Game quality

[Souplex]

If we went around buying games without a system, we would be broke and surrounded by very average games. What is your system for determining whether or not a game is worth buying?

Spoiler: My system finding out the exact quantified quality of a game

Step one: Get the review from Gametrailers and the review from the Escapist (The actual reviews, not zero punctuation)

Step 2: Average the two scores. (You need to pay close attention to figure out what score on a 10 point scale the Escapist is hinting at despite not providing)

Step 3: Based on the genre add or remove the appropriate number of points (If it goes over 10 it is still a ten but it is important to keep track of the number for step 4.)

Step 4: Based on the developer (Not publisher. EA and Activision are publishers, don't start making jokes aboot them) add or remove the appropriate number of points. (Scores above ten will be treated as ten. Scores below one will be treated as one.)

Step 5: If the game is a sequel average the score with the game that came before it.

And there you have it kids! The actual quality of a game.

My minimum buying threshold is 7.5 (If nothing else is coming out at the time and I have plenty of money) although I usually require at least an 8.

 

[DuplicateValue]

When I have money (not often), I buy the one I want the most.
The next one I plan on buying is FFXIII. =]

 

[grimsprice]

Step one: Play a demo.
Step two: If demo is not available, rent.
Step three: If i trust a certain name like "halo", i can skip steps one and two, and go strait for the Reach purchase. Also works with Ratchet and Clank, and Mass Effect. The title is trusted. No demo or rent is necessary.

Step four: Wait until a friend buys it and says its good. Like Borderlands.

 

[SantoUno]

I base it on these things:

1. Is is a franchise I enjoy? (i.e. love Castlevania)
2. Does it look interesting (I'll admit I didn't really care about Prototype before I played it)
3. Did it get good scores? (doesn't matter if reviews are to be taken seriously or not, if the game gets lots of positive scores then that must mean something)
4. Is it a game that I will continue to play for months or even years on end?

 

[Julianking93]

Step one: Watch trailer
Step two: read every review possible
Step three: look at length of game.
Step four: If under 12 hours, wait til price drop. If over 16 hours, buy immediately.

 

[Space Spoons]

1. Read/watch some reviews.
2. Demo the game if possible.
3. Bum a couple of hours of playtime off a buddy of mine who buys every new game that comes out just because they're new.
4a. If I like it, purchase a copy for myself.
4b. If I hate it, complain on the Internet like everyone else.
5. Enjoy a piece of pie.

 

[YoUnG205]

I judge it through trailers and reviews if is getting goos ones then i would look for a demo if i liked it then I would by the game in queston.

 

[Souplex]

When I have money (not often), I buy the one I want the most.
The next one I plan on buying is FFXIII. =]

Yes, but how do you determine what games you want?

 

[orangebandguy]

If I don't like it I can take it back, but I'm very picky about my games. If it really interests me long beforehand I'll get it because it always seems better that way.

 

[DuplicateValue]

When I have money (not often), I buy the one I want the most.
The next one I plan on buying is FFXIII. =]

Yes, but how do you determine what games you want?

Whichever one has me grinning like an idiot at the mere prospect of playing it. That's always a good indicator.

 

[Limasol]

I usually wait till games are cheaper. However some games, like assassins creed 2, are day one purchases because of buzz, i find the buzz i hear about seems to reflect my taste. Because i listen to a lot of podcasts i can easily rate enthusiasm for a game, then i add or remove enthusiasm based on genre, previous games in the franchise, and gameplay videos ive seen.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Play a demo/read up on it.
Read a User review here.
Read an "official review"

 

[Good morning blues]

Does it look even slightly interesting?
Is there a demo?
Is the demo any good?
Will it work on my computer?
Is it a reasonable price? (Usually, this means under $20, but exceptions can be made for new games or games that I expect to get a lot of mileage out of)

Occasionally, the opinions of friends that I trust can replace the demo (worked with Dragon Age most recently), but I use the demo to analyze how it performs on my computer and whether or not I'll like it, so that's generally a pretty solid rule.

Additionally, if it's a Half-Life game, I'll just buy it.

 

[teisjm]

Talk to friends who's played it.
watch reviews, not for the actual review part, but for the un-biased-y parts where i can see soem gameplay, get an idea of how it functions, see the whole "athmosphere" of the game. Then read about the factual flaws of the game, i can't use "the multiplayer sucks, the game is boorign" for anything, cause it's a total personal oppinnion, but stuff like "theres so many bugs, and the game crashes a lot" just seems mroe usefull.

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

I just throw the disk down the stairs. If it survives, I'll play it, and then get pissed when I find that the scratch on the disk prevents me from completing an important quest or something. Stupid Disk Dr. not doing what it promised.

 

[Dark Knifer]

1. Watch trailers and gameplay footage.
2. play demo (if avaliable).
3. rent game, if demo is not avaliable.
4. buy game if it is good and I have the money.

 

[Souplex]

I forgot to ask but (Assuming you believe games can be scored with numbers) What is your minimum buying threshold?

 

[zen5887]

1. See if the game tickles my interest.
2. Buy it.

Pretty straight forward..

 

[Guy32]

If we went around buying games without a system, we would be broke and surrounded by very average games.

lol at first I thought you meant "system" as in "console". Needless to say, I was confused.

 

[Ham_authority95]

See a review on the escapist then play it at a friends house that already has it

If I have fun with it then I will most likely buy it.

Probably why I have only played about 8 different games last year on my console....