Do you still purchase day 1?

Curiosity has me pondering what the latest trends are in terms of buying content on day 1... I don't think there is any question that in modern gaming the reward for day 1 loyalty is receiving the very least optimized iteration of the game. The worst experience as opposed to the best....

For the late adopters especially those really willing to wait, you are treated to the most optimized experience, sometimes even packaged with dlc and content that would've cost you even more money. Best part, is a short wait will most certainly get you a game you civet for big discounts (except Nintendo who will always charge top dollar no matter what, usually.)

So, in short it has never made more fiscal sense, bang for your buck to wait for the game you're pining after. It offers you the best experience at the lowest cost in nearly every single example.

How do you still justify the day 1 purchase to yourself?

For me, I came off several years of being loose with my purchases, always writing everything off as, "it's my money and I can do what I want with it" which is true, so I don't argue that point... But gaming has been exponentially better since giving up that approach and being more critical of what gets my money and when....

What's your strategy?

Never did, never will

I generally save $10 per game by preordering on Amazon so yes.

I only buy 1 or 2 games at full price per year. Every other game I wait for price drops.

Only the best games get my money. This year it will be God of War and RDR2. Those games are worth full price to me.

Next year will be TLOU2.

Everything else can wait until next year which I will buy them all for under $20 each.

@Telekill: Curiously... And no I'm not judging your methods at all, but I'm wondering if Amazon applies that day 1 gamers discount to entice those on the edge with buying day 1, knowing it's not the best value.

Depends on the game really but, if it's a game I already know I'm gonna like and did my fully research on it, then yes, I still buy games day one.

If you are buying a MP game focus then less on single player, it's always best to buy the game early as possible while the MP is still active and waiting for a sale for the most parts will decrees the MP popularity but this is how I view MP heavy games.

@davillain-: good call on MP games... Too true. Without a community those games are paperweights.

Only Nintendo games if any at all. With Amazon prime, I get my games for 47.99 as opposed to 59.99. Considering Nintendo games rarely drop in price i see the value there. Ps4 and X1 games on the other hand are often on a good sale within a month of release. Look at Doom 2016. Launched at 59.99, within a month it was 29.99, within 3 months it was 19.99. This happens quite a bit these days making waiting well worth it in my opinion.

@TheEroica: It's possible. I generally pre-order my Switch games through them as it's the cheapest they'll be for at least 3 years as Nintendo generally doesn't lower prices.

I've also had it 3x where I can't pre-order from Amazon as they run out of stock two days after the pre-order goes up. It's happened on RDR2 (PS4), Burnout Paradise (PS4) and Star Wars Battlefront 2 (PS4). I've contacted their support about the glaring issue and they obviously don't give a crap. It's lost them around $150 they otherwise would have gotten.

Never, let the day 1 buyer become beta tester, and i become the ultimate premium user after few patches

@iambatman7986: yeah, I can see that approach working well for you. I always think about UBIsoft November releases which have been Assassins Creed and even far cry... If I'm asking for those games for Xmas I always tell my family to please wait a couple weeks when the game is 30 dollars before Xmas.

@Telekill: so will you just get it digital? I think that's what I'll do for rdr2

If I'm really excited for the game, then I'll probably pre-order it and get it day one. Like, I'll definitely be getting Shadow of the Tomb Raider day one because I love my Tomb Raider.

@drserigala: And BINGO was his Name-O

Basically this!

I already got the pre-order done with Soul Calibur 6 for both PS4/PC and will do it for Shadow of the Tomb Raider just because I love the previous reboot games and getting ready to reinstall Rise of the Tomb Raider anyways.

Also, love the new avi/sig PrincessGomez :)

Of course! Games like ni no kuni 2 are day 1 worth!

For most games I don't.

But it's not wrong to have this special game you're all hyped up about and you just want to run out and buy.

Almost never. I don't even find the preorder discounts compelling. Most games are still cheaper AND patched within 3-6 months. With literally thousands of games spanning decades to choose from, who the hell needs day 1? The only exception I understand is MP games where the community will drop off fast. But, then, that still doesn't require "day 1" to enjoy, nor does it sound like a good game with lasting appeal

Not anymore. I haven't bought a game day since 2011.

Yeah I still buy games and content day one, not all mind you but when I can I usually do. The biggest appeal for me in doing that is that I find playing and discovering a game along with other people, whether that be in multiplayer or even single player, to be quite enjoyable. I also prefer to get my games on physical format so if I feel that a game may become difficult to get like that I’d like to get it as soon as possible.

So how long would the Video game industry last if everyone stopped purchasing day one?

@rrjim1: I have no idea what that means. Of course people do differently than me, and by the droves. The question was what do I do and why, and I answered. Do you always buy brand new cars, go to opening night of every movie, buy gpus on launch day, etc etc, or do you prefer to wait for discounts, used products, or at least reviews? This is just one variant on that for me

*edit* I'll also add, the industry might shrink but improve if more people waited more often for complete, non-buggy well-reviewed products to release.

Sometimes I do, most of the time on most games I don’t.

Just Far Cry 3 and Far Cry 4. Didn't have any game-breaking glitches with either one even though some people did.

Also, the reviews were already out prior to release.

This.

Last game I bought full price and day 1 was GTA 5 and it was worth it. Nowadays it makes more sense to wait for the "COMPLETE" edition when it is $30 with all the dlc etc.

If you are buying a game mainly for the multiplayer, getting it soon after launch is key but online is rarely the main reason I buy a game and there are SOOOO many games out there that I rarely feel the need to buy day 1 (RDR2 is defs Day 1 though:P)

I never buy used cars or used PC parts. Who knows what crap the former owners did to them? The only thing that stops me from watching movies on opening night is the crowds because I can't be bothered to wait in (a long) line.

Now, when it comes to games, I wait for a consensus (of reviews) first. If that is reached before the game is released, then I buy on Day 1. Otherwise, I wait a bit.

I bought a 3dfx Voodoo way before Day 1. I got selected to buy one a few weeks before it released retail because I was a preferred customer. I bought 2 x 3dfx Voodoo 2 on Day 1. No regrets on either one.

@TheEroica: No. I still prefer physical and will probably just get it at Best Buy or Gamestop at launch. I'm sure that there will be plenty of copies. No need to really pre-order unless you're going to buy the collectors editions (which I'm not).

@getyeryayasout: I had no idea you were a GoW nerd...

@TheEroica

@stuff238

RDR2 is risky. They've been chatting up the boxes. It may very well infect the singleplayer, not just as cosmetics either. I'm holding off on that one.

Orbital cannon? And don't forget NBA 2K... Yeah that mtx atrocity was also from Take Two. You can barely get past the main menu without paying more more more more money. R*/Take Two seem to forget all about game design/balance the moment mtx come into play. Don't be surprised if the singleplayer contains a part that is frustratingly difficult/long without paying a looot of extra money.

If you look at their recent track record there is a good chance that R* will have undermined the RDR1 design with pay-to-win and pay-too-much mechanics. On top of that I bet RDR 2 is going to play a big factor in future mtx attacks on consumers so I am not touching it. 2K is holding a 7 ft. dildo and I want to know where they plan on putting it before paying them for their 'services.'

You do you, of course. But I did warn you. IMO it looks real risky. At least check that you can get a refund just in case.

Very rarely, if I do it's mainly a Nintendo game since they tend not to drop in price, however even that seems to be changing lately.

Either way I use best buy gcu so atleast still some money off.

But waiting till a game is $20 at Best buy and then buying it only a few months with gcu for like $16 feels much better than buying a game at $60.

I don't have a reason to.

Day one are expensive and most times filled with bugs and glitches, add to that the fact that I have a huge backlog of games and theres no reason to buy any game at launch for me.

I buy the games I really want on Day 0 which is not that many and the rest i buy on a sale. Since I have a massive backlog of games to play I rarely get to play games I buy on day 0.

But I never wonder about the cost, considering a games price today, it´s no more expensive than going to a movie or going clubbing.

This year day one for my ps4 pro redemption 2 metro exodus shadow of tomb raider god of war dark souls remasted

Only when I'm sure I will play the crud out of it, and then I pre order. Well, I have a couple times anyway. But, normally I wait a while when it's on good sale.

Depends on the game. As if I'm waiting for RDR2 to come down in price when that comes out. But I'll often save a lot of money waiting for certain games' buzz to die down, then never bother buying them because they turn out disappointing for everyone. Watch Dogs 2, I'm looking at you. I think games have more of a tendency to be vastly overrated when they first come out then when the hype dies down they settle into a more honest state.

Far Cry 5 has me rethinking that position though. But I need to finish Far Cry 4 before it comes out. And if I don't, then I'll get Primal next instead. Far Cry is swiftly becoming my favourite series.

I never got into the first game, the second was good, 3 was great, Blood Dragon was even better and 4 is outstanding.

I generally buy 1 or 2 games a year day 1, full price. Everything else on sale, second hand or free on XBL or PSN monthly games.

It's more content (free DLC, extensive patches) for much less money, what's not to love? However for stuff like Zelda, Last Of Us 2, RDR2, or Far Cry 5, I don't want to wait!

Yes, but that is because I know what I like and don't need reviews or discounts this late in the game, I've been gaming since the 70's and can afford to pay full price for a game even in the rare case I regret buying it.

... I can't even remember the last game I regretted, Rise of the Robots for the Snes is the first thing that comes to mind, lol.

Depends on the game. If it's something I'm hyped about and it's from a developer that's earned my trust, then yes. But there are few developers that have earned my trust.

There is no feeling as good as playing that epic legendary game on day one, it's what keeps me excited and enjoying this hobby. I'm very grateful to have a good job that lets me take that risk and I feel for all you millennials that won't get to have that luxury, I am sincerely sorry. Don't vote for politicians that don't represent the working class, that's all the advice I can give you.

Sometimes, but there are usually some reviews out by that point so I can make a more informed decision.

That's not to say I've never regretted it *cough* Dragon Age Inquisition *cough*

Depends on how hyped I am for the game or if there are any preorder incentives or cool collector’s editions. Right now my backlog is still really big even though I put a big dent in it this year.

Not really. Even when I was still on consoles I just couldn't afford it. Sixty dollars to play it now or 20-30 in a year or two, hmmm... Didn't help that there were always used games that I had wanted to buy but couldn't when they first came out at Gamestop. Now, with Steam sales and Humble Bundle and such, I can pay as little as five dollars for a full game plus all of its DLC, why one earth would I buy day 1?

I buy almost everything from Greenmangaming or Humble Bundle. I can get pretty much every 60 dollar retail game for 48 bucks or so. I don't usually buy them, however; I'll typically wait for a sale if I'm on the fence like I did with Assassin's Creed Origins, Wolfenstein 2 or The Evil Within 2.

I just picked up Far Cry 5 for 49, though. I also got Vermintide 2 for 22, Kingdom Come Deliverance for 30(paid into the kickstarter way back when) and Final Fantasy Windows edition for 38. All nice sales for pre-orders of all the games.

@TheEroica: The temptation is there sometimes to buy day 1 so I can really keep up with the "Jones's" and be in on all the latest discussions. And of course for those who are into multiplayers, buying at or near release is almost a necessity.

That said, some of the most enjoyable gaming experiences for me have been from buying games well after the initial release date. I rarely buy day one.

Not often, but it happens. Mostly with Nintendo games. It's not like I'm gonna wait a minute more than I have to to play the latest Zelda. :P And Nintendo games never go down in price anyway. Or if I have a bunch of friends waiting for the same game to come out to play multiplayer.

Me and my friends couldn't wait to jump into some Vermintide 2 together, so we got it day 1 and had an awesome time. We will do the same for Monster Hunter World PC version.

only buy day 1 if its a game ive been anticipating for a long time.

@TheEroica:

Madden NFL 2005 was the last full price game I bought.

And I never paid full price for sp games. Those are only worth $20 or less.