How do you decide which games you buy?

Do you buy based on reviews or anecdotal testimony?

Or do you rent first, or buy a game based on the reputation of its developers or the series?

Personally, I’ve bought just 3 games in the last year or so, all have been because I’ve been a fan of the series and I know more or less what I’m getting from playing previous games in the series. Just for the record, the games were FFXII, Pro Evolution 6 and LMA Manager ’06.

I used to rent games before I bought a lot, however I just can’t be arsed these days and generally don’t get excited about anything unless it’s something I know and love. Many of the games I’ve rented in the past haven’t been so great which has basically put me off trying new things. So I just stick to the tried and tested and it doesn’t usually let me down.

I rarely listen to reviews before buying games, personally. The problem with them is that if they’re professionally written ones you can’t be sure that money isn’t being passed around to ensure a favourable review, whilst if they’re done by amateurs I usually find they’re strongly biased towards either liking or loving the game and most of them (though not all) tend to go off on a tangent without being able to give a relatively two-sided view of the game’s strengths and weaknesses.

I CAN DANCE!

Gamespot, and forums.

I’ve always bought from the series that I follow, of course (Final Fantasy, Xenogears+Xenosaga, Kingdom Hearts, Legend of Zelda), but I usually take the recommendations of friends now, like Ash 😀

I too, usually follow a game series that I’ve had a history with, but sometimes I’ll just purchase a game if it coincides with my interests at the nonce.

Well, How I decide is pretty simple: If it’s in the genre I play and I can afford it (i.e. I don’t have any higher priorities), I’ll buy it.

Well, How I decide is pretty simple: If it’s in the genre I play and I can afford it (i.e. I don’t have any higher priorities), I’ll buy it.

I agree.

I don’t have a lot of extra cash, so I have to be careful about what I spend money on. I’ve learned that the best way to figure out if something is a good purchase or not is to read a wide cross-section of the available reviews for it, both professional and not. Of course, they all have bullshit in them, so the trick is cutting through it and plucking out the useful bits.

I keep telling people this, but no one understands what I mean, so the fuckers keep lecturing me on "letting other people make up my mind for me" and garbage like that.

It varies. I’ll either get something from a familiar series, a familiar developer, or whatever crazy Japanese game just got imported.

Well first I’ll see the game review on a magazine. Then I’ll check online reviews and sometimes when the game is released I tend to hear different views on it…like on this forum. Then I’ll go to my local game store and look at the cover. Give it a nice long stare. I’ll put it down…and if I can’t find anything better I’ll probably buy it based on all the research I did. But I often do stick to the series of games I like…or more like I get more amped for it.

I used to buy games all the time…mainly rpg-ish games because I know those will last me. But man I didn’t finish most of those because while the game seems awesome in the beginning…I quickly get tired of it and put it down and never play it again. Waste of money…and then I end up selling it.

I don’t go for the magazines. They’re pretty good for wiping your ass with, but not for your actual reading act (the ones here, I mean). I usually wait until a friend purchases a game I might be interested in and test it then. The urge to buy games on the day they come out is long gone.

I’m also a pretty wealthy cunt now, so I can go on the occasional random purchase and not end up regretting it.

The urge to buy games on the day they come out is long gone.

With certain games I still have that, FFXII for instance. Because I buy so few games these days, when something new comes out and it genuinely excites me I just buy it asap. Of course, the game in question almost invariably fits in with my ‘buy what you know and love’ policy.

Since theres not a really game shop too near me I wouldnt really go home and look at reviews and come back. I usually take a chance on a game if it looks good. Ill play anything once.

i don’t know why i stopped renting in general…(oh yah, mmo’s suck my life)

but back in the days, i’d rent my ass off. then i’d buy anything i loved. out of like 100 rented games, i’d buy like..5.

then there’s friend recommendations. if you have more than one friend, who prolly don’t even know eachother, all tell you to get that game. you should. :p that’s how i was finally convinced to give rpg’s a try again and tried ff7. :p since then, i buy every new game on my own without question. so from new experiencec, come loyalty and trust in certain names and develepers. it’s natural. some poeple never question the new res evil, or the new devil may cry. or the new metal gear. which is good. that’s how it goes. that’s normal.

i never use review sites. in the time it takes to read a FULL review, i could be playing it. renting ftw. we should all do it more often and not have regrets about buying games we don’t like and having to return them for only like 5 bucks to have gamestop resell it for 40 bucks. -_-

I choose like this guy () probably would.

I have several things I factor in:

Eye Candy – (tied for 1st) I look at game mags, and if any game catches my eye, I look into it. I don’t necessarily take reviews at face value, but I do take them into consideration.

Game Play – (tied for 1st) I also play any demos that they have at Toys R’ Us, Walmart, Gamestop, and Game Crazy.

Word of mouth – Pretty much, my friends are into the same stuff, so if they like a game, I might like it too. Although there’s been instances that I got burned by friends ex: decision on getting the Saturn.

Price – Pretty much price is the last deciding factor. If it’s a game I definitely am getting, I don’t care for price, but if it’s a game I’m considering, then I might just buy it used, or wait ’till it drops a bit.

I don’t have a lot of extra cash, so I have to be careful about what I spend money on. I’ve learned that the best way to figure out if something is a good purchase or not is to read a wide cross-section of the available reviews for it, both professional and not. Of course, they all have bullshit in them, so the trick is cutting through it and plucking out the useful bits.

I keep telling people this, but no one understands what I mean, so the fuckers keep lecturing me on "letting other people make up my mind for me" and garbage like that.

Nope, that’s also the way I go. Other than the series I follow (Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, Street Fighter (when will we get Street Fighter 4: Return of the old timers?), Metroid, etc…

There’s also my intuition playing out. Sometimes I just get a good feeling about a particular game, and then I follow its production process to see if I’m right or wrong. I usually end up being right. But it’s been a really long time since I’ve stumbled on such a game.

I buy whatever has the prettiest casing.

Well I tend to read up alot about the games. Not perse reviews but game info itself, after that I read opinions to get a overall idea about the game. How is the sound, gameplay, replayability and all that.

Some times I’ve had the oppertunity to try the game (local game stores often have new games out to play, so I take my chance) so I can get my own experience from it.

I mostly buy games that are from series I like, without bothering reading anything about it.

Every now and then I impulsively buy a game. But those games are usually second hand or have been out a while. Haven’t regretted a single purchase though.

i never use review sites. in the time it takes to read a FULL review, i could be playing it.

you must read reaalllllly slowly

I can’t remember the last time I bought a game when it first came out, so I can go on friend recomendations and word of mouth a lot. That’s pretty much the case for my entire DS collection.

I also do a lot of browsing at places to see what looks interesting. If it’s not extremely cheap, I’ll usually do what Prak does and read a bunch of reviews and try and use the information from them to make up my mind. I don’t really go by scores so much- I specifically look at their complaints and see if they’re things that would bother me, and their positives and if they’re something I’d really enjoy.

I pretty much never pay more than $35 for a game too, and usually a fair bit less than that. There aren’t really any games I want so badly that I can’t wait a few months to get them $15 cheaper.

My taste in video games (and TV, movies, music) isn’t very consistant and doesn’t usually jive with others, so while I’ll take into consideration the recommendation of friends, its pretty hit or miss of whether I’ll like it or not. I like a lot of games (and music and movies) that are considered absolute shit by most, but I still enjoy them. And a lot of games that are revered as superb, I really can’t stand. Of course, there are still more than I agree with the common consensus.

So a lot of how I choose is based simply if something gives me the feeling that I’ll like it. It doesn’t always work, but I can’t really put a finger on why I prefer some games over others. Games that I’m unsure about, though, I’ll read up reviews, because I’m pretty confident on things I don’t like.

I’d rarely buy a game on a whim unless it’s pretty cheap. I always read reviews (preferably EDGE magazine) and at least try and play test it before I buy.

I buy a game that I feel like I should like. I bought Panzer Dragoon Orta on a whim and I don’t regret it one bit. Same thing goes for Ninja Gaiden Black.

I do go by journalistic reviews and gamer reviews. I go by franchises that I like. I mostly though go by games that I hear are good. If a friend says it’s good, it’s usually good.

IF I DIDN’T MAKE THE GAME I NO IT IS BAD!

!!

IF IM IN THE GAME IT IS BAD!!!
:smrt: Fix’d

Replay Value and story i usually read reviews off gamespot too

you must read reaalllllly slowly

i said i could be playing it, not that i could FINISH playing a game. lol

Okay really here is what I do:

If it is the following franchise:

Mario Platformer
Super Smash Bros.
Pokemon Main Series
Suikoden
NiGHTS
Grandia

I get it first day. I know like Grandia II/III sucked but like I liked so I keep with.

Otherwise I look at reviews for either Strategy RPGs/Normal RPGs/Platformers/Sport Games. I won’t touch any FPS or stuff like that. I usually either get the game once it comes out or won’t get it until it drops down to 20 bucks.

That is why I don’t have some of the PS2 Tales game I was interested in because the price is not 20 and I am like man go to 20 before I get you.

i said i could be playing it, not that i could FINISH playing a game. lol

if it takes you longer to read a review than it would to go to a store, pick up a game, come home, and put it in your console….you must read reaaaaalllllly slowly.

erm, i look at the front cover of the game, if its a rpg ill get it, or anything im into, tho i dont buy games spin off from movies

if it takes you longer to read a review than it would to go to a store, pick up a game, come home, and put it in your console….you must read reaaaaalllllly slowly.

alright. that’s it! is that a challenge?

let’s go!

/me pulls out the book "moby dick"

first one to finish reading shuts their mouth!

/me reads…………………………….done! i saw the movie. take that. haha

yah but know. my reading lvl has been 13+++ since i was in 10th grade. the computers just can’t calculate my awesomeness. i can read this whole thread in under 30 seconds. :p

Oh yeah well Well mines said the same thing since 8th, no lying the reading test came back with results that said post secondary, I’m da fucking shit, Shower me with praise.

erm, i look at the front cover of the game, if its a rpg ill get it, or anything im into, tho i dont buy games spin off from movies

yea must spinoff movie games suck

Oh yeah well Well mines said the same thing since 8th, no lying the reading test came back with results that said post secondary, I’m da fucking shit, Shower me with praise.

oh magnus, teach me your ways master! >.< thou art so awesome! :p

though now that i think about it, i might have been 13+ since 9th grade. (/me trying to save face but i still lose to ultra magnus 🙁 )

pervious titles in the franchise
the devs that worked on it
nice to look at
robust game play
replay factor
and
new gameplay elements

For the last several games I bought, it’s been the developer and the game concept/art that first turns my eyes towards the game, but it’s definitely been playing a demo that’s actually sold me on buying it, or not buying it at all.

Haven’t used a game site or magazine for reviews much at all; those I mostly browse just for game news and announcements.

oh magnus, teach me your ways master! >.< thou art so awesome! :p

though now that i think about it, i might have been 13+ since 9th grade. (/me trying to save face but i still lose to ultra magnus 🙁 )

Mm-hmm, don’t despair You can be my dark knight when I rule the world and send it back to the dark ages by destroying technology and keping all blueprints/ inventions for me… true story.

I once melted ice cream by staring at it. True story.

The size of the eyes.

Mm-hmm, don’t despair You can be my dark knight when I rule the world and send it back to the dark ages by destroying technology and keping all blueprints/ inventions for me… true story.

ownage. 😀

just about any final fantasy, Mario, and Zelda series games I get (even if I know nothing of the game) I almost always end up enjoying. But besides that, I usally just see videos, pictures, and read about whats in a game and if it looks and sounds good enough, I will try to get it, or atleast think of getting it. Thats pretty much how I pick what I get.