OK so what's the incentive to buy a game at launch anymore?

[Griking]

I'm with you on the Game of the Year edition thing. I'll generally wait for these releases myself but that being said, is there really that much of a difference between a Game of the Year edition and a Platinum Hits copy of a game as far as collectors go? Most collectors seem to avoid the greatest hits versions like the plague.

[Junkyrdsalesman]

I'm with you on the Game of the Year edition thing. I'll generally wait for these releases myself but that being said, is there really that much of a difference between a Game of the Year edition and a Platinum Hits copy of a game as far as collectors go? Most collectors seem to avoid the greatest hits versions like the plague.

I'll be honest, I don't buy GOTY editions either. Yeah it has more features and stuff, but it's just nailed in my head to buy first print everything. The box art usually has a bunch of quotes and bs about it being such a great game, i'd honestly rather just enjoy the art.

[Leo_A]

I'll be honest, I don't buy GOTY editions either. Yeah it has more features and stuff, but it's just nailed in my head to buy first print everything. The box art usually has a bunch of quotes and bs about it being such a great game, i'd honestly rather just enjoy the art.

I'd rather get things like DLC and patches right on the disc itself. There are games where I wait specifically for such rereleases now, including the Forza series and series like Elder Scrolls.

[substantial_snake]

Personally for a lot of the big titles of X year I wait for the DLC heavy version. Its not really to save cash so much as I much prefer having all of my content on one disc rather then having to trust in the integrity of game download networks in the future. That and having a fully patched version of a lot of these titles like the Fallout and Elder Scrolls series gets rid of a lot of headaches from either bugs or downloading constant patches.

Outside of that in order to keep my backorder reasonable I usually wont pick up another title unless I've built up some credit or cash from trading in another game. When I have about 30 bucks saved up I can usually justify paying the other 30 to get a game on release. The only other exception is when I want a special edition of a title that I know will sell out quickly due to brand popularity. In those cases I'll pay full price for a title as well but really that about it for me.



That being said the OP seems to imply that this is something game-changing in weather people buy titles on launch or not and it isn't. Weather to buy a game on launch or not really comes down to weather you are patient. A price drop will eventually come for all titles its just a question of weather you want to wait till then or not.

[duffmanth]

The only time I get a game at launch is if it's a game that I have really been looking forward to like Metal Gear Solid 4 or if it comes in a collector's edition at launch and quantitiies are limited like GT5.

[goatdan]

So assuming one has patience, what's the motivation to get anything at launch? The only exceptions I've found are the major sports franchises (if you're into those).

The online component of it is huge, add to that wanting to be able to talk about it with friends and / or not come across any spoilers, or the fear that it could potentially be a rarity in the future could all make you do it.

Let's be frank -- motivations for buying *anything* at launch have never really been there beyond the above, with the exception that once in a great while you'll have some sort of nifty pre-order bonus. It just depends on how long you can wait for the price to fall.

[Nz17]

How about those times where there's something in the original release that's not in a later re-release? For example:

• "Sonic The Hedgehog" (1991) had a level select code that wasn't in all other Genesis reprints.
• "Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing" had artwork featuring Sonia from Sonic Underground instead of Amy Rose on a racetrack in the Wii and PC versions.
• "Plants vs. Zombies" originally had the Thriller-inspired zombies until the Michael Jackson estate complained.

[Nikademus1969]

If it's a game from a series I like (Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age, Fallout) I'll get it within the first month or so of launch if my budget allows. If said game has a collector-type edition with content I consider worthwhile, I'll likely get that if possibile. If that sometimes means pre-ordering a game in order to get said bonuses (Dragon Age 2's Signature Edition for example) then that's what I'll do.

Otherwise, I wait till it comes down in price.

[skaar]

First!!

[duffmanth]

I would assume that the main reason is just because someone wants to play a game right away.

Games are so hyped up these days, that a lot of people can't resist getting them at launch.

[duffmanth]

some games could become rare later on still like nisa , or xseed titles , plus some come with launch or preorder bonuses.

This is another reason why I buy certain games at launch. I would always buy certain Konami games at launch like any of the Silent Hill or Castlevania games, because they always became much harder to find later on.

[Emperor Megas]

This is another reason why I buy certain games at launch. I would always buy certain Konami games at launch like any of the Silent Hill or Castlevania games, because they always became much harder to find later on.

Really? That's weird. I've never had a problem finding any Silent Hill or Castlevania game (save one or two of those GBA Castlevanias).

[AceAerosmith]

There is no reason to buy a game at launch IMO. I don't play online, no current gen game is all that hard to find if you know where to look, a lot of DLC is really just crap and doesn't add all that much to the game anyway, and the $60 spent on the game on launch day will get you that game and another game you waited for 6 months from now.

While this example may be an exception due to it being Black Friday and all, but I got 5 current games for $150 that day, spent more time browsing the store than I did in line to check out, and saved $150 bucks (had I bought them on Day 1) that will go toward other games in the future that I'm waiting to drop in price. And they always do.

With the huge backlog of titles I have, there is time to wait because I've always got something to play.

[duffmanth]

Really? That's weird. I've never had a problem finding any Silent Hill or Castlevania game (save one or two of those GBA Castlevanias).

Yeah man, Silent Hill and Castlevania for PS1 are virtually non existent at retail. Metal Gear Solid and MGS: VR Missions are also pretty rare in stores to. The Silent Hills and Castlevanias for PS2 are not super rare, but they're not very common finds around my area any way. The MGS games for PS2 are still fairly common though. I think Konami must do one big initial print run for some games, then really scale back production?

[Lady Jaye]

If it's a game from a series I like (Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age, Fallout) I'll get it within the first month or so of launch if my budget allows. If said game has a collector-type edition with content I consider worthwhile, I'll likely get that if possibile. If that sometimes means pre-ordering a game in order to get said bonuses (Dragon Age 2's Signature Edition for example) then that's what I'll do.

Otherwise, I wait till it comes down in price.

Same here. I rarely buy full price and even less so preorder games. Since I don't usually play games with a heavy online competition side to them, it doesn't matter to me if I wait a few months before buying something. This being said, there are indeed exceptions when it is from a smaller publisher or when the preorder bonus is interesting or if it's a game that interests me from a publisher that rarely does price drops (Nintendo being the main one that comes to mind), then yes, I'll buy it at launch price.

This also applies for a title like Diablo III: I've been waiting for a long time for this game, I'm really a fan, my computer can play it without too much problem, I know it's not gonna price drop anytime soon and registration code makes it difficult (although not impossible) to get it used. Skyrim on the other hand can wait a few months, even if I'm also itching to play it.

[8-bitNesMan]

Yeah man, Silent Hill and Castlevania for PS1 are virtually non existent at retail. Metal Gear Solid and MGS: VR Missions are also pretty rare in stores to. The Silent Hills and Castlevanias for PS2 are not super rare, but they're not very common finds around my area any way. The MGS games for PS2 are still fairly common though. I think Konami must do one big initial print run for some games, then really scale back production?

They are now but were plentiful when first released. I think that was Emperor's point.

[Gamevet]

some games could become rare later on still like nisa , or xseed titles , plus some come with launch or preorder bonuses.

The problem is knowing which titles are going to become rare. I paid $50 for Dark Souls, because I thought it would become one of those rare hidden gems on the PS3. Now, it's often talked about as a must own title for the system and there are plenty of copies out there.

I did the same thing with Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (PSP). I'd noticed that Fry's was starting to run low on stock, so I bought a copy for $35. It wasn't two weeks later, that the price dropped to $19 and there are plenty of copies around still.

[kupomogli]

I did the same thing with Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (PSP). I'd noticed that Fry's was starting to run low on stock, so I bought a copy for $35. It wasn't two weeks later, that the price dropped to $19 and there are plenty of copies around still.

If you still had the receipt you could have returned it and got the difference.

[Gamevet]

If you still had the receipt you could have returned it and got the difference.

I probably would of had to return the game and bought another copy. I don't believe Fry's has a price-match policy like Best Buy.

[ownerizer]

I usually only pay launch prices for 2 reasons, both of which have been covered:

A. I really, really want to play (Uncharted 3, Battlefield 3)

B. Some cool "collectors edition" stuff will be included for something I really, really, want to play (Uncharted 3, Forza 4)

I really would like to play CoD:MW3 also, but I'd rather play Battlefield 3 multiplayer, so I'll wait for it to drop in price.