Being a “Patient Gamer” is the best way to play.

I personally but games on level of the support I want to give the devs, regardless of when I want to play them or in what state they are at launch.

Recently Soul Reaver and The Thing Remaster where a no brainer for me cause I love it that this even happened.
 
The more people do this, the fewer big AAA games we will get. Yet, everybody seems to want to encourage others to not buy games at full price.
 
DoubleClutch said:
Rarely do I believe buying games on day one is worth it. In fact, I can't remember the last time I have bought a game on the day of release. I find getting the game at a later time far better. Here are a few key reasons why:

1. Your dollar goes further.

By the time you get around to buying the game, chances are it will be heavily discounted, available on Game Pass, free on Epic Games, etc. You'd be surprised by how games at $60 a pop plus DLC and expansions adds up quickly. You're also not required to keep up with the latest hardware. In the long run, this presents significant savings to you.

2. Performance issues and bugs get fixed through patches.

Almost every game needs a day one patch, and even after that it takes time before all the bugs are ironed out. Baldur's Gate 3 was receiving hot fixes and patches for about a year. It took Nvidia a couple of weeks to release a hot fix for their drivers to get rid of micro stutter in Indiana Jones.

Playing the game at a later date is the best way to play because all the fixes and improvements will be in by then.

3. There is a massive backlog to get through.

There are so many good games out there and not enough time to get to them all. Chances are you have a huge backlog. By the time you work through it the above two items will be realized.

4. You are protected against marketing hype, politics, and other controversial issues.

How many times has a game not lived up to the hype or had surprises that would have disgusted you had you found them out yourself? By waiting you can stop to see what comes of it and just steer around it if necessary. This is also why I think preordering games is stupid. Especially digital ones.

So sit tight because good things are coming!
Click to expand...
Heck yeah, that's the policy to follow as it's super rare now days that games dont have issues Day 1.

The only time I might get something at release is if I want a physical copy and I think it will sell out due to low print run. This can be common with smaller studios and some Japanese publishers/devs.
 
Yups, this is precisely the background behind my username, OP.

Though sometimes I will break these rules to play something extraordinary.

E.g. Astro Bot - I have to support that release, the level of quality and care put into that game is unlike anything I've seen in years.

Secondly, Sparking Zero is a game I've been waiting 17 years for, since Tenkaichi 3 in 2007, so it was a must buy.
 
Arsic said:
Sounds like a wallet issue OP.
Click to expand...


Hmm. I earn much more than five years ago now, but buy less games day 1 like I did five years ago. Reasons are that they often arrive unfinished.

I really liked the times when I bought a new game (on console) day 1 and it was just bugfree and optimized.
 
Depends on the game. Most games I wait for a sale, not just to save money, but because I already have a huge backlog to play.
 
adamsapple said:
3NceSYv.png
Click to expand...

Fixed:

WCN7Bhd.jpeg


There's a site that adjusts this for inflation:

Monkey Island Inflation

How much you should spend on computer games as explained by Guybrush Threepwood in 'The Secret of Monkey Island', now adjusted for inflation.
fineleatherjackets.net fineleatherjackets.net
 
Killer8 said:
Fixed:

WCN7Bhd.jpeg


There's a site that adjusts this for inflation:

Monkey Island Inflation

How much you should spend on computer games as explained by Guybrush Threepwood in 'The Secret of Monkey Island', now adjusted for inflation.
fineleatherjackets.net fineleatherjackets.net
Click to expand...
47 bucks seems still pretty low. I would expect 55+bucks
OT:
I will play GTA VI day one and even try Titan Quest 2 in EA.
 
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colin jost snl GIF by Saturday Night Live


That aside, some games are better played at launch. The most memorable for me was Battlefield 1.

When it launched you could find an Operation instantly. It was glorious, and gave a sense of scale and epicness.

After six months it was harder, and within a year it was almost impossible.

Games that greatly advantage optimisation also suffer a lot after release. At release everyone is new to it and on an even playing field. After a few months it gets worse, and after a few years it's usually just tryhards left.
 
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Subscribed to humble bundle, getting a lot of games I was interested in maybe buying a year ago. And I essentially ended up backlogging them anyways.

I'm starting to see a pattern of games released on gamepass ending up on humble.

So if you have both services you can play game on release and after a year or so have it permanently via humble.
 
Eh...."best" is always subjective. I enjoy playing a lot of game right when they come out because there is typically a lot of discussion about the game on GAF. So waiting is go for some things, but not necessarily across the board. Talking with others about games like Astro Bot and Indiana Jones when they first come out is a lot of fun. That's not fear of missing out. It is enjoying the game along with friends.
 
It is a matter of interest. If something is at the forefront of my mind I am willing to pay extra to experience it instead of thinking about it.
 
DoubleClutch said:
Rarely do I believe buying games on day one is worth it. In fact, I can't remember the last time I have bought a game on the day of release. I find getting the game at a later time far better. Here are a few key reasons why:

1. Your dollar goes further.

By the time you get around to buying the game, chances are it will be heavily discounted, available on Game Pass, free on Epic Games, etc. You'd be surprised by how games at $60 a pop plus DLC and expansions adds up quickly. You're also not required to keep up with the latest hardware. In the long run, this presents significant savings to you.

2. Performance issues and bugs get fixed through patches.

Almost every game needs a day one patch, and even after that it takes time before all the bugs are ironed out. Baldur's Gate 3 was receiving hot fixes and patches for about a year. It took Nvidia a couple of weeks to release a hot fix for their drivers to get rid of micro stutter in Indiana Jones.

Playing the game at a later date is the best way to play because all the fixes and improvements will be in by then.

3. There is a massive backlog to get through.

There are so many good games out there and not enough time to get to them all. Chances are you have a huge backlog. By the time you work through it the above two items will be realized.

4. You are protected against marketing hype, politics, and other controversial issues.

How many times has a game not lived up to the hype or had surprises that would have disgusted you had you found them out yourself? By waiting you can stop to see what comes of it and just steer around it if necessary. This is also why I think preordering games is stupid. Especially digital ones.

So sit tight because good things are coming!
Click to expand...

Learned this about 2 years ago.. and never regret it ...

Cheaper, more complete and less bug/better perfomance games.

And now that Im avoiding "woke" in games I can wait for shitness to show up so I can avoid them.
 
Agreed. I haven't paid $70 for a game all gen. That seems like too much (I could afford it, I just don't want to pay it). I don't see the point in getting it Day 1 unless I'm super-hyped to play it, and games like that are few and far between these days.

All I play is SP games anyhow, and those games (unlike MP) are much the same Day 540 as Day 1. Actually, they're better on Day 540, because of patches. The only thing you miss out on is the crowd of people in the OP trying to discuss the game all at once - which I usually avoid anyway, because I like to have my own experience.

I don't find that it requires any patience, really. If I'm really straining at the leash to get to a game, I'll buy it, but I just don't have that feeling toward games much anymore. So I don't mind waiting. Plenty of other stuff to play in the meantime.
 
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Everyone keeps talking about missing out on games when they're new or the hot new thing. OK, that's the trade-off. It depends on if "missing out" on a game when it's new is worth the bugs, price, and potential overhype. For me, that price is worth it.
 
I prefer to buy games that are so old they've seen every last patch and DLC.
And even then I only buy them when they're in a complete bundle.
And then only when they're on sale.
And only with my Xbox Rewards points.
 
DoubleClutch said:
Rarely do I believe buying games on day one is worth it. In fact, I can't remember the last time I have bought a game on the day of release. I find getting the game at a later time far better. Here are a few key reasons why:

1. Your dollar goes further.

By the time you get around to buying the game, chances are it will be heavily discounted, available on Game Pass, free on Epic Games, etc. You'd be surprised by how games at $60 a pop plus DLC and expansions adds up quickly. You're also not required to keep up with the latest hardware. In the long run, this presents significant savings to you.

2. Performance issues and bugs get fixed through patches.

Almost every game needs a day one patch, and even after that it takes time before all the bugs are ironed out. Baldur's Gate 3 was receiving hot fixes and patches for about a year. It took Nvidia a couple of weeks to release a hot fix for their drivers to get rid of micro stutter in Indiana Jones.

Playing the game at a later date is the best way to play because all the fixes and improvements will be in by then.

3. There is a massive backlog to get through.

There are so many good games out there and not enough time to get to them all. Chances are you have a huge backlog. By the time you work through it the above two items will be realized.

4. You are protected against marketing hype, politics, and other controversial issues.

How many times has a game not lived up to the hype or had surprises that would have disgusted you had you found them out yourself? By waiting you can stop to see what comes of it and just steer around it if necessary. This is also why I think preordering games is stupid. Especially digital ones.

So sit tight because good things are coming!
Click to expand...
Fair point, waiting to buy games is a smart move for anyone trying to save money or avoid the frustration of buggy launches. I've do it myself, and yeah, it's a great way to stretch your dollar. But if everybody starts doing this, it's gonna cause some problems for the industry.
Big opening sales aren't just for bragging rights; they're what fund future projects. If everyone holds off, publishers and developers might play it safe, which means fewer risks and more cookie-cutter games. Nobody wants that and If launch revenue dries up, studios might lean even harder into microtransactions and pay towin models to make up for it. Imagine every game feeling like a mobile game with endless popups to buy ingame currency.
Dont forget smaller studios especially rely on early sales to stay afloat. If we all wait for discounts, those unique, creative games we love might not even get made. It's the indie devs who'll feel it the most and sure, waiting means you dodge launch bugs, but if everyone does this, studios might not feel the heat to ship polished games in the first place. We need to reward good launches and not just assume everything will be fixed later. Bugs are a studio /developer problem, not a player solution.
 
I prefer to play at launch when it's in the zeitgeist and you feel part of that community. It's not that expensive unless you do so with every game. But even so I rarely play at launch since it is hard to justify with my backlog.
 
Both ways are good.

There is something special in playing a game at day one, reading people on forum experiencing the same shit as you at the same time as you etc.

I would never wait months or years for a game that i'm hyped for, for me it would be the equivalent of a football fanboy recording matches and watching them years later instead of live on tv\stadium.

Sometimes buying at day one bite you in the ass, and sometimes you are lucky and you don't experience nearly as much problems as other people.
 
The videogame industry has convinced me that it's best to wait, than to buy games day one.
Not only we get a price discount, but we also get more patches to fix bugs and performance issues. And usually, we also get more content, as DLCs are packed with the full game, also at a discount.
If the gaming industry wasn't dead set on releasing so many broken games at launch, it would make sense to buy day one and follow the zeitgeist. Just like it used to be a couple of decades ago.
But not when most games are released with a ton of bugs and performance issues.
And another reason, on PC, are mods. After a few months, it's common for gamers to make tweaks and mods. Some that fix issues with some games, where the devs can't be bothered to do their own work.
 
That's correct in many ways. But I will never be that gamer. If I want to play a game, I play it. There's no way I was not going to wait a year or so to play Alan Wake II, for instance, despite being angry about the game launching digital only. And on top of that, when I play a game many years later I usually regret not playing it at or closer to launch. Some games should be played in their own age, not many years later.
 
Playing a game Day 1 these days basically means you are playing the worst and most expensive version of the game. Better to be patient and wait for user reviews, patches and a price drop.
 
Especially if youre a single player gamer

I always wait it out. There are several benefits in the last few years (patches usually improve the game, DLC, pricing etc)
 
I always wait now, the games are cheaper and should work better, after patches although some are due to not wanting to play them after seeing what they are really like as well, once they are released.
 
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For me it's quite simple. Do I want to play it NOW because it looks fun as hell or because I'm waiting on it for years now and finally can and want to play it, or can I wait months or years? So If I'm buying day one (or very soon after) I will actually play it the moment I've bought and downloaded it.

Some games are interesting and will definitely be bought down the line but it's not like having the urge to do it as soon as possible. Those games are grabbed at a good discount only because I'm busy with the day one purchases or from the previous "sales cycle".

Ultimately sales and discount are already calculated into the selling prices so I don't have any issues with waiting on big discounts. If your game is high quality and good enough (for me) you get the launch price and that's it (although even for launch versions I have never paid more than 60EUR... Coolshop, Netgames or Proshop have good prices even at release, and for digital/Steam, GMG is a good seller).
 
True but there are cons as well.

1. You are prone to getting spoilers. Even if you try your best, if you are on any social media including reddit, you are inadvertently going to get spoilers. They may range from minor spoilers, maybe some gameplay stuff to full blown "final boss", "ending" level spoilers.

2. You miss out on a lot of discussion regarding the game if you are interested in that.

3. Time is limited, and honestly for me time is more valuable than money. Would rather play a game when I know I can rather than wait
 
with my 30 years of video game experiences, i can tell which one i can support by day one, and which is not,
by only see in their first or launch trailer. review or preview are another additional suggestion for me.
and combine this with i dont buy fomo, i know which is my fave or will be my fave or not.

i never follow trends
 
Insanemaelstrom said:
True but there are cons as well.

1. You are prone to getting spoilers. Even if you try your best, if you are on any social media including reddit, you are inadvertently going to get spoilers. They may range from minor spoilers, maybe some gameplay stuff to full blown "final boss", "ending" level spoilers.

2. You miss out on a lot of discussion regarding the game if you are interested in that.

3. Time is limited, and honestly for me time is more valuable than money. Would rather play a game when I know I can rather than wait
Click to expand...
Just my two cents as a patient gamer:

1. Video games have stories? Boss spoilers yeah but I don't watch people play single player games so not a problem at all for me.
2. Usually that discussion is mostly about bugs, performance issues, quality of life grievances or completely broken things. Things that will be most likely be fixed by the time I buy the game.
3. Time is limited indeed and I can't waste it all on video games which is why I have a backlog years long which is now very cheap to purchase.
 
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MarV0 said:
Just my two cents as a patient gamer:

1. Video games have stories? Boss spoilers yeah but I don't watch people play single player games so not a problem at all for me.
2. Usually that discussion is mostly about bugs, performance issues, quality of life grievances or completely broken things. Things that will be most likely be fixed by the time I buy the game.
3. Time is limited indeed and I can't waste it all on video games which is why I have a backlog years long which is now very cheap to purchase.
Click to expand...
Video games have stories when you play something other than fortnite and cod
 
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