What makes you keep a game?

[PhunkyPhazon]

It's would be easier in my case to ask "What makes you trade in a game?" The answer, nothing. I always know whether or not I'm going to like a game when I buy it. Besides, the trade-in values at most stores are complete rip-offs, even for new games.

I'll occasionally sell a game if it's something I haven't played in years and don't really think I'll ever touch it again. But they don't sell for much at all.

 

[GamingAwesome1]

The fact that you get absolutely no money in return for the games. So I keep every game I buy now.

 

[Juven Ignus]

I spent a lot on them and get like a tenth of it back if I sell. Not worth it to me. I never sell my games because I just feel like playing them immediately after selling them.

 

[SimuLord]

Three major reasons:

1) I buy games that I don't want to trade in. If I bought it, I've probably got long-term plans for it. Unless it sucks.
2) Steam won't let me trade games in even if I want to (grumbles at having bought The Witcher, but at least I got it cheap)
3) I'm a collector. I still remember when circumstances forced me to give away my SNES game collection (I was moving long-distance and everything I and my then-girlfriend owned had to fit into her compact '99 Chevy Metro), and it still stings. Games were meant to be archived and occasionally dusted off and replayed (admittedly getting harder with newer versions of Windows, but I'm continually surprised at what works!)

 

[braincore02]

Well my biggest reason is the trade in prices can suck it. Like others I would much rather give games away to friends than sell them to gamestop. I gave my sis a 360 a couple Chrimbo's ago, and she got a ton of stuff to play from my stash of games I'll never play again.

As far as games that inspire a heartfelt desire to keep them around, as was your real question, I guess it's mostly if I find myself feeling like playing them over and over. Hitman Bloodmoney comes to mind. It seemed short at first but every now and then I bust that out and play a couple of levels here and there. I ran thru Deus Ex a few times, tho I didn't care too much for the second one. Typically I hang on to sim racers, hung onto DOA 2-4, the good thing about those games is that there's no story, and it is very repetitive gameplay, but in a way that works because you're just pushing yourself to perform better with every repetition.

But mostly it's just trade in prices. Gamestop is screwing the devs and the consumers.

 

[Beartrucci]

The only time I have ever traded games in was when I traded my Xbox 360 with all my games in. Other than that, I am usually aware of what I am buying because I read reviews first and I often play through games again after a month or two.

 

[C117]

Mostly the idiotic little thought that goes "but I might need it later."

 

[SamFancyPants252]

nothing, I keep all of my games. I have played all of them again, since I finished them, leaving them for years at a time. I just ALWAYS get the urge to play a particular game, and most of the time I would have traded it in in an instant had I not known I would crave it.

^ if that makes sense? ^

 

[Blood Masque]

I'm pretty sure I've kept every game that has ever come into my possession during my existence, but I can definitely think of a couple I might get rid of. But I'm afraid they're so awful that not even Gamestop would throw a shiny penny at me for it.

So, answer? It has to justify me paying however much I did for it. I paid 50 odd dollars for Batman Arkham Asylum, and I loved it because it's awesome, and I love Batman. However, my mom bought me some game for 20 bucks a few years ago, and it was just plain awful. So, games are just not worth investing that much money into them for lackluster fun and shoddy game play. If it's good, I'll pay the hefty sum and keep it. If it's bad, I'm hoping to get part of my money back.

 

[The Warden]

The game being good enough for me to want to keep it around.