I mean, really, how long does one have to wait to get new games at bargain prices? 9 months or so? Less? I much rather buy "new" later on when it's cheap and/or bundled or whatever, than go through the whole merry-go-round game of "trade-in-buy-used-save-big" that Gamestop and other such retailers have coaxed gamers into thinking is SUCH a great deal. That way I know the developers are still getting at least some of my money, I'm not going bankrupt, and game retailers are that much closer to not being part of the entire process altogether.
Seriously, I consider myself a core gamer and I even went as far as getting myself a job at Gamestop once because I truly have a love for games (I was quite young and naive at the time). But the very moment I donned the title of "Game Advisor" I realized very quickly the leeching machine that Gamestop truly was/is. Now, I just buy games online, be it Amazon and/or digital distribution (I know Amazon is starting the whole trade-in games thing too, but I don't really care for it and I will not support it either).
Granted, I came in late to the whole current-gen console world because I was still having a blast with last-gen games on my PS2 and Gamecube that, mind you, were being sold for abysmally cheap prices because the new consoles had just come out and that whole rat-race makes bargain bins all the more bountiful. In addition to that, Steam also began to really come into stride and that was a whole other beast! It was GLORIOUS; a vast menagerie of cheap games to quell my hunger for digital mayhem!
And now...I own a PS3 and have been recently discovering the system's first generation of games that are all wonderfully cheap and surprisingly satisfying. And I have yet to beat all the games in my Steam library still, mind you. So I really don't see why anyone would feel the need to buy used at all. Unless of course, one has the insatiable need to always be current with whatever new hype is out AND is counting pennies left and right.
Hey, I splurge on hype too, but luckily for me and my wallet, those occurrences are few and far in-between. If a franchise's predecessor impresses me I'll consider updating myself to whatever new installments are currently out or if a game trailer or game demo manages to stir interest - and I mean, GREAT interest - then, if willing and able, I'll stomach the shiny new price tag. I also do have a pool of favorite developers who I support out of sheer fanboyism sometimes (I'm looking at you CAPCOM and Valve), but I often temper these rash emotions with a simple, logical argument:
"Do I has moneyz to buyz?"
"No."
"Ok then, me no buy."
And that's it.
Overall, I like most developers. They make games. Sometimes, even good games. And good games make me a happy camper. Some developers are greedy sure, but I'll be damned to be the first to throw that stone. Support the ones you love if they have earned it. If not...patience? It's a virtue, I've heard. Games, they get cheap and cheap ones already exist, MANY OF THEM.
Want to really support the medium? Expand your tastes. Try new types of games. A new genre. A new platform. A new community. The cornucopia is teeming with untapped greatness. Discover a hidden gem? Pass it on to your friends. Blow their minds at how much fun a cheap, indie game can be, maybe. I personally love discovering a great game that barely cost me anything to attain: Defense Grid on sale for $2.49 on Steam, MY FUCKING GOD, MAN! SERIOUSLY?!
But hey, I don't want to ridicule the buying of used games or anything of the sort:
"Paying $55.99 for a $60 game? Dude, that's a steal."
"It only took me 4 trade-ins! And wait, I can save an extra 10% if I subscribe to your Preferred Customer Program for the nominal fee of only $15.99? Dude, it pays for itself in the end!"
Yea, mm-hmm, so much for counting pennies. But, to each his own, I guess.
Take my two cents if you'd like. $55.97 sounds just as enticing.