Let me speak from experience and say that in the world of video games, high cost is intrinsic for value.
Several times, I have been given a cheap Wii game as a gift. I could tell right off the bat that they were purchased for a “bargain”, five or ten dollars max. Their case covers had poor quality, but I gave the games a try anyway. Surprise, surprise, the games were lousy. The graphics generally were terrible and took ages to load. Basically, the games were junk and never were played again. (E.g. Cruis’n, a disappointing version of the classic arcade game, and AMF Bowling Pinbusters, a game solely for Wii bowling but much worse than the simple Wii Sports Package version).
I like getting video games as gifts, but if they are going to cost less than ten bucks, then I really do not want them. Do not get me wrong: I am not asking to have more money spent on me for better video games. I just am saying that a cheap video game is cheap for a reason, and money would be better spent in just about any other area. I also am not saying that I agree with the current prices for video games. Do I really think that spending fifty dollars and upward on video games is reasonable? Absolutely not, but there is really nothing we can do to fix that.
In conclusion, while low cost and good value are not mutually exclusive terms, the two generally do not go hand in hand when buying video games. If you are someone looking for a cheap gift for a friend, a cheap video game really is not the best choice. Such a game has a high chance on wasting away in a drawer. If you have the time, save your money until you have enough to buy something decent. A $5 game is not a steal, it is a waste!
Maybe I am wrong, but I have yet to find a game that proves me wrong. Games I enjoy, like Rock Band or any variation of Mario Kart, come at a cost. What about you, do you know any cheap games worth their money? Leave a comment because I am anxious to know.
As a general rule, I completely agree. However every so often I am pleasantly surprised by one of the little PS3 games that you buy on the Network for like, $5. The Pixel Junk games are insanely cheap, yet SOOOO addictive and fun. Certainly not a lasting, immersive story sort of game, but I once spent an entire day playing … I’m not even sure I ate that day …
I disagree that most cheaper games aren’t worth playing. It is actually the “lower budget” games that really have no play value. In fact a lot of the cheaper games out there are just older games that were once big hits…
I can’t count how many times I’ve bought $20-$30 “platinum”, “greatest hits” or “bargain” games that were at one time the life of a preferred console. In fact I recommend that most gamers with a low budget heed this advice. After being on the market for some time games are usually stamped with a “classic” or similar meaning and their overall value is lowered. Many high budget games like Mass Effect, Guitar Hero 3, Assassin’s Creed, Oblivion etc have all come down recently; but of course the list goes on.
Gamers are also provided with the great choice to buy and sell their used (or unused) games at places like Gamestop or even online through eBay or Amazon. Gamestop isn’t always the cheapest place in the world, but you can buy tons of older games for a lot less than you would in a normal retail store; not to mention the fact that you can trade in old stacks of working games for store credit.
I don’t think he is talking about older games that have been marked down (which you still won’t find marked down under $20, and definitely not to the $10 range). I also think he is excluding WiiWare/VC games. It’s those cheap games that come out priced in the $15 range and are never worth anything. Those are what this blog is directed at.
I think a lot of these cheap games were specifically made to take advantage of the fact that non-gamers buy a lot of games to give as gifts to their gamer friends and family, but these non-gamer buyers have absolutely no idea what makes for a good game. Therefore they base their purchasing decision on cover art and price alone.