When it comes to the prices of things, I use a comparison method. For example: I got a decent bike for around $160. A Nintendo 3DS XL system will go for a suggested retail price of $199.99 when it hits this Sunday. Which is the better deal? To me, the answer is clear: the bike!
As you may have already guessed, today's topic is gaming gear and the money we spend on it. Maybe you spent $20 on a $50 Wii game. Or perhaps you spent the full $50 for a game, but it entirely worth that and then some. Allow me to share some of my own gaming deals, good and bad:
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword + Gold Wii Remote + Orchestra CD
For a huge Zelda fan like me, the $70 for this package was more than worth it. Normally, Wii remotes go for about $40, so I essentially payed half of that for a special edition Wii remote and a CD of some of the best music I've ever heard. Ka-ching!
Metroid Prime Trilogy
I got this game Used-Like New for $60. Back when it was first released, one could get it brand new for $50. Even with the added $10, this Wii collection turned out to be a great deal.
Rune Factory Frontier
I include this on the list because of the sheer amount of time I've invested in it. I've played Rune Factory Frontier for well over 100 hours, and it was a paltry $20 to buy.
Steel Diver
Now we get to the bad deals. Steel Diver is a first party Nintendo 3DS title for $40. I wouldn't call the game horrendous or anything, but I would say the price should be in the neighborhood of $5 or so. Just sayin'!
Now I would love to hear from you guys! What do you consider to be the best and worst in gaming deals?
Interesting topic. For me, sports and RPG games often gave me the best 'bang for my buck' in terms of the sheer number of hours I would spend on them. I know people have complained in the past that games like Madden that come out every year are a rip-off, but for me and several of my friends in college? It was a great way to spend dozens if not hundreds of hours hanging out together.
ReplyDeleteI tell you what, I'm bummed to miss out on the Metroid Prime Trilogy - you got a good deal there considering what it goes for now.
Now for years, all I could afford were used games, usually older used games. Now that I've got a good job and I've been a 'grown up' (I joke that just because I have to grow old doesn't mean I have to grow up) I can afford newer games more readily.
But you touched on a point that I've complained about for some time. The gaming market used to be aimed at kids. Obviously the hardware and development budgets have matured and now there are a lot of games that are geared more toward teens and adults. The thing is, the pricing... I feel like it has left kids behind a bit, so to speak. Take my son for example. The only time a year he gets new games are his birthday and Christmas. Maybe if he saves a few of those up, he can trade them in for something else a year or two later.
Now don't feel too bad for him - with me as a dad he doesn't lack for games around the house, even if they're not 'his' - but he says several of his friends are not so lucky. They get a game, maybe 2 a year is all because of the cost. Somewhere along the line, if feels like gaming has gotten so expensive that it's lost some of its roots, at least to me.
I'm not actually old enough to know what it was like when video games weren't as expensive as they are now. But it's still clear to me that they are very expensive! Why am I paying 20 bucks for a blu-ray + DVD + digital copy of a movie and 50 for a Wii game? $30 is a good deal for a Wii game, yet $30 is like the max amount I would pay for a blu-ray combo pack. Comparison method in action!
DeleteYeah, I remember spending summers mowing lawns to purchase NES games like Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior (and unfortunately some duds like Robowarrior - online reviews would have been so handy back then...). The games were cheaper, but more than that - the systems did not break down as often (I still have old NES, Genesis, SNES, N-64s I've maintained. I can almost guarantee I won't have any Xbox 360's or PS3's in 15-20 years) and they didn't have things like subscription services like Xbox Live.
DeleteI definitely love gaming, but it does not feel like it's as accessible to younger players as it used to be, and that is a shame imo.
Steel Diver is a fantastic game how dare you! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's alright, but for forty bucks...it's just so short. And $40 is a lot to spend on a short game.
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