How to Buy Video Games

If there's one thing I hate doing, it's buying something without having done any research. How do I know if I'm getting a good deal? Is what I'm buying a quality item? Is it even what I'm looking for? Answering those questions when shopping for video games can be extremely difficult. So, allow me to give you some advice. I've done a fair amount of game playing in my life, and a just a wee bit of video game shopping as well, as my dear, sweet wife will begrudgingly attest.

Buying a game, like pretty much anything else I can think of, boils down to the main principles:

First, find the right product
Second, find a quality product
and Third, find a good deal

Principle#1: FIND THE RIGHT GAME

Let's assume that you already have your gaming console (Wii, PS3, XBox 360, etc.) and that you're buying for a particular gamer who has preferences which can be articulated. No two-year-olds please.

• Know your genres
  Begin by asking the gamer what kind of game they want. Video games are a form of entertainment and so you should shop for one much the same way you would for a movie. You wouldn't buy a romantic-comedy for an action movie buff, so don't think that just because Mario's face is on the cover that your preteen will like Mario Golf. First find out the type of game your gamer is after.
  
  For simplicity's sake, today's modern games break down into these major groups: Action/Adventure, Fighting, First Person Shooter (FPS), Music & Party, Puzzle, Role-Playing Game (RPG), and Sports.
  
• Know the ESRB rating
  The whosy, whatsit rating? You know, the little box with an E, a T, or an M on it. The Electronic Software Rating Board (ESRB) is the video game industry's equivalent of Hollywood's scale of G, PG, PG-13, and R ratings. Know which age group you're shopping for and trust me when I say that the ESRB ratings should be taken seriously.


• Buy online
  Unless you know EXACTLY which game you're looking for AND you are certain that the store has it in stock, shopping for video games at any brick-and-mortar store is a collosal waste of time. You're almost guaranteed to walk out with the wrong product.
  
  Stores are a bad choice because they have very limited wall space dedicated to video games. As a result selection is limited to perhaps 100-150 titles of the hundreds or thousands of available titles. You also have no useful information other than the cover art on each game and the advice of a pimple-faced, minimum wage sales clerk.
  
  Instead, bookmark and use these sites:
  http://www.gamestop.com/ - great for new and used games
  http://www.amazon.com/ - free shipping!
  http://www.ebay.com/ - duh
  http://www.walmart.com/ - low prices and good selection
  http://www.toysrus.com/ - good selection and occassional promotions
  
  
  Principle#2: FIND A QUALITY GAME

OK, now that you have a genre, an age-appropriate rating and a place to shop, it's time to find a good game. There's nothing worse than dropping $50 or $60 on a complete dud that your gamer only plays for 15 minutes.

• Consult the experts
  Fortunately, with the power of the internet, finding a good game is easier than it sounds. All you really need is to search for games on Metacritic, your friendly neighborhood review consolidation tool. Simply go to http://apps.metacritic.com//search/games.jsp and search by game console and genre! Exclude anything that gets an average rating lower than 75, or so. If it didn't rate well with gaming experts, chances are your gamer won't be overjoyed by the game either.
  
• Avoid licensed properties
  If you were too lazy to go to Metacritic, heed this warning: Don't buy any games based on a licensed property. It's tempting to buy something simply because it has a recognizable name, but in the world of video games, having such a name is almost always a mark of death. There are exceptions, of course, but pretty much anything based on a cartoon, a daytime kid's TV show or a summer Hollywood blockbuster is a flaming pile of poo. Don't do it! Resist the urge!

Principle#3: FIND A GOOD DEAL

Here's something we can all appreciate, huh? Saving money is a universal want and need. Games aren't exactly cheap either. Especially if your gamer goes through them quickly. Here are a few tricks to make your gaming dollars streeeeetch farther.

• Buy used
  This one's a no brainer. Buying games used will generally save you 50-75% off of retail price. Compared to other forms of entertainment, there's an extremely vibrant used video game market out there. Did you know that more than 2 billion pieces of software were produced for the last generation of consoles (PlayStation2, GameCube, and XBox)? That's more than 6 games for every man, woman, and child in the United States. These things are everywhere and a lot of them are recycled by retailers like GameStop and Amazon. Gamers also sell and swap tons of games on sites like Ebay and Craigslist.
  
  You can save a lot of money by buying used and even more if you resell your games once you're done with them.


• Buy last year's model
  Quick, what's the difference between FIFA Soccer 2008 and FIFA Soccer 2009? The answer is updated player rosters, some minor refinements in gameplay, and a whopping $34 difference in cost. FIFA 2009 retails for $50 while you can find last year's version for a fraction of the cost. This principle is especially true for Sports titles but it applies to pretty much any title once a sequel is released, from Halo to Littlest Pet Shop. The older games moves to the bargain bin but remains on the shelf (because it was a best-seller) right next to its younger and more expensive sibling. Unless your gamer is a hardcore fan of a series, always stay one version behind.
  
  NOTE: for you Nintendo fans out there, don't hold your breath for tentpole games like Mario Kart or Wii Fit to ever come down in price. Nintendo is the Disney of the video game industry and are masters at keeping demand high for their games. They accomplish by rarely releasing a sequel for the same gaming console.


• Buy last generation
  The current generation of gaming systems (Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360) are each backwards compatible to the generation that preceded this one. That means that the Wii can play all 500 games released for the GameCube, the Xbox 360 can play almost 500 of the games released for the original Xbox, and some of the older models of the PlayStation 3 can play many of the 1500 games released for the ultra-popular PlayStation 2.
  
  So don’t bother buying $60 new releases for the current generation when you can buy A+ titles for the previous console for $10-20. You’ll find that very little has changed from the previous generation to the current one aside from better graphics and the Wii’s innovative motion controls. Again, use Metacritic to find the best games for your system.
  
  WARNING: Wii is the only 100% reliable console for backwards compatibility. Every Wii system will play all GameCube games. The Xbox 360 can play most of the old Xbox games. Check this site to see if the game you’re after is compatible: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Xbox_games_compatible_with_Xbox_360
  The PlayStation 3 is very spotty when it comes to backwards compatibility. I won’t go into the reasons why here. Basically, only certain models of the console even support backwards compatibility, and even then the list of games that are compatible is limited. Use this site to lookup a specific game: http://www.us.playstation.com/Support/CompatibleStatus


• Know the market value
  Finally, make sure you’re getting a good deal on a game by shopping around. Or better yet, just check this site to see what the current going price is for the game you’re after: http://www.videogamepricecharts.com/
  

So that's it, you're an expert now. Start shopping now!