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1st day purchases are for the dumb

kris

Arcane
Joined
Oct 27, 2004
Messages
8,835
Location
Lulea, Sweden
There was this time back in the day when you bought a game you really had what you got. Not only that, you could have to wait forever before it ever was cut in price. Today it is different, buying a game at release is just really dumb and for more than one reason.

1. Price drop quickly and it is easy to get hold of a game for low price. Unlike once upon a time when it might not even be on the shelf. This though wouldn't be so much an issue if not for...

2. Almost no game that is released now come without DLC and expansions to some extent. Buying at release make sure you will get the lesser the game compared to someone that buys it one year later. Hell, the one that buys it one year later might get twice the content for half the price!

They got "smart" with DLC though and you cant always get all of that in an package deal. But even much of that can come in a separate package or be half-price.

3. Bugs. This is actually no different from "once upon a time", bugs always been in games. Want a game without them? Wait.

There is only one reason to buy game at release and that is impatience or being bored. Why even pirate something that you can get special super edition for 15€.

So guys, why do you do it? Everyone cant be Bryce.
 

Martius

Liturgist
Joined
Nov 24, 2013
Messages
1,058
For most cases I agree although there are some exceptions. So far anything made by Platinum Games worked pretty well even on first day and most of their games are pretty much complete package without any dlc.
 

Vandringsmann

Literate
Joined
Jan 30, 2016
Messages
17
Location
Scandinavia
1. If you're an employed adult, computer games aren't so expensive that it's worth waiting for a price drop. Mostly just relevant for students and teenagers.
2. Decent DLCs increase replay value. I greatly enjoyed Gothic II both before the expansion, and after. Never found myself wishing I had waited for the expansion before playing.
3. Fair enough, but the fewer people buy games at release, the longer it'll take for those eventual bugs to be detected and ironed out.

I think your claim is mostly relevant for Bethesda games, which are dependent on user-generated mods in order to be worth the purchase.
 
Last edited:

octavius

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Aug 4, 2007
Messages
19,184
Location
Bjørgvin
There was this time back in the day when you bought a game you really had what you got. Not only that, you could have to wait forever before it ever was cut in price. Today it is different, buying a game at release is just really dumb and for more than one reason.

1. Price drop quickly and it is easy to get hold of a game for low price. Unlike once upon a time when it might not even be on the shelf. This though wouldn't be so much an issue if not for...

2. Almost no game that is released now come without DLC and expansions to some extent. Buying at release make sure you will get the lesser the game compared to someone that buys it one year later. Hell, the one that buys it one year later might get twice the content for half the price!

They got "smart" with DLC though and you cant always get all of that in an package deal. But even much of that can come in a separate package or be half-price.

3. Bugs. This is actually no different from "once upon a time", bugs always been in games. Want a game without them? Wait.

There is only one reason to buy game at release and that is impatience or being bored. Why even pirate something that you can get special super edition for 15€.

I reached about the same conclusion 15-20 years ago.
Today it's even more stupid, though, since you a much larger amount of older games to play, and they are much more accessible and cheaper.
 

Neanderthal

Arcane
Joined
Jul 7, 2015
Messages
3,626
Location
Granbretan
Sometimes buy first day off GOG, you know when an old gem comes out, apart from that i'll usually wait for game o year spankeroo edition cos otherwise i've gotta buy lots o little shit to get full game.

Oh pre ordered Witcher 3 wi season pass cos I got a good deal, and you know CDPR'll patch everything up to snuff or gi you an EE eventually.

Other than that, yeah I agree.
 

taxalot

I'm a spicy fellow.
Patron
Joined
Oct 28, 2010
Messages
9,613
Location
Your wallet.
Codex 2013 PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015
I guess it is once again time for the old debate of rationality against passion. Preorder if you are really excited about it. Just don't try to justify it rationally.
 
Joined
Jan 7, 2012
Messages
14,152
I reached about the same conclusion 15-20 years ago.
Today it's even more stupid, though, since you a much larger amount of older games to play, and they are much more accessible and cheaper.

Games that rely on MP also stay playable for much longer now. Due to the ever increasing number of people on the internet you can almost always find people to play with if you know where to look, even for games half a decade old or more.

The only reason I see to buy a game on release or before its at 50-75% off (with DLC if its that kind of game) is if your real life friends all want to play MP together.
 
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Messages
263
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
...and in the morning that following day, Morgoth awoke to discover an important document delivered at his door. A casus belli upon the defence of his honour against a new, sworn enemy, kris.
 

Beastro

Arcane
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
7,952
Waiting with MMOs means you miss the launch rush that increasingly means you miss the enjoyable part of the game (the good times die out and most people leave).

Many Early Access games, especially MP ones, ape the above and by the time they're released, the good times are over.

Many MP games have the same culture, though longer lasting, but you can often miss out on the early few months before good mods come out. BF1942 comes to mind, where the original game was ok to play, but the game didn't become awesome until Desert Combat's initial version was released.

For MP again in all mediums, especially Early Access, not getting in early means missing making use of game breaking bugs and the ability to troll and rage people hard. Desert Combat lost a great deal of interest to me once they began to take things out like being able to warp into aircraft carrier islands and fire at people running to aircraft without them able to do anything by try to get me kicked.
 

sullynathan

Arcane
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Messages
6,473
Location
Not Europe
the big downside to skipping games on day one is if they're multiplayer. Some multiplayer games die out quickly or the long time fans are the main ones that stay and it becomes more difficult for noobs to get into the game by then.
 

Beastro

Arcane
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
7,952
the big downside to skipping games on day one is if they're multiplayer. Some multiplayer games die out quickly or the long time fans are the main ones that stay and it becomes more difficult for noobs to get into the game by then.

[myantisocialside] Big, don't forget the bugs! What's the point of MP if you don't exploit and drive people off every server you go on???[/myantisocialside]
 

kwanzabot

Cipher
Shitposter
Joined
Aug 29, 2009
Messages
597
i buy games on release if i want to because im not a tramp

if you're low on cash why not beg your dad to up your allowance
 

Disgruntled

Savant
Joined
Sep 17, 2012
Messages
400
I used to be fine waiting for a cut price deal for all my games, but these days I have more instances where Im itching for something fun and the new game happens to be the only thing wetting my appetite.

We have thousands of titles to choose from, and yet as you get older you find that you've played through the ones you like or know you will like.
Too many times have i picked up a late bargain for the ultimate version of a game thats supposed to be good but doesnt keep me interested beyond a few hours. These bargain bin games pile up and you find yourself with a littered backlog and $100 poorer when that single new release you have your eye on would have given you the same or more hours of entertainment.

The risk does burn you sometimes, off the top of my head Rome 2, Wargame Red Dragon, Arma 3... all werent worth their day1 purchase and I havent bothered with beyond the first install.
On the bright side, Xcom 2, Attila TW, Age of Decadence, Expeditions Conquistador.. filled the endless void of gaming addiction with dozens of hours of sweet escapism well worth digital retail.
 

Phage

Arcane
Manlet
Joined
Jan 10, 2010
Messages
4,696
I still vastly prefer to play Souls games and most fighting games Day 1.

With the Souls games you can better avoid spoilers, and you're discovering the entire world alongside everyone else. Always fun to see the day 1 messages on the ground. (Unfortunately, DS3 is launching 3 weeks earlier in Japan, fucking sucks)

With fightan' games, it's fun to take part during the initial mad rush of people discovering new tech and figuring out what characters are good.
 

adrix89

Arbiter
Joined
Dec 27, 2014
Messages
700
Location
Why are there so many of my country here?
2 Year Purchase is master race:
The game gets patched and modded to be playable.
You get all the bullshit DLC.
It's cheap as fuck.
It runs on a toaster.

The only exception is when you want to be part of the community discussion and social hype. People might dismiss that as not important but people are social creatures and being part of it can make your experience.
That is of course when talking about single player.

Multiplayer is obviously :d1p:
 

deuxhero

Arcane
Joined
Jul 30, 2007
Messages
11,328
Location
Flowery Land
Used to be that you could safely buy the English versions of games that had been out in Japan for months, especially as the smaller companies would have limited print runs that made used copies at MSRP a bargin the year after, but with the shitheads "culturalizing" games (and print runs being better managed/having digital if nothing else removes the threat of it not reappearing) now you might as well play Russian Roulette.
 

Rahdulan

Omnibus
Patron
Joined
Oct 26, 2012
Messages
5,105
My solution is to be couple of years behind with new games because A) kinda shitty PC at this point and B) I get to buy them cheaper and without everyone going mental over the launch honeymoon period. I only make exceptions for true incline titles and those just so happen to never be AAA 60 Eurobux or when I get lucky enough to win something in giveaways. I just wish KOEI would catch-on to what I'm doing because fuck the way they keep Musou base prices so high. They're one of my guilty pleasures I don't get to indulge in.
 

Delbaeth

Learned
Joined
Nov 21, 2013
Messages
320
Do not forget that preordering often includes a bonus: Day 1 DRM.
If the game you are interested in has it, Denovo or something else, you are giving money to DRM providing companies. And no, using a cracked game doesn't count.
In the end, a part of the purchased amount from preoders goes to those DRM companies, so preordering DRM'd games adds more wealth to the whole DRM paradigm.
 

kris

Arcane
Joined
Oct 27, 2004
Messages
8,835
Location
Lulea, Sweden
So which game are you feeling guilty about, OP ?

I'd say none recently, but I do kind of regret buying some of the latest Paradox games as is.

what brought me to actually write this was that i bought a new computer, but instead of buying a new game of interest for full price I instead saw those very good deals for cut prices and took those instead. Civ5 with both expansions and all DLC for €15? Taken.
 

kris

Arcane
Joined
Oct 27, 2004
Messages
8,835
Location
Lulea, Sweden
1. If you're an employed adult, computer games aren't so expensive that it's worth waiting for a price drop. Mostly just relevant for students and teenagers.
2. Decent DLCs increase replay value. I greatly enjoyed Gothic II both before the expansion, and after. Never found myself wishing I had waited for the expansion before playing.
3. Fair enough, but the fewer people buy games at release, the longer it'll take for those eventual bugs to be detected and ironed out.

I think your claim is mostly relevant for Bethesda games, which are dependent on user-generated mods in order to be worth the purchase.

1. I got no money problems, but for example when I travel I dont see the use in paying €200 for a 5 star hotel when I can find a €60 deal for a really nice 4 star hotel. For computer games it is obviously worse since you switch those stars, you get more for the cheaper price!
2. If it greatly change gameplay for a strategy game, sure, I never experienced that for a RPG though. Then it is more about "more content", something which I would win nothing on buying later after I completed the game.
3. Patently false. The fewer people that buy a game at release due to bugs, the more careful the company will be about it in future products and the more people will trust in buying their next one at release. in my experience they also start squashing bugs faster when people complain a lot about it, because that is press they dont want and especially not if they see it affect sales.
 

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