm generally about a year or so behind when it comes to new stuff, and that's just fine with me. Once a game has been out that long, you can easily find it on eBay for cheap; I rarely pay more than $25 for any game now, and it's usually much less. Thing is, there are SO many games released each year these days that it's basically impossible to stay up to speed (unless you literally have no life and play 50 hours a week or something). Once you factor in other hobbies and things you want to do outside of gaming, you find you're always operating at least a year behind the curve. At least for me. And I have no problem with that at all.
For me one of the downsides of being a patient gamer is being well behind the discussion of it and also not supporting the developers paying MSRP for games. I know people look down on that but voting with your wallet does matter. If everyone was a slow gamer and never paid full price, games would be released for the worse
I suppose that's true to a point. But the industry has changed dramatically over time; games have much longer life spans these days due to DLC, expansions, season passes, and other ways of extending the appeal of a new title (even for single-player-oriented games). That's worked into the budgets and goals of publishers and developers, so they're not expected to release a product that makes virtually all the money it needs to make in the first month or so (which is the way it used to be). The money brought in also comes from a myriad of sources these days, too; it's not only driven by the consumer buying the product. Considering all this, I don't think you're hurting developers - especially good-sized teams that have been firmly established - by getting the game a year after it comes out or so. Of course, if we're talking about several years or an entire generation, then yeah, that's not helping the people who made the game anywhere near as much (if it all, depending on how much time has passed). One last thing to remember is that you and I will always be in the minority. While more games and a larger audience means more people will be waiting to buy new titles, sales out of the gate will always be driven by the avid/hardcore crowd. And based on the numbers the big fans put up when a new game releases, it doesn't appear as if they're letting the devs and pubs down. The heavy hitters always push any hobby-oriented industry forward the most; it's only when you start to lose them that you have to worry. I was a gaming journalist for over a decade a while back, and it always surprises me just how MUCH things have changed from a production and sales standpoint, and how gamer habits have changed.
Man this was quite the insight thanks man. And it’s a bit comforting to know that devs probably aren’t as punished by late gamers as the days of old
No problem. Yeah, it was rough in the past...gaming was a risky investment for all concerned, jobs were almost impossible to hold onto for any length of time, and if a game didn't swim in the first month, it'd almost inevitably sink. But these days with mammoth developers and publishers, and a worldwide audience literally 10 times the size of what it was in the '80s and '90s, there's a lot more room to breathe. That said, there's also a much wider strata of development; you've got the super huge, the mid-range (which is most), and the tiny guys just starting out. So in that respect, if you see a game made by a brand new team with only a few dozen employees (if that) and you want to play it, buying it sooner rather than later would be a big help to them. For the most part, though, you can always rely on the hardcore gamers and the business savvy of established devs and pubs to carry things. The days of the dude who programmed the game also trying to figure out how to market the game are long gone. ;) But I do agree with your general principle; i.e., supporting those who provide the games and service. Thankfully, the burden doesn't really fall on us patient gamers so much, given the whole system and structure.
Very cool man. I guess it’s a great thing that there’s many more gamers today alongside much bigger game development companies. Guys like you should make posts like these
I have to say, I don't post much because after doing this for so long as a job, it really burned me out. And I got a little disillusioned with the gaming audience as well. I was thinking about writing a post about my experiences as a journalist/critic but I doubt anyone would care much. But I am getting back into it just a little more, even though it's no longer my primary hobby.
OK? But the ps5 can play ps4 games aswell so I don't see the point in being limited to an inferior product with a worse experience
Living in the past. Good times
I've been doing this with the PS3, started playing it regularly around 2016. Got my PS4 in October 2020, just before PS5 launched. It was great snapping up loads of great games for a fraction of what they cost at launch.really enjoyed The Witcher 3, Persona 5 Royal. I've got plenty of other games I'm still playing. The only pet peeve is that Switch (which I bought in 2021) games are still full price even though they are pretty much in-between generations at best.
I need to try the witcher 3 keep hearing non stop love for this game, I hear its incredibly long which is why I've been avoiding it, I take a long time to beat these games I could be at it for a year.
It's fantastic, probably my all time favorite. I do have a thing for (dark) fantasy though so that probably helped.
Or you can buy a PC once and play any game for free and it can last over a decade...
I do this but with phones. Each phone is new to me, but $100-$200 bought outright at most. It's great. I'd do this with games but I'm a PC gamer who loves multiplayer. So not as feasible.
Whats your strat for making sure you don't buy a crap one?
Reviews. Everything I buy that I want to work for longer than 2 months I look through into reviews. Last time I purchased a phone I compared 7 phones. I first look up phones under $100, compare the specs with my existing phone, if I don't like anything I bump the budget. Wont exceed $200 though. With the budget increase there is always a better phone (they typically last 2-3 years). I then compare the list of phones with specs I want, then finally look at reviews to ensure mostly reliability. I have had to back out of my top 3 before because some phones had bad reviews and take a seemingly lesser in specs power because of more reliable specs. Rather have shit that works than a better piece that breaks down in 3-12 months. The best part is that by buying these older models, the flaws have been fleshed out.
Thanks for your reply. I do basically the same thing. It can be a challenge though as often a good budget phone will have one odd feature like a 720 display when all the others are 1080p. So when you are shopping around are you looking at an old top of the range phone or a recent phone lower in the range?
Agreed, I've faced that as well. Lesser display than I'd like or less onboard memory than I like. I primarily look at the Motorola family of phones, as the first time I did this I settled on a Motorola because it was actually a great phone for like $50 at the time, and every time I've done it since I find they still have very good phones at great prices. I do occasionally look for competing specs though simply through Google searches "phones under $200" just to see what's available. I don't look at old/new phones necessarily, just looking for prices and comparing specs. There are some good websites out there that let you put specs side by side, which I use frequently when comparing.
I am much the same luckily I have never used or owned a high end phone so I don't know what I am missing.Those sites that let you compare are a lifesaver!
It's really the smartest move, considering how sleazy gaming publishers have become. It allows you to play the game stable state, rather than the broken one it is on release. You get special editions with all the post release content. The biggest hurdle is not be swayed by ads and hype. I'm sorry to say that while having this philosophy I was still duped by Cyberpunk and AC Valhalla. Gotta stay strong.
yeah being poor is rad
The hedonic treadmill takes longer to screw up so that's a plus.
And here I am preordering here and there and ending up disappointed but still doing it
Learn your lesson?
I don't really mind in the end since there are a few games that were worth pre ordering
I find i tend to really enjoy older games over newer ones, and because of that i really notice just how sharply quality has decayed over the last 5 years compared to games made before that. It helps that, when playing older gamses other people have already treaded the path before us - any scummy publisher/developer decisions made after you purchased the game have already been made, expansion content and refinements have already been applied and sequels might already be out or right around the corner. “Patient gaming” sounds like dumpster diving to some, but i’d rather compare it to wine sampling. Truly great games age really well. And sometimes games that were mediocre at the time of their release become much more palatable over time, either because their unique quirkiness appeals to the person you’ve grown into, because they were overshadowed by other releases of their generation or because so many modern releases are such crap shows that a genre becomes starved for quality.
Last time gaming was fun was the 360
Honestly I keep a log of my games completed and in the 21 I've completed so far, 13 of them are last generation and behind. I also get much more enjoyment from the older generations. The games were just better. Retro is the way to go.
I'm about to sound like a crusty ass old man, but at this point, even a majority of games released in the 2010's are strictly just better. I'm talking even just technical stuff. There isn't a game released recently that doesn't have a massive problem, or actual game-breaking bugs (except for maybe GoW Ragnarok, I don't remember hearing anything about that side of it) that I've played recently, except for Elden Ring. It's the only major budget title I can remember in recent time that I hadn't run into a single noticable technical issue. Even the company that polishes games like crazy, put out Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, which were both messes on launch.
I started this too when DLCs became common, now I see no point as a pc gamer to buy things on release day. Pay top price for something that is usually unfinished or broken on release. Just recently got a ps5, and play used games for <50% price only. Wish more gamers did the same and send a message to developers
I always bring this up in these kinds of threads... Get a used PS2. The greatest console of all-time. And there are an \*unbelievable\* amount/variety of games. Google around for "PS2 hidden gems" to find stuff you've never heard of that is great. As the years go by, I become more-and-more convinced that the PS2 is the only game console anyone really needs, if you play games for fun. The Nintendo DS is the other contender.
Currently best thing about the PS5 is smoothly playing games that the ps4 struggled with like Assassin’s creed origins, The witcher, Red dead etc… IMO We’re still in the previous gen since no truly Next gen games have been made yet, And they don’t seem likely to come soon either
I didnt get a ps5 because of the shortage and i learned I could live without one so I never got one. I'm just going to wait for ports and then when they get discounted. I somehow can't find any groundbreaking games that makes me want to play current games. Ironically my most recent purchase is a remake of RE 4 that almost plays exactly the same but better. I feel like 2000-2020 was the golden age
At this point the people that buy new systems and new games when they first come out are suckers
This is a good strategy, but it isn't without its hangups for sure. PS3 was arguably the last "console generation" in the traditional sense. From here its crossgen all the way down, so a PS5 would likely serve you better since it'll play PS4 and probably PS6 titles, too.
This is the first time since the ps2 I've been up to date, so to speak, on the consoles got my ps3, ps4 and xbox 360 near the end of their time. And now I've had a ps5 for some time I find I've been playing mostly ps4 titles and even some ps1/ps2 games I've bought off the ps store. I think at 38 i just like the older stuff more. New games are amazing but I don't get the same enjoyment out of them. Even with ps4 games it was very hit-and-miss. (The only exceptions I've had have been cyberpunk and star ocean 6, love those games) But to each their own I say, I'm just glad I can play wild arms 2 and 3 and legend of dragoon on my ps5.
I just got an xbox 1 a few months ago and it's 50:50 360:Xbox one games, with the newest being doom eternal just because I really wanted it It's just more feasible to do so imo. For instance, I got 6 games for 15 euro a few days ago
This is the best, most economical way to game. I bought Spiderman on PS4 a year or two after it launched for either $15 or $20, and I was so blown away by the value I got at that price. That game is awesome. Shortly thereafter, I bought HZD for the same price. Again, a great game with tons of content at an absolute steal of a price. After this, I realized that if I could wait 12-18 mos after a game was released, I could save a ton of cash by getting it just a little later. He'll, I'm playing Nioh 2 for "free" right now, thanks to Playstation Plus. Now, only two conditions warrant me paying full price for a new game: 1) it's an absolute MUST play and/or a franchise near and dear to my heart. For instance, I pre-ordered Metroid: Dread, Elden Ring, and Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (I also splurged on pre-ordering the Zelda themed OLED Switch) 2) it's a game from an indie developer that I want to support, such as Super Mega Baseball 3 by Metalhead (bought out recently by EA - fingers crossed they don't ruin that amazing baseball franchise), or Hyper Light Drifter (and soon Hyper Light Breaker) by Heartmachine.
*Laughs in PC*
I'm getting there. Still on my xbone that I bought in 2015 and I play it more now than I did then. Thought about upgrading a bunch, but I just don't care.
I’ve been playing og everquest. The game never gets old.
Blind guy here, sometimes it’s better to wait. I’ve noticed that the older games have more accessible mods
I like to blend both past and present and go back and forth simultaneously, the best of both worlds.
Thanks for making me realize I’m also playing last-gen games, but at full price.. on the Nintendo Switch. I actually think it’s fantastic, though. The large game selection (probably the best non-handheld situation for Nintendo since the SNES) + Nintendo’s first party stuff is a huge draw. I just have to be judicious with sales and money-saving tricks. In principle, I think getting a PS4 now is a fantastic situation. I just have some kind of mental block that prevents me from buying stuff that’s being obsoleted. Another, admittedly huge factor is that I can buy almost any of these last-gen titles on PC.
Same boat. Old games are new to me. They're cheap. All the bugs have been cleaned up. The "hype" and expectations aren't impacting my enjoyment of it. I'm a pretty casual gamer anyway, but knowing I'm spending like $20 on a game that's patched/actually completed when people were paying $80 for a bug ridden version of the same thing is hilarious. Also, fallout 4 haters, you are wrong. I'll fucking fight you about it.
I bought the top tier of PlaystationPlus, and i haven't purchased a game since. I just use their free collection, and I love it.
Yes, also avoid paying more than $20 for any game and for the love of God DO NOT preorder anything
Me when I waited for Persona 5 Royal to come out on the PC. Was well worth the long wait.
Yup this is the way 🙌
I love being behind on current games. Gives me a vast catalog of games I can stream. I love it! Most streamers have to jump onto the newest game to maintain “relevant “
Same here, I bought Series X couple months ago and been playing old gems a lot than new games, backwards compatibility, 4k upscale and fps boost helps me a lot
Yeah at this point I’ll play whatever looks fun that I never got to yet. New games so frequently come out buggy and unfinished anyway these days. Recently I was playing Heroes of Might and Magic 3 from 1999 and had a great time lol