Anyone else just unable to afford $60 games on the regular?

[somethingisme]

Hi, Era folk.

I'm not poor or anything, but I have two kids and a mortgage and car payment and all that other stuff.

I'm realizing that when it comes to my personal budget, I've had trouble having the money for full priced games. It's led to me playing more indies (which isn't a bad thing by any means), but when something like Astral Chain comes out, I pretty much have to decide if I want to go over budget so I can play it.

Just wondering if anyone else experienced this? Is it just the joy of being middle class in America?

 

[Owlet]

The only games I've bought at full price in the last year are Nintendo games on the Switch.

I'm currently a student, so my experience is a bit different from yours, but I try to limit how much I spend on gaming and other non necessary "luxury" expenses.

 

[ckareset]

Outside of Nintendo games you shouldn't be spending 60 on games these days.

 

[monmagman]

You are under no obligation to buy games at launch......I rarely do.....and usually end up with a fully patched cheaper game,lol.

 

[gappvembe]

The solution is to wait. Mind you that might be tough with Nintendo titles. I have such a backlog, I wait for drop bottom prices in games that I want to play. I still got Spiderman and God Of War in shrink wrap. Paid $15 each for.

 

[Dorfdad]

Can afford them just find very few are with the costs.

 

[RockmanBN]

Easy to get cheap games if you're patient and avoid Nintendo.

 

[astro]

How regularly are we talking?

I rarely buy a full price game these days. Less it's a huge deal I've been hyped for for ages, I will wait. There's literally no point chasing me releases otherwise. There are SO many games in my backlog.

The only games that differ here for me are online games where the rush of the new population finding their feet together can be really fun.

 

[Deleted member 887]

Unless it's a game I'm really hype for and need it day 1 or want the CE. It's better to just wait. Games these days price drop after one month and not only that you'll often find some sort of promo or deal with a store to get it cheaper.

 

[DriftingSpirit]

I avoid it by limiting the games I buy day 1. I only buy day 1 unless it is something I really want to play ASAP. Otherwise, just wait. It also helps that some of the games I'm interested in are lower priced at launch.

Either way, this is part of the reason why those against games dropping in price sound so odd to me.

 

[Rob2K19]

Why buy $60 games day 1/early when you can wait for them to drop to $20 or less by the end of the year or next year? I can buy 3 games with that $60. But that's just the cheap ass gamer in me talking. Hahaha

 

[Misterhbk]

NOPE! Only you broke boi!! /s

I don't buy nearly as many games as I did before my son was born. Not strictly from an affordability standpoint, but priorities.

 

[julia crawford]

I haven't bought a sixty euro game since i bought an imported Demon's Souls copy and that was 8~9 years ago. I can't justify it.

 

[Bonezz]

It's more of the vast majority of games just not being worth $60 to me than it is being able to throw out $60 for every game. I just don't really find it worth it to drop that on something that I'll probably only get about 7 hours out of and never play it again.

 

[lucebuce]

I've effectively stopped buying games day one unless they fill two parameters.

(A)It's a game I KNOW I'm going to be playing for a long time and has enough content to keep me interested
(B)It has regional pricing.

If it doesn't fulfill both those categories then I see no reason to pick it up day one, even if it's something I'm very interested in.

 

[Socivol]

I only buy new games if I absolutely must play them on release or if they are Nintendo games. Game prices drop so rapidly now that you don't really need to pay full price. I bought DMC5 on release and when I started playing it last month the price was half of what I paid. Nintendo games rarely drop in price so might as well get them whenever.

I'm also way more selective what I buy as I have gotten older.

 

[JeffDunhamsPeanut]

I refuse to pay that much for games even though I can afford them. Just don't see a reason ehen in a months time, the price will be lower and I still have a substantial backlog.

 

[Hamster Plugin]

I'm on PC and never pay full price for games. There's always a legit key site that gives a 10-20% off discount even at launch (as long as Epic hasn't done one of their stupid deals). Never buy from official storefronts like Steam Store without a discount.

 

[fluffydelusions]

Outside of Nintendo games you shouldn't be spending 60 on games these days.

Click to shrink...

This is where I'm at mostly with a few exceptions.

 

[Boiled Goose]

Dont spend 60 ever....

For Nintendo games, buy physical, play then sell.

If you're on a tight budget, always buy used, never at launch, then sell.

 

[Knight in Shining Armani]

I'll gladly do it if the motivation and desire to immediately play a game is there but that has rarely been the case this year. I'll gladly wait two weeks and buy a game used in most cases, sell it immediately after and it turns into a rental.

 

[panama chief]

Naw. Buy whatever game I want when I want. I had seasons of budgeting and moments where I couldn't go for what I wanted. I work too hard these days to not get what I desire. My issue these days is little appeals to me.

 

[SunhiLegend]

I have a budget which I generally stick to, and since I also buy physical they're never the full RRP, always a little cheaper in the first place, and when I can I sell off games I'm done with/never going back to anytime soon. For PC I always buy launch games I'm going to stick with plus they're also priced cheaper with sites like cdkeys that give discounts on launch.
But of course I'm not going to sell off every game and so there's always games where I skip launch because I don't want to overspend at the time, I really don't mind waiting.

 

[Jessie]

Patient Gamers forever

 

[Gakidou]

Your definition of "regularly" is extremely vague and makes all the difference.
When I was a kid I dreamed of being able to afford a video game every month. It was generally more like one for xmas and one for a birthday... and then maybe one more from saving pocket money?
Now I can afford one a month easily, but... that said, I think Astral Chain will be the second game i've bought for myself this year because backlog. x)

 

[EJS]

I don't think you need to spend $60 on anything non-Nintendo. Stuff regularly goes on sale. But, yeah, I hear you. I don't like spending so much on games.

 

[Deleted member 4372]

I have completely stopped buying $60 games, which are $80 here in Canada. I am playing less hrs a day and fewer games in general so I would rather invest my mo ey in MP games I play on the regular instead of buying many games at launch. Id rather give Psyonix $60 every two months for MTX than buy an $80 game every two months.

 

[Tbm24]

Honestly I budget out a game per check. I don't always end up buying one, but that's been my MO for the past years. These next few months are gonna be rough. Lots to pick up in the switch.

Likely will space it out.

 

[Archduke Kong]

The only games I do the full $60 for are first party Nintendo Switch games, and even then it was just Smash because I wanted in on the launch day hype, and Odyssey/BOTW because I didn't really want to wait to play them once I got my Switch. Otherwise, I'm a frugal man and wait for sales, and usually just wait entire generations for the console and it's library to get more affordable (worked for PS3, games are all $5 - $10 now, doing the same for PS4)

 

[Bomblord]

Full priced games are only a few times a year for me. Almost always Nintendo games as I don't have to worry about the price plummeting a month after release.

 

[Suede]

I'm able to wait for sales these days more so than when I was younger.

Only pay full price for those titles I'm really hyped for and know I will enjoy.

 

[Kayotix]

I just stopped buying games at release. In a few months they are usually discounted decently. I have mortgage, kids too and I just play my backlog if I need a new fix.

Few games I'll buy at launch are MP centric games that always have that big community right off the bat.

 

[Phantom88]

There are countries in Europe where the minimum wage is 250 euros. Imagine how 60 euros for a game looks like when you have 250 for an entire month for everything

 

[Igniz12]

I at most maybe buy 2 games a year day one. Don't feel the need to get every latest game immediately so never really had to ask myself that.

 

[Deleted member 19626]

With two kids I never have time to play games frequently. Ones almost three and the other is seven months so they require a lot of attention. I stick to gamepass and the free games from Playstation plus or Xbox gold. Last 60 dollar game I bought was red dead 2 and I'm still at the start.

 

[hydruxo]

Usually the only games I buy day one are loot shooters where I want to get in on the ground floor at launch so I'm not left behind when friends are playing it, or something like God of War/Horizon Zero Dawn/RDR2/etc. where I'm too excited to play it to wait. I buy maybe 4-5 full priced games a year and that's really it. The rest I get on sale and then sometimes a game or two as gifts during the holidays. It's always better to just wait if you can I feel like. Games go on sale so quickly.

 

[Deleted member 47076]

There honestly aren't that many games I'm interested in trying - even if they were free. I know what I like and don't waste time. I buy a $60 one maybe twice a year because I know for sure that I'll love it and want to fully support it.

This year I've only bought RE2 at launch. Might get Modern Warfare.

 

[ArmGunar]

That's why I never buy digital game when it's not on sale and I wonder how people can buy a game 69,99€, that's very expensive

I managed to pay 40-45€ day one for a physical copy that I resell then when I finished the game, around 30-35€

 

[asmith906]

It's why I subscribe to gamefly. $60 nintendo games are murder on the wallet

 

[lunarworks]

Back in the 8 and 16-bit days $60 was the normal. Not even taking inflation into consideration. ($120~$180 now.) Most people I knew only got a few games a year, and got by by renting, or trading and borrowing among friends.

 

[Ascenion]

Yup, that's why I have gamepass, and some of the other subs. It easier for me to not have to worry and only buy the truly big deal games, like BL3.

 

[Deleted member 9932]

Yes, me.

 

[Valkerion]

I can at the moment afford it but I only do so when I really want a game these days. I've been burned a lot by not waiting so outside RE2 and Ace Combat 7 I waited/got a discount on my purchases. Like people are saying outside Nintendo nonsense its only a few weeks in most cases to see that 20% off or more. Even sooner if your physical, but as a digital owner for most games I gotta wait longer, which is fine with me since I play JRPG's that take me months to complete.

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

That is why god gave you plasma

 

[ColonelForbin]

I have changed my purchasing habits drastically as I have aged. I rarely preorder and I almost always wait for a game to be discounted around 50%. I like buying the game with all the DLC and patches. I'm not into beta testing their new release.

 

[Chivalry]

Same. I wait for goty editions these days.

 

[sora87]

Yes, that's why i rent most new games from boomerang. They're pretty good at getting new releases to you on the weekend they come out.

 

[Tanooki]

Yuuuup. Not so much being able to afford them, but rather justifying dropping $100CAD on a video game over some other options and priorities. I'm at a point in my life where putting that money towards gas to drive into the city and going out with friends for the night makes more sense, and will be more fulfilling than buying a full-priced game that I may never even get the time to play. (sorry, Three Houses)

 

[Trieu]

Oh yeah same for me. 60$/€ games are just not possible for me for all the games I would like to play. I have to make use of things like Gamepass and discounts and waiting.

Also there are many games that are just not worth it to me, I basically only buy the big big big games that give me goosebumps if I just hear the name like Death Stranding, The Last of Us 2, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Cyberpunk 2077 and so on.

It is not a big deal and if I really really wanted to I could buy 2-3 60$ AAA games each month, but that would make a huge impact on my wallet and at some point in your life you have to start thinking long term so I stick with maybe one 60$ game each quarter and then buy games on sale.

I also don't buy any microtransactions at all. Especially not for full price games. The only exceptions are additional content like Expansion Packs but those hardly count as microtransactions in my opinion.

 

[Phonzo]

Gamepass and wait for deals, and i only spent under 100.