I think this'll be my first blog post here, and I don't expect anyone to read it.  Doesn't matter, it's a place to spew videogame-related opinions, so I may as well use it.

The guessing game: I've recently picked up an XBox 360, and one thing that I've learned very, very quickly is that I don't like spending $60 on new games.  It can't be avoided, I suppose, since big fancy programs on big fancy boxes cost big freakin' money to create.

On a very similar note, I've purchased a game called The Outfit for the 360.  Originally, it cost $60.  I got it for $20.  I've also purchased The Red Star for the PS2.  Purchase price, $20.

The though occurs, however, that I might not have been so lucky with The Outfit and I might have been far less fortunate with The Red Star had I not purchased them when I did.  We all know the story of Panzer Dragoon Saga, how it was produced in limited quantities and required a blood sacrifice to acquire a few months after its release.  What might have happened if The Outfit had been as difficult to find?  Would I have had to spend half my paycheck just to play it?  And what happens if The Red Star becomes scarce?  Will that $20 buy seem like a bargain?  Or will this game turn into something in Gamestop's $5-and-under bin?

I suppose that's the Guessing Game we all have to play these days when it comes to buying new games.  Today's high price tags may seem like a bargain tomorrow.  Today's bargains may be overpriced next week.  This hobby is not unusual in that we've developed an aftermarket that plays a bit like baseball cards did just a few years ago.  I guess that I simply dislike the high stakes game that something like this can become.