I've Decided To Cut Back On My Game Buying This Year

[Rogmeister]

After doing a comment in the thread on game-related resolutions, I started thinking about how I really buy too many games...I mean, I look over at my XBox collection and I see 50 games...and I didn't even have an XBox a year ago. That's 50 games for one system bought in less than a year! I didn't buy an XBox until they had their price cut. I hate to think about how many games I bought overall last year. After thinking it over long and hard, I decided I really had to try and cut way back this yer and concentrate more on actually playing the games...yes, we all tend to say that every year but I'm deadly serious about it. I've decided the absolute most I'll buy this year is 20 games...some of us have likely bought that many in a month. Those 20 games includes anything...from $5 SNES games to $50 XBox games...well, not really because I also have made a vow to never pay more than $30 for any game. I know this will be tough because I can name at least a handful of games off the top of my head (GTA: San Andreas, Jak 3, Metroid 2, etc.) that I still haven't bought, but I'm bound and determined to do this. Luckily, I'm not actively buying too much for the older systems. I have two PS1 games coming, for instance, that will put my library for that system at exactly 200 games which has been my goal so I can stop there and I only need a few games to do the same for the SNES. I know that will also have to be my total number of purchases for January...no more than 2 game purchases in any month and there'll have to be at least 4 months of the year I can only buy a single game. Maybe if I can go a few months without buying any games, I can afford to get myself 3 or 4 games in November when we tend to get a lot of great games all at once.

I'm going to make up a chart and hang it up on the wall and every time I buy a game, I'll mark it down...there will only be 20 slots. When it's full, no more games can be bought. This means each purchase will really have to be considered seriously and no more "impulse" purchases. I guess I won't be getting Catwoman now...

[Barbarianoutkast85]

My "New Years Resolution" is the complete oposite since ive been in college i didnt get to buy enough games

[Perkar]

i've undergone a similar "resolution," although i don't like calling it that. and it actually went in to place late november.... my main goal is to finish my dreamcast collection (9 more games) and after that, just picking up a game here and there that i know i'll play. not this rampant "buy anything in sight that's cheap" shit i've been doing for over a year now. it's made me poor, plus i have other things to spend my money on in the coming 6-8 months (not to mention doctor bills for a broken foot :( )

[downfall]

Yeah.

I've already spent like $60 on new games this year, including:

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

@_@

At least they were both on sale - but I absolutely have to stop doing this.

[Rogmeister]

I'm trying to cut back in other areas, too, including magazine subscriptions. I'm trying not to start any new ones or do any renewals...I still have subscriptions to 5 or 6 gaming magazines but will let them run out when they're scheduled to expire. I don't think a few run out until next year, though...

[notoriusvig]

I'm gonna try and buy less decent games and concentrate on buying and playing more games that I love like Puzzle games or shmups.

[Xantan the Foul]

I might be buying less games this year... or at least it's my goal to spend less on them.

[josekortez]

I need to stop buying period because I have too many games for systems I don't own or too many doubles, of which many will be returned to Toys R Us this week.

I'm currently seeking full-time employment, so I need to chill and enjoy my 100+ PS2 and Xbox collections instead of kicking out more cash.

[Oobgarm]

I like Rog's idea. I think I'll have to make a chart and limit myself too. Got too many other things to take care of this year, and I'm tired of spending every last dime I have.

[slip81]

I'm also sharing your resolution, but mainly because I spent way too much on games over the last 6 months and it got me $900 in debt, which is going to take me a while to pay off since I'm still in school and only work part time. So untill I get the bill payed off I'm limiting my game buying drastically.

Good luck to you Rog :)

[punkoffgirl]

I've seen/heard many people make this "resolution," but it's not very often I see many people carrying through with it.

Perhaps your chart idea will work. I think you'd do well to also include on the chart the costs of the games, as well as a final "total" for what you've spent.

[Rogmeister]

Thanks, POG...I was thinking of doing that. Whether I can carry through it or not remains to be seen. Perhaps in the "finds" section when I list my purchases I may also list there how many games that makes me on the year.

[Jorpho]

This past year was supposed to have seen a dramatic decrease in my game purchasing. Then I serendipidously encountered three or four gigantic wells of high-quality PC games at rock bottom prices, and everything went to heck.

I've decided to hold off picking up more games until I get around to selling off a little of the junk I have already acquired, which might take a while. By then, hopefully I will have made a dent in this giant pile of unplayed games.

[downfall]

Yeah.

I've already spent like $60 on new games this year, including:

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

@_@

At least they were both on sale - but I absolutely have to stop doing this.

Yeah, that lasted a long time. :embarrassed: 3 hours on the dot according to my clock anyway. Picked up 4 more games at lunch and dropped another $70 - bringing my total up to an average of 1.4 games per day this year. Resolution or no - I'm not one to pass up a 40% off all games sale though, especially when they're games that I've been looking for on the cheap. LOL

[Rogmeister]

Well, I do have a few games coming...but they were actually ordered the last day or two of 2004...so do I count their purchase for last year or this year, on the day they arrive? I won't cheat...I'll doubtless count them as 2005 purchases once they arrive...

[NintendoMan]

I need to make this kind of resolution! My credit card bills are up there, and basically ALL my money is going to something gaming related. Which is OK with me, it's just that I need to cut back a couple of bucks.
Won't be able to do that though, even though I am going to try.

[Beefy Hits]

Yea, I need to cut my game buying down drastically too. Spent too much on games, especially the last 2 months. Not much is coming out now anyway, so it'll be easier.

[Nature Boy]

I've seen/heard many people make this "resolution," but it's not very often I see many people carrying through with it.

That's because buying them and thrifting is just so darn addictive!

I've made a similar sort of promise to myself. Not that I won't buy as many games this year, but that I won't buy any more games until I finish a bunch of the ones I've already started. I've probably got a dozen games on the go, more than half of which I haven't played in at least 6 months because I picked up something new and started playing with *that*. :)

[Cirrus]

Another good idea for a video game resolution would be to STOP selling my games. I can't tell you how many times I have bought up games for a system, sold some to get "new" games, bought the old games up again. I just need to hide all my SNES/Genesis carts, etc.

[qbertandernie]

good luck rog!

20 (-2) seems optomistic, but more poower to ya if you can do it.

im thinking of only buying from fleas and garage sales, though i get calls from my 'people' a lot(who work in used shops), so that might prove difficult.

the main goal is to have no debt(but my houses) by august...shouldnt be too tough if i watch my big purchases...

i could cut my reserve stock in half too, that might generate a couple grand...

[mr_nihilism]

I fully intend to finish the games I've recently purchased before buying any more. Seeing as how those games include the likes of La Pucelle, Disgaea, Phantom Brave, Rhapsody and Shadow Hearts, it'll be a long while before my next purchase.

[Nesmaster]

the only thing i had intended to do for this year was to keep track of every game i buy, and im already behind LOL!

[Rogmeister]

One nice thing if I can manage to do this is I can make up a list of my game libraries and they should remain complete...for a little while. I need to recount my SNES library and see how many I need to reach 200...I think it may be only 2-4. Then, I'd consider that collection complete...unless someone wants to trade or buy a few of my sports titles...

[izret101]

I almost made the same resolution. To spend less money on games.
But i should have a job by the end of the year. And i haven't gone out to any of my "stomping grounds". One place i go to75% of the time if i get anything my purcase is over or around 50 bucks.
The last 3 times i didn't walk out of their without spending around 100.
That really kills you when you don't have a job. But like i said that should change.

In the end i decided to not just buy stuff but to buy specific stuff. I am going to try and complete many of my loose games.
I don't buy that many next gen games so thats not a problem for me.

[calthaer]

I'm signing on a townhouse at the end of January; my game-buying habits will definitely change at that point.

Besides that, I want to save up and get a projector with RGB inputs so that I can actually use this wicked progressive scan feature on the Gamecube.

[jdc]

It's not easy to make that kind of resolution because there's always that day when you happen to be in the right place at the right time......and kiss your bux goodbye.

I'm staring at a "non-collection" of 51 PS2 games that I swear wasn't there in the summer. I grabbed another Dreamcast. Thank God that the games AREN'T readily available here in my area. My Cube gets NOTHING, so it's not a money drain. My N64 is my collecting target and even then, I'm in no great hurry.

The PS2 is my problem. Too many games at "sorta low" prices.

I also have a new race bike to be built this year. (I work in a bike shop as a race support mechanic) THAT'S several thousand dollars right there. I'll then own 10 of the buggers. Video games aren't all that I'm into..... @_@

[Rogmeister]

Well, I received my first game today...The Bombing Islands for the PS1. Bought it used through the mail for $2.95...somehow, I don't think all my games in 2005 will come that cheaply. Maybe none of them will.

[izret101]

I bought my first few games today.
World Series Poker (Xbox) and Midway Greatest Arcade Hits (GBA).
Came to about 28 bucks. When i consider all the freebies i picked up today though it was worth it.

[Rogmeister]

I've actually received 3 games this year (Buster Bros. Collection for PS1 and XIII for XBox were the 2nd and 3rd) but all 3 were actually ordered last year so I'm still not sure if I will count them as 2005 purchases or not. I did order them before deciding to limit myself to 20 games this year...

[Aussie2B]

I'm trying to cut back a bit too. Thankfully, it's not hard to spend nothing shopping in the wild since I have nowhere to really shop for old stuff around where I live. However, during this time of year, eBay and online stores become a big temptation for me. I spent roughly around $200 of my Christmas money on game stuff for myself, but one order seems like it'll be cancelled because my money order appears to have been lost in the mail. Also, I'll have some things to sell back. I bought a fairly large PlayStation lot full of neat stuff, and I have a brand new tri-Ace game to look forward to, so hopefully that stuff will keep me satisfied for awhile. I've been on a PlayStation kick lately, so from now on, I'm just going to be searching for one PlayStation game at a time, and since I'm trying for good deals, I can spend quite a bit of time just attempting to get one game.

[Rogmeister]

I reached 200 PS1 games with the two I received this month and was going to quit there...but now I hear Ben Rothleisberger is actually in the PS1 version of Madden 2005 so I have thought of getting that one. If I did, I could sell or (more likely) trade or give up my one other Madden game for that system. I understand Rothleisberger isn't in the other versions of Madden 2005...

[FooFighter]

What are you nuts??? How much did you spend on less important things like
food clothing, and rent?????? EXACTLY....there now you know where you really need to cut back the unneccesary spending.

Glad I could help.

[Rogmeister]

You may find this hard to believe but there are things more important than video games...like cats...and guinea pigs...and...and...well, cats & cavvies, anyway...

[hezeuschrist]

I said the same thing:

http://flamevault.com/~jesus/random/jangames.jpg

Dammit :(

That's Growlanser Deluxe, by the way :/[/img]

[stuffedmonkey]

You may find this hard to believe but there are things more important than video games...like cats...and guinea pigs...and...and...well, cats & cavvies, anyway...

Heh. I think I have the same collections as you man... :) Up to five cats so far. The problem is that the wife is just as soft towards cats as I am....

[Steven]

For me this is the year I finish my game buying (for the majority anyhow) and spend 2006 and beyond enjoying and playing the games rather than hunting.

I look to it as catching your food and finally sitting down and reaping its rewards 8-)

[SkiDragon]

I should buy less new games and more old games.

[spider-man]

I am also going to cut back on some of my purchases (psp stuff will take a big chunk of cash out of my wallet LOL ). Every month I write down on my calender what game I want to pick up. For this year, and onward, I'll only put up the ones that are "must haves" according to me. Such titles like: devil may cry 3, legend of zelda, psp, phantom dust, phantom kingdom, atlier iris, stella dues, digital devil saga 1 and 2, and killer 7 to name a couple. It doesn't help that I have lately gotten into collecting anime figures/models :/

[Iron Draggon]

Well I'm just gonna continue trying to "complete" my game collections for as many of my systems as I can. I made alot of progress towards that goal last year, especially in my import sections, so I'm just gonna keep on keepin' on. Except I'm gonna try to spend alot less money on imports, and alot more money on domestics. But that's only because most of the imports that I still want all have triple digit prices, and I just can't afford to go nuts on those.