How do you afford your games?

[DarthSka]

After-Christmas sales, birthday money, gift cards that were actually gifts, and (rarely) used games even though I feel a bit guilty about them. I can't really remember spending a full 60 of my dollars on one game for the past few years. Always go for the deals or take advantage of family love when they give it.

 

[Suicida1 Midget]

I have a job, sure it only nets me 50 bucks in spending money but still. If i dont get enough or if winter rolls around theres a more ummmmmm....exotic thing i do....at night....away from cops....for consenting ppl.

 

[BigTortoise]

A job bro. Those things are awesome.

 

[chaosyoshimage]

I don't have a car or job and I live with my dad, so I don't have to worry about expenses, but I don't have money for games either. My dad gets me a game every now and then, and when I'm with my mom I hunt for cheap stuff. I have quite a large collection and most of the games I want this year come out around Christmas so I can just ask for those from people. Once, I actually have to pay for important stuff, my backlog should suffice.

 

[Sinc3riT]

What's worse than not having the money, is having the money, and not having the TIME.

 

[Laser Priest]

Blood money, mostly.

That and buying games for dirt cheap off of my friends.

 

[Sparcrypt]

Did well in school, went to uni and got a degree then got a decent paying job .

Even still, gaming can be a very expensive hobby and I have a mortgage, so I do a few things to reduce cost.

1) I only get a select few titles at launch. Even fewer warrant collectors editions that cost extra. The rest I buy during sales much later for a fraction of the cost.

2) Any game I KNOW I want to keep I buy online for much cheaper.

3) Games I may or may not keep I buy locally from EB Games. If I'm not certain I want it within the 7 day return policy I take it back.

4) I play more console games - it's cheaper then keeping a bleeding edge gaming PC, even for someone who works in IT.

5) Steam sales are awesome.

6) XBLA games are awesome - things like Bastian or From Dust or Braid... 15 bucks for seriously awesome games.

Theres tons more you can do if you really want.

 

[King of the Sandbox]

I stand by the games and look pitiful until some rich person feels sorry for me and buys them for me.

(Tell me you didn't think this was a good idea as a kid.)

 

[Jimmy T. Malice]

I only buy the games I really want at full price. Most other games I only found out about once their price had gone down to a more reasonable amount.

 

[mcattack92]

I have a job but only buy games I know i will enjoy or have enjoyed the demo of the game. But I keep buying games but always go back to Gmod.

 

[Cogwheel]

I don't buy much, really. Can't run most of it on my computer. On the other hand, I do need to pay for (among other things) the three copies of Skyrim I'll be buying for friends. That's where what's left of the money from my work (Japanese->English translation, in case anyone's wondering) goes. I say "what's left" mostly because nearly all of it goes to my parents.

Since I buy next to no games for myself, this actually works out surprisingly well.

 

[Vault101]

a job! and disposable income!

its fantastic

before that...eating less

 

[Bishop99999999]

After three years spent in mediatation on a remote mountaintop in Tibet, I have shifted myself back to 2008 in terms of game releases. By keeping my play list in chronological order, I am still at the cusp of gameplay development relative to my timeframe, but I also only have to pay a fraction of what you all pay for the latest games.

In an unrelated note, I'm picking up Too Human today. Don't spoil any of it for me, but how awesome is it going to be?

 

[Iwata]

Well, I work, and I am careful about what I buy. I trade in games I don't like and I buy new games when they drop in price. It's fairly simple.

That said, people here are joking about pimping, but I know of at least one asshole who pays for his gaming habit by moonlighting as a giggolo. And yes, he is an asshole.

 

[FamoFunk]

If I know a game is coming out soon I want, I save up for it as I have other things I have no choice to pay for first. I trade old games in too, so I only have to put a small amount of money forward.

Birthdays and Christmas help, too, and nice people

 

[Soulpunch]

Patience. I wait to the prrice to drop, and then i normally buy, like 2 or 5 games at once, so i'm covered for the next 1 to 3 month, of course depending on the games length

 

[Deverfro]

Buy used or wait until they come down in price. But I only buy like 3-4 games on the day of release.

 

[Talon_Skywarp]

Renting pretty much covers me. It means I only need to spend more on RPG's so keeps me in flow

 

[ripdajacker]

Coding for food, XBLA titles and steam sales.

I play a lot old games to experience the glory of the older consoles. PS2 and Xbox especially. I did not have a console at that time, so they are all new to me.