Why are people buying Skyrim?

[Strain42]

Now before anyone gets mad or assumes this is some sort of anti-Skyrim thread, it's not. I'm not bashing the game, the developer or anyone who is interested in it.

But let's look at Oblivion and Fallout 3. Both of those games were eventually given expansion packs, and then re-released as a game that contained the original game plus all of the expansion packs. Sometimes these were cheaper than the original game.

So assuming that's going to happen with Skyrim, why buy it now? Is it just a matter of impatience? Do people want to support Bethesda by possibly buying the game twice?

Is there anyone reading this who does just plan on buying it once the Game of the Year edition comes out?

Just curious.

 

[scoopz]

It's definitely a thing of impatience. I'm dying for this game to come out. But that's just me. I've got BF3 to hold me over till then.

 

[Omnific One]

Why not say the same thing about Dragon Age Origins?

Or LA Noire

Or GTA: IV

Seriously, a lot of games do the same thing.

We buy those games now because they are *good* and we want to play them now, not later.

 

[Strain42]

Why not say the same thing about Dragon Age Origins?

Or LA Noire

Or GTA: IV

Seriously, a lot of games do the same thing.

You can (and tbh that's why I haven't bought L.A. Noire yet despite it being a game I was really excited for) but Skyrim is the big example right now. This question could be applied to a lot of games, but Skyrim works to have an actual title for comparison.

 

[Paladin2905]

It gets hyped up, and it becomes a must-have item.

Personally I usually follow the late buyer approach, when my pc can actually play the older games at high speed and the modding community and developers have ironed out most of the bugs- but many people I know are buying the game at first chance.

I figure people just build it up in their mind, it becomes an impulse buy for them; even if they don't see it that way.

 

[AJax_21]

You make a good point but the problem is that these GOTY editions will likely come out a year later and I wanna play this damn game as soon as possible or... *twitch*twitch* I don't what will happen to me. 0_o

 

[Exterminas]

Because whenever I bought a game of the Year Edition (Dragon Age in my case) I was overwhelmed with content and could not help the feeling that I wasn't experiencing the game it was designed to be.

While DA may be a bad example for this kind of thing, I prefere to start playing games without DLC.

Also: I am buying it on PC, and in comparison to all the mods that will be around 24 hours after Release of Skyrim, the DLC will pale. Just as it did with Oblivion.

 

[Fishyash]

Firstly, not everyone will buy the expansion.

Secondly, yeah it's a matter of impatience. But I wouldn't want to (while being excited to play the game) hear my friends talking about a game I like and how awesome it is when I am not playing it.

 

[Vrach]

That's like asking "why are people buying any game on release day rather than when it goes on sale". And the answer is the same, because the monetary difference is ridiculously small when you divide it up over the time it takes for it to get to your preferred price and because I want to play the game, not wait around until it gets cheaper.

 

[minarri]

That's like asking "why are people buying any game on release day rather than when it goes on sale". And the answer is the same, because the monetary difference is ridiculously small when you divide it up over the time it takes for it to get to your preferred price and because I want to play the game, not wait around until it gets cheaper.

This.

You're basically asking why anybody buys anything as soon as it comes out instead of waiting for the price to go down. People like new things. Especially when they're new things they've waited years to play.

 

[RoBi3.0]

Do you think that if "everyone" waits for the game of the year edition instead of buying the game when released, that there will be a game of the year edition?

Games that don't sale for shit when released don't get game of the year editions. So, my question is why are you trying to convince "everyone" to wait for the game of the year edition.


Furthermore why are you assuming that people that buy the game when released are going to bother buying the Game of the year edition. There is such thing as buying the game, and the DLC as it comes out, therefore eliminating the need to re-buy the game.

Not everyone is or needs to be a cheap ass gamer. For some people it is a hobby they are willing to spend money on.

 

[Amnestic]

Huh. Here I thought this thread would take the "why are you buying it now and not two months from now when all the major bugs have been patched out?" route.

People buy it now because they want to play it now. That's about all there is to it.

 

[ZeroMachine]

If you seriously need to ask that question, you are not a real gamer.

Oh, please. Don't put pathetic arbitrary rules to being a "real gamer".

To answer the question, a multitude of reasons. First and foremost, I want to play it now. I bought a new laptop almost specifically for Skyrim (not JUST for that, but it was a major factor).

But second to that is the fact that if a game doesn't sell well around it's initial release, it's considered a failure. Games are judged by how well they sell early on more than over their entire life span. If the game sells terribly at launch, why would they repackage it and sell it again? Hell, why would they even make add-ons?

"No one owns the game, there's no reason for us to add to it or patch it or anything."

And a never-patched-Bethesda-game is a terrible thought.

 

[KiloFox]

well, yes... a lot of it IS impatience... we've been waiting a long time for Skyrim and we want to play it as soon as we possibly can (usually) also, you need to take into account that if NOBODY buys the game under the logic of "there'll be DLC, and eventually a special edition that has the game AND all DLC... so why buy it now?" then the game will probably never get DLC, or said special edition. so all the people buying it when it comes out helps the sales of the game to better ensure that the special edition will come out... (didn't use GOTY because there's a chance it WON'T be Game Of The Year, as unlikely as it is...)

EDIT: i'm noticing a lot of people above me (who's posts wern't there at time of writing) pretty much mentioned the same thing... so i guess we sound almost like a broken record now... but it DOES show how obvious it is....

 

[someonehairy-ish]

Wuh?
Becauuuuse I've waited years for the next ES game and also because its not exactly going to be a huge financial drain if I just buy DLC when it comes out.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Because every day waiting to play Skyrim feels like a year.

 

[Candidus]

I plan on getting it on release because I'm a PC gamer. On the PC, I can expect the first wave of user-made mods in a matter of weeks-- some tweaks will trickle through in a matter of days. I'll get a steady stream of new content from day 1, the paid DLC might eventually cost me £10 more than it would have, but that's over 365 days or more.

Never mind the GOTY edition.

 

[Tips_of_Fingers]

I have obligations that require me to buy Skyrim ASAP in order to complete to the best of my ability. Specifically, the script for a Machinima series. I need the game in order to gauge exactly what's possible with the engine...and obviously to see what mods surface. So yeah, Skyrim is essential for me from a pseudo-professional standpoint.

The other reason is because I'm super-excited for the game. I've never really indulged in the DLC of games. Never played any of the Fallout 3 or New Vegas ones...or even Dragon Age Origins, come to think of it.

The only "full package" game I've ever bought is GTAIV because it was in a 2 fr £20 deal and I really couldn't pass up that, to be honest.