Got any gamer resolutions?
by Vladimir Cole 
{ Jan 8th 2007 at 8:55AM }
Got any games-specific resolutions that you'd care to share? Here are a few suggested to us by friends and family over the last few weeks as we canvassed for suggestions on this topic:
- Buy used. Few games get so badly beaten up that they won't play, and those that do can be returned for the same product. Why pay full price?
- Play your old games. Admit it. You've got a ton of great games sitting on your shelf that you still haven't beat. Think of all the little Kazakhstani kids who never get to play video games. You'll finish your games before you get up from that sofa, young man, or you won't get another game to play.
- Check the reviews. No matter what we say on this point, Sports Roster Update '08 will still sell millions of copies, but we all know that smart consumers do try to take into consideration that mass of criticism available on just about every game released. If you care about games, you'll starve bad developers and bad publishers so that innovative, creative games will find some breathing space on store shelves.
- Widen your horizons. Don't be provincial: if you're a diehard fanboy of console Z, try one of the other guys with an open mind. If you're a diehard video gamer, try a paper-based game or a board game. Reconnecting with classics like chess and backgammon can teach us to be better critics of game balance.
- Defend your hobby. There's no shortage of opportunistic politicians who attack gaming because it'll win them voter brownie points. Authority figures love to demonize our favorite hobby -- don't let them.
- Avoid HD-formats, but embrace HD. The Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD debacle won't be sorted out in 2007, but high-def content is here to stay. Once you go HD, it's tough to go back.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jayntampa @ Jan 8th 2007 9:04AM
Why pay full price? Umm ... so that they keep making games, maybe? As sales of new titles dwindles, prices go up, less are made per pressing, driving up the price of used games in the process.
It's impossible to support an industry just on sales of used games. Better resolution:
Buy niche, unique games (Psychonauts, Elite Beat Agents, any games by Atlus) that need a market as new -- buy sequels that will sell millions as used (Madden, Final Fantasy, etc).
Psaakyrn @ Jan 8th 2007 9:09AM
2 of my own..
1) Buy indie games. Really, some of them are unique compared to the generic sports/strategy/FPS/action/racing games out there.
2) If you plan on boycotting a company, actually stick to it. (for me, I'm boycotting Popcap due to copyright issues)
Evan @ Jan 8th 2007 9:26AM
Vlad, are you implying that sports game fans are dumb?
First, football fans are not going to buy an RPG or FPS because it gets higher reviews. They want football games.
Second, football fans care about having the correct rosters. Football fans know the players, and many fans follow player statistics throughout the season. Football fans want to be able to play the same matchup they watched on tv, with the same player rosters and player skills. Last year's version of the game is not going to provide the same experience.
Bryan @ Jan 9th 2007 10:15AM
My New Years resolution will hopefully be 1600×1200 =)
Callandor @ Jan 8th 2007 9:28AM
I already play my old games. I have lots of fun playing through old classics like Chrono Trigger or Metal Gear Solid again.
Anyway, I don't think that gamers should buy used games. Like jayntampa said, gamers need to buy unique titles new to encourage creativity in the industry and buy regurgitated crap, such as Madden, used.
Thanks to publishers like EA, the market is now swarmed with generic garbage. Not enough developers bring a sense of creativity to the market, and often the only developers that do this are independent studios. However, due to ballooning development costs, these game studios don't have the money to create truly compelling game experiences and companies like EA largely control what is released on the market, and it's pathetic.
My number one resolution of 2007 is not to but a single game published by Electronic Arts.
pixelbox @ Jan 8th 2007 10:02AM
I remember when EA games used to be worth buying.
striderhayasa @ Jan 8th 2007 9:38AM
Mine are simple
Finish games I have before I go out and buy new games to play. I still love Monster Hunter Freedom but I still haven't touched Castlevania : PoR, FFIII or Magical Vaction. Not to mention, I'm still playing Zelda on Wii, CoD3, ExciteTruck and Tony Hawk. I have 10 games on VC too
Buy consoles that I'm actually going to play.
I could have bought a premium 360 last week...hell, I can get one now, and I was tempted to do it with the announcement of VF5. But I thought about it and realized that I would never play it until VF5 came out so I passed.
Avoid fanboy bullshit arguments
I bought a Wii, I like the Wii, I own a DS and a PSP but still think the DS is the better unit overall. I don't want a PS3...I feel I'm not missing much on 360 at the moment. I don't want to hear some fanboy rant about how I'm not a gamer because I'm not on Live or getting a boner thinking about Metal Gear Solid 4. I like what I like...fanboy bitches can piss off.
Callandor @ Jan 8th 2007 9:41AM
"Last year's version of the game is not going to provide the same experience."
Bullshit. Madden and NCAA Football are the same damn game every single year. The only difference is adjsutments to the rosters and a couple of minor additions to the game.
Brandon @ Jan 8th 2007 2:31PM
I try not to buy used games because the money does not get invested back into the company. The profits, I'm gonna guess 75%, go back to that store and I see no added benifits. Sure a cheaper game, but the new ones still cost 40 bucks anyways. I'll buy new and hope that good games are still produced.
KR @ Jan 8th 2007 9:04PM
"Avoid HD-formats, but embrace HD"
Why? The 360 add-on is nice deal considering what you get, and if you're buying it for the games, the Blu-Ray player on the PS3 is a free bonus. No reason to avoid either format. If anything, you should at least support the one you like.
Rob @ Jan 8th 2007 6:44PM
Mine: No more trading of games in. I've seen too many games I want back NOW that I have given away for something less substatial. Oh and my other resolution is to get a 360.
Jammie @ Jan 8th 2007 9:56AM
My gamer resolution: 1280 x 1024
Seriously though, I'm gonna try and play consoles more than I play on my PC. That means going HD...
Karen @ Jan 8th 2007 10:03AM
1) I usually try and buy new games if they are still in stock and the price difference is less then $9. I just think the extra money is worth paying to support the devoloper to make a sequel or a new IP.
2) I agree. I do try to finish a game after I start it. I do have a shelf full of games for the Gamecube, Xbox and PS2. Most I haven't opened yet but I've been picking them up on clearance $5-$15.
3) I always read reviews, listen to a variety of podcasts and blogs to find thoes hidden gems that turn out to be my favorite games. The Podcasts have been the most useful.
4) I own all 3 of last generation and will this generation.
5) I live in Canada.
6) I've been able to play 360 games and stil play the NES. It wasn't tough, I like playing fun games.
vidGuy @ Jan 8th 2007 10:06AM
I agree with Evan. Most Madden players buy the game on name alone, some buy for the new controls and modes - like lead blocking or SuperStar mode - but for those that buy the game for the rosters, it's worth it. Most likely, a Baltimore Ravens fan wants Steve McNair at QB and a Dallas Cowboys fan wants T.O. at receiver. Starting up a game and making all the neccesary trades isn't most peoples' idea of fun, but playing with the right players is.
My gamer resolutions for 07:
1) Finish my current games. I've got about four going, and there's several coming that I'm interested in, so these have to be finished first.
2) Rent more, buy less. I get burned sometimes when I buy early. Renting saves me big money, and for short games that I'm only going to play through once, I can get through a game on $5-$10. It may not help the industry, but the $300 I spend on games annually sure does... and that's about all I can afford now.
3) Play the 360 more. I'm not much for FPS, so the main 360 offerings aren't doing much for me. And since I got the Wii it has been sucking up all my gaming time. But I know there's some gems for the 360 already, and I really enjoyed Table Tennis and Dead Rising, so I'm determined to play the system more.
4) Find GameCube gems, cheap. I'm on the lookout for some GC games I missed - specifically because they are cheap now. I might even pick up Eternal Darkness, which I played through 3 times on a few rentals when it came out. It's a bonus that I only need a controller and memory card, not the GC itself, when the Wii is hooked up.
5) Laugh at the PS3 less. It's hard to take the PS3 seriously right now, but 2007 is the time for the system to prove itself. If MGS4 gets pushed back, or is the only worthy game this year, the system is off to the worst possible start, IMO. But I have to at least give it a fair shake. (That doesn't mean I'll be buying it for anything more than $300, though).
shirizaki @ Jan 8th 2007 10:21AM
So for those of you who aren't purchaing EA games, I hope you're not purchaing UbiSoft games, since EA has a stake in that company.
I'm going to buy a couple used games today. My resolution is to finally get a 360, Live, and game online. GoW, PDZ, 99 Nights, Kameo, and PGR3 have been taunting me for some time now.
And honestly I think going full HD is a waste. I'm in college and don't have the 1K to drop so i can play prettier. Who cares how glorious a cutscene or action sequence is when the game sucks donkey balls?
And if you buy used, buy it from your local shop. Uh, down witht eh Gamestop/EB monopoly!
Boing @ Jan 8th 2007 8:58PM
1) Not to support Gamestop
2) Not to support EA
3) Continue purchasing all of my games used from pawn shops. I don't feel the need to pay full price for a game to "support the industry" any more than I feel the need to pay full price for auto insurance to support the insurance industry or purchase music CDs at full price to support the RIAA
Binome @ Jan 8th 2007 10:31AM
1440x900
Jonstiq @ Jan 8th 2007 10:35AM
loving the board game idea, i have a 360 on the way, but there is always time for classics like monopoly and risk.
also just bought worms armageddon for the n64, classic.
B @ Jan 8th 2007 10:36AM
Gamer resolutions?
Finish FFVIII. MAYBE get a Wii later.
Hak Foo @ Jan 8th 2007 3:28PM
I don't buy used games because I'm usually unhappy with the amount offered to buy my used games. Paying $54.99 for a used game that someone was paid $30 or less for does not seem right.
I'll usually buy the new game for $47.99 - $54.99 when it first comes out, or if it isn't on sale when it first comes out then I'll wait for it to go on sale.
Excluding ebay, of course. I'll buy the occasional used game off ebay. I try to look for individuals selling on ebay, as opposed to the obvious companies.
Squeek @ Jan 8th 2007 10:50AM
From now on, ALWAYS watch gameplay videos on YouTube or wherever they may be.
Companies lie and embellish their titles in order to move their product. That's obvious. Movies have done it for years. I mean, why show the most boring scene in a trailer?
YouTube has made it immensely easy for anyone to host a level or two of even the newest of games. I should have YouTubed some Red Steel gameplay before I bought it. I don't regret getting the game, but I do regret paying $50 for it.
So I learned from that mistake and watched Trauma Center gameplay videos before I bought Second Opinion. Turns out my friend also bought it, so I played it before I bought it. Totally worth it.
I also watched every WarioWare video that's on the interwebs before I pre-ordered it. But there was no doubt in my mind in the first place that it would be amazing.
Jeff @ Jan 8th 2007 11:02AM
Why buy used at all? Spending $55 for a "new to me" game and $60 is not big enough of a difference for me.
Gamestop has been ticking me off lately with their insistence on not selling a new game to anyone who did not pre-order it. They make so much more selling a used game than selling it new that it sickens me. I haven't been in the retail industry since I graduated college, but I remember when video games cost consumers $50 the store I worked at was paying about $43 or so, giving a margin of about $7. When Gamestop buys my game for $15 and sells it for $55, they're making a killing - with a $40 margin, they could afford to give me a $10 break and cut their margin to $35, which would probably entice me to buy used.
$5 just doesn't cut it - I won't support that business model even if it saves me $25 - $50 a year. If it saved me $50-$100 I might think about it.
Stephen @ 360voice.com @ Jan 8th 2007 12:17PM
When you buy a used game, no money goes to the developer. Generally used games are only a few dollars cheaper, why not buy new for a few dollars moreand support the developer?
If new games aren't being sold as much, it may encourage publishers to move to distributing electronically where you can't sell used.
baby sea tuna @ Jan 8th 2007 11:06AM
I resolve to take my Wii out of the drawer and hook it up when they resolve to make more decent games for it.
multi-game @ Jan 8th 2007 11:22AM
My resolution should be to play and finish all the games that I already have before I buy new ones.
Brinstar @ Jan 8th 2007 11:31AM
Buying used games removes revenue from publishers and developers. Using GameFly removes revenue from publishers and developers. Games cost more money to make, and development costs will continue to rise. Buying used games hurts the industry more than it benefits consumers.
Stephen @ Jan 8th 2007 11:40AM
I completely agree with said comments. Joystiq, buy supporting the action of buying used games in your resolution, you seek the eventual destruction of the games industry (Don't worry, I'm stretching it). But really, it does seem hypocritical that a site like Joystiq, who feeds off of video games, would advocate the buying of used games, where no $ whatsoever goes to the developers.
Blazur @ Jan 8th 2007 11:39AM
100% completion of Bully
Zegim @ Jan 9th 2007 10:25PM
1.- Get a Wii.
2.- Pretenr I'm surprised whenever I see a Nintendo portable outselling everything else aviable.
3.- Show videogames as a complex form of entertainment it is to people that migh not know it.
Wiistation360 @ Jan 8th 2007 11:59AM
My first gamer resolutions is to stay away from fanbois also.Its not worth commenting when xbots and the SDF go at it over dumb S**T while giving both companies free advertisement.
My 2nd resolutions is to finsih the damn games I spent money on.I just beat Fall of man and zelda is still a longs way to go and Rainbow six I beat last week.I have to beat double agent before lost planet comes out tho and I have metal slugs for wii and lost kingdom for ps3 that I havent even touch yet.
My 3rd gamer resolution is to kill off pc gaming for good.This one is had for me because I want to play hell gate london so bad but I just dont have the time or the money right now to upgrade and have a vista ready pc.
My 4th gamer resolution is to take the money i'll save from quiting smoking (3 weeks so for) and pc gaming and get my 2nd car that my wife been begging for.
Yatrik @ Jan 8th 2007 11:57AM
Everyone... buying used games does NOT hurt the developers. It's not like this money disappears, this money goes into the pockets of EB and some of it goes to other gamers. There are people out there who prefer to buy games as soon as they come out, beat them within a week, and sell them back immediately. Usually they may only lose 15-20 dollars which is not that bad considering they just got the play the newest game available and experience it as fully as they wanted. Buying used games supports the used game market, and its the used game market that allows EB to pay $35 dollars to purchase a used game that is a week or two old. When the gamer gets this $35 dollars, what he going to do with it? Use it to towards buying new video game of course. This is in a sense a trickle up theory. But buying used games, you allow other people to constantly buy new video games. It's a win win, because people who can't afford (like me) to pay $50 bucks a game can get them cheaper, and people who have extra money and always need to play the newest and the best, get to do that without huge penalties. DO NOT FEEL GUILTY ABOUT BUYING USED GAMES... IT IS BETTER THEN NOT BUYING THEM AT ALL.
elnico @ Jan 8th 2007 8:59PM
get all the achievements on GoW and GRAW (that is definitely not happening but one can dream)
32_Footsteps @ Jan 8th 2007 4:25PM
My resolutions in gaming?
One, finally try an MMO. I've been dragging my feet about this, and I figure I should give the genre at least one try. I'm thinking City of Heroes, since that's right up my alley.
Two, push harder to get people to try some really awesome games. My personal hope is that I can convince someone that Gotcha Force is the most underrated game of the last console generation.
Three, not buy an HD set. I don't care how much people evangelize. It might be the fact that my vision is approximately 20/800, but I can't tell the difference between standard and high definition unless I'm less than a foot from the screen. I'm convinced the emperor has no clothes, and I don't want to waste my money that could instead be spent on more games.
Four, finally clear a song on Expert in either Guitar Hero game. As much as I love the game, joint problems keep me from being able to do the higher difficulty levels as of now. I know I'll be able to overcome it... I just hope it'll be this year.
Chris Lawton @ Jan 8th 2007 12:38PM
The problem with the Maddens and other sports games that are repackaged and re-released is that we have the technology (hard drives and internet) to update the roster without releasing another version of the game and charging 60 bucks for it. We have the technology, but they seem to only use it to release over-priced armor for a horse that no one will ever see.
Until people stop shelling out full price every year for the same game, with a few stats updated, the system will not change.
As far as used games go, I don't know if it hurts the system or not...but, I buy new when I think I'm going to get some real time out of the game. For example, Final Fantasy XII. I have easily sunk close to a hundred hours into that game. To me, that's worth 50 dollars. On the same token, I have enjoyed Gears of War's multi for hours, despite the lacking single-player, so it's still worth 60 dollars. On the other side of that crazy token, are games like Justice League Heroes...sporting a four hour campaign and absolutely horrid multi. I have no desire to pay full price for that. That's why I use Gamerang.
As far as my New Year's Resolution, my primary one is to finish the stack of games I have yet to finish. First up? Fallout 2. I've had this game for quite a few years, but I've just never got around to finishing it.
Ralph @ Jan 8th 2007 12:55PM
I'm not buying a used game over a new game for a measly $5 savings. I'm talking to YOU EBGames/Gamestop!! Suck it!!!!!!!!
ferdinand @ Jan 8th 2007 5:36PM
I have a nice resolution that I think will do a lot of you some good...
PLAY LESS VIDEOGAMES.
Moderation is key.
Yatrik @ Jan 8th 2007 1:09PM
If nobody bought used games, then EB would stop buying used games. If EB stopped buying used games, then people would be less likely to purchase new games, knowing that NONE of the $50 bucks they are about to spend will ever be returned to them. I could buy 5 games for 50 bucks a pop, and spend 250 bucks. If I could sell those games back, I could recoup on average $175 of that money. This is also why there is a used car market. Any car buyer with half a brain will tell you that the resale value of the car is a really important aspect of choosing which brand to buy. If these people could not unload their cars for half of what they cost 5 years after purchasing them, then less people would buy new cars. This is very simple economics people, any money that you enter into the video game market will help the video game market.
dantebk @ Jan 8th 2007 3:47PM
I agree with finishing games I already have. I have an embarrassing amount of games started but not finished (and sometimes not even started). But I rented two more games on Saturday and bought Twilight Princess a week ago anyway. Oy.
As long as I'm not pirating games, I don't feel like I have a responsibility to give video game developers the most money I can. In a capitalist society such as ours, my responsibility is to be a smart consumer and try to save money (legally) wherever I can.
If developers want me to buy their game instead of rent it, they need to make it compelling enough that I'll want to own it for a long time. I just bought Twilight Princess, as noted, and I will probably buy Super Mario Galazy, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Grand Theft Auto IV. Except for those, I don't (currently) know of any other games that I wouldn't be happier renting for 2 or 3 weeks and sending back.
jayntampa @ Jan 8th 2007 2:14PM
Yatrik, considering that there was a video game business before the used game model was adopted by retail outlets, your assumptions are way off base. As well, games are nothing like like the car model. I suggest some basic economics classes.
No one has suggested buying no used games, the point is that if people only buy the same sequels year after year and expect to buy more unique, niche titles used -- well, they're going to find out that there are no more unique titles. A market has to have a robust economy for new items for a used market to work.
Hiro @ Jan 8th 2007 3:09PM
My gaming resolution?
Beat 12 Final Fantasy games in 12 months
Jan-XII
Feb X-2
Mar-X
April- IX
and so on...
(T and XI are excluded because I've beaten T like eight times and never botehred with X-2 and I play XI all the time...)
This is being done to help me get in touch with what made me fall in love with games to begin with and help me (and other gamers) see that it's not the console you choose or the games you like, but that WE ARE GAMERS united under the flag of doing something we love.
Choose a resolution and follow through in this spirit- enough bickering over consoles and genres. A little competition is good but all of this is ridiculous...
GAMERS UNITE!!!
~Hiro
Michael May @ Jan 9th 2007 1:12PM
If a game isn't compelling enough for me to buy new, I'm gonna get it used (there's a specialised shop near me which sells pretty much only used games at low prices). So that means Halo 3 is gonna be got new, as well as several more. If the games are good enough, they won't be for sale used anyway...
Pru-man @ Jan 8th 2007 2:33PM
I would caution against buying used games at all. The entire industry is against the used games trade for the same reason Nintendo was against game rentals in the 80s: the companies that made the game don't see one red cent from a used game sale. The surest way to encourage a product is to buy it. That is how I rationalize paying for things I could easily pirate - by spending money on it, you're essentially saying to its creator, "Hey! I like this! I want you to make more of it!" Buying used means they don't get to hear your voice. I'm also of the opinion that used-game traders don't give a fair price for trade-ins or knock enough off the price for a used product, but that's a subject for another post.
Kesh @ Jan 8th 2007 2:47PM
There is some merit in Yatrik's argument. There are numerous occassions when I have bought a game that I otherwise wouldn't have thanks to the cheaper second-hand market, and many a time I have purchased a new game with the expectation of selling it on down the line. With games becoming more expensive, I expect that tendency to grow stronger still.
It is true that the rise in fixed costs for game development are likely to raise the threshold of success needed for original titles to be developed in the first place. But I am fairly confident that the future of originality in the video game industry is rosy for reasons I can't be bothered to mention here.
And for all those seeking to make a some sort of moral issue out of this, presumably you have something against renting games as well? (unless the publishers receive a share of the rental receipts)
HotShotX @ Jan 8th 2007 2:53PM
My resolution: To only trade directly to other gamers and never to B&M ripoffs like GameStop.
~HotShotX
Jason @ Jan 8th 2007 10:52PM
My gamer resolution is 1280x720, but I hope to change it to 1960x1080 this year!
MarvinK @ Jan 9th 2007 12:42AM
Refuse to buy games that aren't widescreen.
It seem totally ridiculous that this should even be a resolution in 2007, but since a significant percentage of Wii release titled DIDNT support widescreen I vowed to make sure to return them to the store. To make matters worse, Nintendo doesn't even put that type of info on the back of cases. Avoid games that developers are too lazy to write right!
That includes Super Swing Golf, Elebits, Trauma Center... come on developers--get your s**t together!