I have a question for the older gamers out there. Guys in the mid 30's or older. Do you still feel the need to run out and buy a game the day it becomes available? Reason I'm asking this question, is because I no longer feel this need, and I'm trying to figure out exactly what changed with me. I'm wondering if it's age related. I used to be the type of guy that had to have the newest games the second they became available at retail. I would pre-order the games months in advance, have them paid off in full a month or two prior, and I'd leave work at lunch on a Tuesday or whenever the game was released, to make sure I got my copy early in the day. That way, I could start reading the game manual while on break at work, and when I got home, I could start playing the game immediately.

In the last couple of years, this desire seems to have faded away for me. Maybe it's related to the Economy or something. I'm a married man, with kids, a mortgage, car payment, etc, etc. I'm not as excited about running out and plunking down 65 bucks for the latest game to hit the shelves, as I used to be. I think a big part of the reason I just don't care about it anymore is the fact that I have this huge stack of games that I still haven't beaten. I mean, I have a stack of probably like 10 or 12 games that are all very excellent games, and I haven't finished those games 100 percent. I haven't fought the final boss or seen the end credits roll yet. So, why should I run out and buy the latest and greatest game for $65, when I have this huge backlog stack staring me in the face, like that money in those Geico commercials. ( I always feel like... my backlog stack is watching me.....)

It's not that I'm not interested in the latest and greatest. I listen to gaming podcasts while at work, browse gaming websites on my free time, and even occasionally look at a gaming magazine. All they talk about are the latest and greatest games, so I can't avoid it. I'm definitely excited about some of the big games that are coming out, but I just don't have that impetus to run out and buy them immediately. My new method is just to play my old games, try to actually finish them, and wait for the latest and greatest to become moldy and oldy, and much, much cheaper. Take a game like Borderlands. Of all the games coming out this holiday, this is probably one of my most anticipated games, just because it seems like a really cool concept. I could run out and buy the game right now for $65, or I could wait till January, and pick it up for $30 via craigslist.

So, is this purely just a money issue? Is it me just being a cheap bastard? I'm sure that's part of it, but I think another part is that maybe as I've gotten older, I've grown out of that stage of having to have the hot new thing right away. I've learned to wait and be patient. I still think if some truly incredible, ground breaking video game experience was released, I'd have to have it right away. I can remember way back to the days of when the Sega Genesis was a new, next-gen system. When the very first John Madden Football was released on the Genesis, this was one of those types of games. It was a true breakthrough. Nobody had seen anything like that before, with the psuedo 3d scrolling playfield, etc,etc. It was one of those games that you had to run out and buy immediately. Or during the Playstation 2 era when GTA 3 first came on the scene. That was another game that just couldn't be denied. It was so ground breaking, and revolutionary. I think it's going to take a game like that to get me off my lazy azz and run to the store and buy it day and date. Maybe Heavy Rain or The Last Guardian will be that game for me.....

Anyways.... what say you?

I don't buy games for me on day one. I do for my daughter, Rock Band Beatles was a day one purchase for us. LBP was too.

Money is not the real issue for me, it is time and my job, but for call of duty MW2, i am going the night of the release and taking the next day off! Never have done that for a game ever, so better be worth it. A small group of us in the TWW clan are doing this.

I'm 31 and I rarely ever bought games on release day even when I was younger. Just a few of the big ones like when Resident Evil 4 first came out, etc. In general, I don't have time to play games until the wknd anyway due to work, etc. In college I didn't even have a TV let alone a video game system (just shared my roommates or other people in my dorm).

I do if it's a game I am looking forward to. Have done it this year for Dead Space: Extraction, Halo ODST, and Uncharted 2. Will also do it for MW2.

Money isnt the issue, but I do make sure it is a game I will play and finish or has a strong online component. If it is questionable to me, I stay away(Borderlands, Operation Flashpoint, etc.).

BTW, I will be 41 this year.

Hey Anthony...I'm not quite 35 (32), but I'm close, and I still go out to get some new games. I would agree with you on the waiting for games at a cheaper price, but your forgetting a major driving issue for those that are the immediate purchasers. IMO, most of the immediate purchasers have a group of friends that are wanting to play through the new game together and then secondly, most of them, I'm willing to bet are wanting to play online MP aspect of the game. Thus if you play online with freinds, and you take your approach, you will be completely behind the online community as you will be just getting started online as others have max ranked up and moved on to the latest and greatest thing. For online MP it seems more prudent to get games on the day they came out just to keep up with the Jones if you into online MP games.

I'm 32,...I only rush for my most anticipated ones like Uncharted, MGS, God of war, MW2 and the likes,...

I had a short moment of lack of interes between the PS1 and PS2 time. Was into other things like in a Rock band,...guitar,....then, MGS2 was released, God of War and my interest went back....

Hey Anthony...I'm not quite 35 (32), but I'm close, and I still go out to get some new games. I would agree with you on the waiting for games at a cheaper price, but your forgetting a major driving issue for those that are the immediate purchasers. IMO, most of the immediate purchasers have a group of friends that are wanting to play through the new game together and then secondly, most of them, I'm willing to bet are wanting to play online MP aspect of the game. Thus if you play online with freinds, and you take your approach, you will be completely behind the online community as you will be just getting started online as others have max ranked up and moved on to the latest and greatest thing. For online MP it seems more prudent to get games on the day they came out just to keep up with the Jones if you into online MP games.


Yeah, obviously, if I was a big multiplayer guy, this wouldn't work for me. I just haven't really gotten into the multiplayer thing. The biggest reason for me, is lack of available time. I like to play alot of different games, and I don't really focus in on any one particular game. With MP games, you really kinda have to dedicate yourself to a particular game if you want to be decent at it, and you have to play the game almost every night to stay competitive. I used to be the type that would play Madden or NBA 2k or whatever. I was actually in leagues and stuff. The thing was, I really could only play those games and didn't have any time for any adventure games, because I had to pretty much dedicate myself to Madden. I'd have to play like 3 hours per night, or my skills would start to degrade, and too many other online players would get way better than me. After awhile, I just got tired of playing so much of one particular game, and wanted to have a more varied gaming diet. So, lately I've basically avoided multiplayer games, just playing them locally with my kids sometimes and thats about it.

I have a question for the older gamers out there. Guys in the mid 30's or older. Do you still feel the need to run out and buy a game the day it becomes available? Reason I'm asking this question, is because I no longer feel this need, and I'm trying to figure out exactly what changed with me. I'm wondering if it's age related. I used to be the type of guy that had to have the newest games the second they became available at retail. I would pre-order the games months in advance, have them paid off in full a month or two prior, and I'd leave work at lunch on a Tuesday or whenever the game was released, to make sure I got my copy early in the day. That way, I could start reading the game manual while on break at work, and when I got home, I could start playing the game immediately.

Anyways.... what say you?


okay get out of my cubicle and stop spying on me! :D not so much of this anymore tbh though , but I can relate to this.

this year I dont even have MW2 on order yet \o/ but theres still some time ;)

I'm 31 and still rush out to get games I know will spend a good amount of time playing. On the titles that don't jump out at me, I do wait for them to lower in price though.

I'm 31 and still rush out to get games I know will spend a good amount of time playing. On the titles that don't jump out at me, I do wait for them to lower in price though.

+1

32

but i dont finish atleast half of my games, i beat them , but never go back and 100% them...

36 and no. I like being current, but I have such a backlog of titles to play that it makes more sense for me to wait and hit the used bin.

I've made a choice to get titles as I play through- I still have to beat Oblivion and Saint's Row, SR2, GTA4. SR is the one I'm furthest in but I tend not to play too much 360 these days as it is in the basement HT.

I'm drooling over UC2 and Batman:AA, but I shall show restraint, and I love teh epic games that can take time to beat- took me a lot longer to beat Drake's than 12 hours!

For Uncharted 2, yeah. But that's a pretty rare case.

I'm 32, and never bought a game when it came out for any of the other systems. I think I owned most of them (compulsive buyer), but any of the time spent on them was either playing Goldeneye (N64), GTA (PS2), or Halo (Xbox). Halo and Goldeneye were great with friends over getting banged up and playing split screen.

If we weren't doing that, we were out chasing tail, which superceded just about everything in my 20's.

I'm 32,...I only rush for my most anticipated ones like Uncharted, MGS, God of war, MW2 and the likes,...


And this is the situation I'm in now with the 360 and PS3. I think living with a girlfriend/wife changes things. Now I have to get banged up and play online with my friends with all of us not having the same freedom we did in our teens/20's.

MW2 could be my first midnight release.

I don't buy games at full price (OK, I did buy Fallout 3 Game of the Year, but I REALLY wanted to play the DLCs - I have a PS3). I usually wait a few months and pick it up 1/2 price or less on ebay, half.com, etc.

I think it's a value thing for me. Games "depreciate" so fast that it just makes sense to me to wait - I get more bang for my buck. I really, really do want to play certain games (I REALLY want Batman: Arkham Asylum) but hold off until I can find them for at least 50% off.

I did this with my A/V receiver as well - picked up an Onkyo TX-SR705 for literally 1/2 price off Amazon. Great value.

I just hit 34....and I'd have to say that 90%/+ of the games I own were purchased the day they released.

Like the OP, I too am married with kids (third on the way mind you), yet I still find myself very interested in gaming, but now it's more of a "hobby" than it's ever been. I "complete" fewer games then I did ten years ago as well, but at the same time I also buy less than I did (in my youth) so it kinda evens out...I guess. But on the flip of that, I don't fell bad about not finishing a game now...no, because of the whole MP aspect nowadays; I feel I get my monies worth via the online portions vs the single player experience.

As far as costs, sure it's a factor but I find that time (or lack there of) dictates my spending more now than ever before; I have to really like a title before I buy it...if I'm so-so on it I pass.

I still consider myself an avid gamer, but life has more pressing needs most times that I simply can't and won't ignore. So I play when I can, and only purchase what I know I'll enjoy....but the games I do get I get the day they release, that hasn't changed.

Although I’m only 32, no. I don’t.

I just finished Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, and won’t likely buy Uncharted 2 until Christmas or possibly some time next spring. I’d really love to get FF XIII the day it is released and play it nonstop, but that’s not going to happen until at least next fall.

Personally, I’d much rather play with my 2 year old son than play a video game, so my gaming time is limited to an hour or two after he goes to bed, and maybe one or two nights a week at that.

Also, as I choose to only play for a couple of hours a week at most, I don’t really have a lot of time to just wander around a game world to try and figure every last trinket and combination that a game developer throws in. So I tend to reference game walkthroughs periodically to keep me pointed in the right direction, playing a game after it has been on the market for a good amount of time ensures that there will be a comprehensive walkthrough, that is fully vetted, available on the various game websites.

It isn’t that I have lost the interest in gaming (I’d say that I enjoy, and look forward to a good game as much as I ever have), it’s that I have gained an interest in doing a lot of other things that are, quite frankly, a lot more worthwhile.

Heck, I’ve still got a couple of old PS1 games that I never got around to playing (and I’ve got the old SuperNintendo classic Zelda III queued up for the next time I have to fly across the pond for a business trip.)

-Suntan

Although I’m only 32, no. I don’t.

I just finished Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, and won’t likely buy Uncharted 2 until Christmas or possibly some time next spring. I’d really love to get FF XIII the day it is released and play it nonstop, but that’s not going to happen until at least next fall.

Personally, I’d much rather play with my 2 year old son than play a video game, so my gaming time is limited to an hour or two after he goes to bed, and maybe one or two nights a week at that.

Also, as I choose to only play for a couple of hours a week at most, I don’t really have a lot of time to just wander around a game world to try and figure every last trinket and combination that a game developer throws in. So I tend to reference game walkthroughs periodically to keep me pointed in the right direction, playing a game after it has been on the market for a good amount of time ensures that there will be a comprehensive walkthrough, that is fully vetted, available on the various game websites.

It isn’t that I have lost the interest in gaming (I’d say that I enjoy, and look forward to a good game as much as I ever have), it’s that I have gained an interest in doing a lot of other things that are, quite frankly, a lot more worthwhile.

Heck, I’ve still got a couple of old PS1 games that I never got around to playing (and I’ve got the old SuperNintendo classic Zelda III queued up for the next time I have to fly across the pond for a business trip.)

-Suntan

Sometimes,...ign.com has the walkthrough before, or the same day of release date lol.

Due to the limited amount of time I have to play, I'm very selective about the games I play/buy and only get those that I know I'll get my money's worth out of (ones I'll play through 3-4 times and get most achievements/trophies). Consequently, I don't mind paying for a day-date release (or getting one as a b-day gift as was the case with U2 this year, and LBP last year :D) if it's a must have. I'm usually more or less done with the games I have by the time the next big thing comes out. I will say, however, I've been getting a lot of new titles of late, and am developing a backlog as I got Batman last month, U2 last week, and R&C comes next week.

I'm 42 BTW and only started gaming as an adult when I bought a PS3 two years ago.

I've been doing more than ever at 36. I guess that will change if money becomes an issue.

I'm not 35 (25) and I recently stopped buying games on the launch date. Like many others, I'm having less and less time to game so I have a pretty large backlog of games to finish. I haven't opened MGS4 yet and I bought it on the first week :rolleyes::confused::eek: Last game I bought on day 1 was NHL10 but only because I was planning to play with friends the same day. Otherwise, I was able to hold on and not buy Uncharted 2 yet :eek: I'm waiting for a price drop to get it and need to finish some games first. I'll be done with GTA4 this week (Day 1 buy and never finished it...) so I can go buy Demon's Souls when I'll be done (and probably Uncharted 2 :D)

Money isn't an issue but it certainly stop me from buying every new games I'm interested in right away. I'm planning on buying a house in 2 years so if I can pick the game for less, my bank account will be happier. Also note that here in Canada, most games are now 69,99$ NEW! So I'm usually waiting for a 10-20$ deal off before I buy them except for must have games (Infamous, day 1 at 69,99$, NHL10 at 69,99$...)

I kinda realized why do I buy games at full price to have them sit on my shelves for months before playing them when I could wait for a price drop and then buy them.

Anthony1,

I'm 33 and I was exactly like you. I had at one point like over a $1000 in pre-orders for the whole year as soon as release dates were announced. I picked the games I like and put a pre-order ahead of time.

Not anymore. What changed?

Well I don't think it has a lot to do with age. I think it has more to do wit the fact that I realized that I don't even have time to play all of these games. A wake up call was when I had 40 games that I barely even played and I kept paying $60 a pop. Especially since a lot of those games were total dissapointment and waste of money.

So this got me to the point where I traded excess of 50 titles back and started getting only the games I really really want. Those I'm unsure of, I pick up at Blockbuster as rental but to be honest, mostly I just don't have the time. I can barely dedicate several hours a week to playing games and that's mostly on weekends and sometimes, but only sometimes, some day during the week and I'm extremely picky about the games I'll be playing. My rating of games requires it to look stunning, to have blockbuster style storyline and emotional connection and to be at the most 10-12 hours long so I can finish it in couple of days. I guess this last part has something to do with age, cause I'm really not patient enough anymore to sit around and play Fallout 3 for example for 100 hours. I guess a younger person can do that cause they don't have that many obligations that usually come as you are older. I basically get nervous when I sit and play games for more then a few hours. I have a feeling I completely wasted my time, unless the game is truly mind-blowing like Uncharted 2 for example.


Overall, I don't think it's necessarily age, it's just obligations and realization that I was throwing money away.

I hardly ever buy on first day. the only ones I ever have are RB2 and Brutal Legend. Most game I am content to get for Xmas or wait until they are $5 at GS. I am a cheap bastard though. btw I am 33

I am 34 and I won't pay more than $30 for a game. I have the money for it, but I am in no rush to play the day and date releases. Whenever I see a game I like for cheap, I buy it. I own about 30 games for my PS3 and have only opened and played about 10 of them. Most of my games I have bought for around $15-$20 each.

34 year old here, been a dyed-in-the-wool gaming junkie since I was ~5. Back in my prime gaming years (pretty much until I graduated college) I would pick up games I was anxiously anticipating on their release date... when I owned a Neo-Geo AES, I literally called my favorite game shop every day for about 3 weeks straight to check if my pre-ordered copy of Samurai Shodown was in yet... I think I drove the guys that worked there absolutely nuts :D

However, now that I'm a bit older, I find myself content with picking up games when its convenient. Don't get me wrong, I still have the passion, but call it laziness or the mellowing effect of age, I just don't see the urgency anymore... or perhaps it's due to my overwhelming backlog of games and the inevitable "More games?!" remark I get from the wife whenever I bring home something new that isn't Rock Band related ;)

Welllllll, to be honest, I did pick up Muramasa for the Wii on the day it came out... but I have a special policy for Vanillaware games, they're the exception in my book :cool:

I am 47...I did get them on release date.... for Uncharted 1 and 2, KZ2, LBP and maybe one other, but then I only own about 6 PS3 games and mainly rent.

Outside of being involved in the MP early for most games, so one can be competitive and there are still plenty of others playing, as far as price the smart thing to do is wait and not buy into the hype and marketing of wanting it right away.

I'm 31, married, and have a 3 yr. old son. I have been a gaming addict ever since the Atari 2600 days. For me, it really depends on how excited I am about a title. I've bought a few titles on release day this year and I also have MW2 pre-ordered with release day delivery from Amazon. For most games I wait for the price to drop a little before picking it up.

I'm 52. I do not buy on release day,but I do look for specials. I just bought the Toys R Us deal of buy 2 get 1 free. Also have Bioshock and have not played it yet. I usually play the games during the winter.

I don't buy games on day one. The main thing for me is price. I just don't feel any game is worth its original sale price when I can wait a couple of months and get it cheaper. Eventually stores will offer a deal or I can get it cheaper online. Generally, I'm behind so I have plenty of games to play while I wait for that new release to drop in price. I did wind up paying close to full price for a PC game (COD:MW) once, but that was because I needed it for the LAN party I was attending.

I'm 37 and it really depends on how hyped I am for a game, and how much time I think I have to invest in the game at that point in time.

For example, I really want Uncharted 2...loved the first one, but right now I really don't have the time to 'get into' a game... as much as I really want to. This is why at times like these, games such as LBP are great, as I can once in a while jump online and see what new levels are being created.

Also, as much as it seems scorned upon in forums, I will often by used from Gamestop. This only saves $5 normally, but I know that if I don't like it (I am a very casual gamer), I can return it within 7 days.

I'm 31, married, and have a 3 yr. old son. I have been a gaming addict ever since the Atari 2600 days. For me, it really depends on how excited I am about a title. I've bought a few titles on release day this year and I also have MW2 pre-ordered with release day delivery from Amazon. For most games I wait for the price to drop a little before picking it up.

I had to look back when the Atari 2600 was released, because going by your age I thought, was he even born yet? :D HA ha. You must have been like 5 when playing since it came out in 77, but it was popular for a few years into the early 80's.

Also, as much as it seems scorned upon in forums, I will often by used from Gamestop. This only saves $5 normally, but I know that if I don't like it (I am a very casual gamer), I can return it within 7 days.

Why not try Ebay or Amazon for the used games? You'll save way more than $5. You won't be able to return it, but if you only buy games that get really outstanding reviews, and you hear good things about them on the forums, then you're probably not going to need to return anyway.

Craigslist is even better, but it depends alot on what city you're in. Also, some people are very concerned about meeting a stranger in front of some store to buy the game from them. Still, I like Craigslist the best, because I'm giving my money straight to the gamer, no middle man. No Ebay fees or anything like that. Some say you're screwing over the developers by buying used, but chances are the guy selling that game is going to take that cash and go get some crack... err, I mean..... go buy a new game, lol :D:D

I'm 36, and no. But it's mostly due to time (a job and family will do that to you). I only manage to play through maybe 4 games a year, so there's no reason for me to buy them D&D.

I also don't have enough time to actually get good at multiplayer games (like COD4) so I don't really play much online, just because it would take me well over a month to get where most people are after a couple of days.

For an example, this year, I've managed to play through Uncharted, Resistance 1, Mario Galaxy, GTA4 (on 360), and am currently playing Act 2 of MGS4, which I started at least 5 weeks ago. I have Halo 3 sitting here unopened, and I got that back in March.

Other than that, I have played Rock Band 2 this year, but not enough to move to Expert (still playing Hard on Guitar)

For the amount of gaming I play, it's a wonder why I have all 3 systems.

34 soon to be 35, and I've done it more this year then any other year of my life. I usually will not buy a game day one, and even when I do, I want a really good and long single player. MP is gotten beyond repetitive to me now to even bother with it anymore, it's the same idea and nonsense in every MP game. Deathmatch this, capture that, bla bla same old crap in every game just different graphics.

Games like Uncharted 2, I was going nuts waiting for it. I'll grab Forza...maybe next week.

38 and I mostly use Gamefly.com. Much cheaper!

36, and I usually buy on day one, though I put off secondary titles until I find an online deal or they drop in price.

Normally this works out OK, but I've been a bit swamped lately with NGS2, Demon's Souls, U2, and now Afrika. I've still got Katamari Forever sitting in its shrink wrap over here, too...

- Jer

of course I do ! like I always have for the games I really really want. It's almost part of the fun.

I am 44, so the games I really really want are just not as many.

The prob is, how much do I get to really play.

32 and dont buy on release day. Buy most online cheaper. Money is not the issue as much as time is. I must have about 5 games still in plastic and at least 6 that I havent beet yet with another 4 old ones I want to buy and play...

-Evangelo2

32 and I rarely buy a game on release. I have MW2 on preorder but even when I get it I doubt I'll get more than a few hours a week on it given that I have a family and work.

Nah, I just order online and have it shipped :). Actually the only game I bought the day of release was BF1943. Oh, and I've pre-ordered MAG as well. Mainly I rent and occasionally pick out a title or two for Christmas. Oh, 36 here.

Heheee, the 1st generation of gamers... those of us 35+ who started it all :)


Ask yourself if you were playing Bards tale on the C64!!! :)

Who spent hours and hours on their 600 baud modem connecting to local BBS's and playing the first on line games (like LORD) :)

No, I don't rush out and buy games any more. I don't play games much any more (more into movies right now), I burned out playing a few years of World of Warcraft. But a few games still spark my interest, specifically COD4 and the new one coming out. I still would prefer computer games even though the industry is just about dead. Hell, Facebooks Mafia Wars takes most my game time right now.

Ill get COD within the first few days.

heh... 43 here, and yeah, I'm still a "Stop by Target at 8:15 am on the way to work to pick it up" guy. :)

Not all games, but the one's I'm excited about. Lately, it's been:

Madden 10
NBA Live 10
Beatles Rock Band
Uncharted 2


The day I stop being a kid on the inside, just wheel me out and push me over the cliff.

Almost 57:eek:

Just a few now:
Uncharted
Uncharted 2
Resistance

and few on another platform

I still do but I do my research on the game first with reviews and watching trailers. They have to be AAA in order for me to get. But I'm also a big MP gamer so to get behind in that is just not an option for me. I'll be 35 in april.

The day I stop being a kid on the inside, just wheel me out and push me over the cliff.

Ha ha.. I completely agree..

In all honestly I think that all of us who actually play games are much more positive and engaged not to mention mentally active as we grow older.

Fast approaching 34 (two months), but I still buy games on release day from time to time. Or at least during release week. Just depends on how excited I am! :D

I'm 52. I do not buy on release day,but I do look for specials. I just bought the Toys R Us deal of buy 2 get 1 free. Also have Bioshock and have not played it yet. I usually play the games during the winter.
:D Just shy of that but I have Bioshock in the wrapper. Rush out & buy? Heck no - that's why Al Gore invented the internet........pre-order = easy as can be. Only do that for titles I know I'll like (R&C, Motorstorm, etc)

Ha ha.. I completely agree..

In all honestly I think that all of us who actually play games are much more positive and engaged not to mention mentally active as we grow older.

Not to mention that the family that games together stays together! Few things are more enjoyable than playing MarioKart with a 7 and 4 year old.

I'm 44; I almost never buy games on day one, usually because most games come out on Tuesday and I'm stuck at work, miles away from the nearest electronics store.

If a game is on my radar, has gotten some good writeups and is a genre that interests me, I'll generally pick it up within a week of its release (usually over the weekend). If its borderline I've gained the patience over the years to wait it out a bit and see if there's a price drop before taking the plunge.

I'm not 35 yet but I just hit the 30's this year and I'm in the same boat. I am definitely a gamer it's just I don't have as much time as I use to with a house and a 6 month old. Once he goes to sleep around 8pm I have about 4 hours to play some vids and catch up on some shows that I want to watch. Plus with Netfix I'm trying to catch up on the movies I've missed.

I do have the "Early Adaptor" syndrome so when something comes out I do have to go out and pick it up. It may not be day one but I cannot stop thinking about it and research everything about the game until I pick it up. Needless to say I just picked up Brutal Legend, Demon's Souls and Uncharted 2 this week and I still need to get through Infamous and Prototype. I just finished Batman so I figure that was an accomplishment.

37 and stopped doing this after my daughter was born 2 years ago, just dont have the time. Only titles I might do this for would be Grand Theft Autos, I used to do Maddens and Uncharted but dont have the time so whats the rush.

I'm 37(38 in Nov) I don't rush out to buy, I guess I never really was one to rush out and buy the newest games. I certainly don't game like I use to since I'm married and have a 7 yr old son.

I think as you get older your priorities change, especially when you get married and have children. Your taste/appetite for things definitely changes. For instance I used to listen to a lot of rap music in my teens & 20's, not anymore I can hardly stand it now.

MP is gotten beyond repetitive to me now to even bother with it anymore, it's the same idea and nonsense in every MP game. Deathmatch this, capture that, bla bla same old crap in every game just different graphics.

Nice to see someone else post my thoughts on MP as well. I got bored with MP years ago. It's like playing the same level over and over with random enemy placements. I find it very repetitive. Spawn, shoot, die, repeat 10,000 times across the same 10 levels.

Co-op though is another story.

I turned 40 this year and I have felt this coming on for a few years now, I still enjoy gaming but at times I would just rather sit and watch some TV.

The big release games this year like K2 I didnt even bother picking up. Money is not an issue, it's time. I'm married and have 3 kids at home, 2 of which are involved in about everything they can be at school and one is 2..yeah I know..I have huge responsibilities at work, by the time I get home from the office or jobsite, go to football/basketballl games, do homework etc..there just isnt time to play a new game every week.

I like to play a game and get good at it instead of buying new games every 2 weeks and never finishing them or getting good at them.

So you are not alone, I dont feel the need to rush out and buy every new hyped up game that comes out, in fact right now the only thing on my radar is MC2.

I'm 30 (yeah i'm a youngin)

I've stopped rushing out to the store to buy things day 1 because I now order pretty much everything online as my 'screw you city of chicago sales tax of 11%!' That's an additional $6 a game, every time I buy! So yeah, I order online, because its like Christmas every time I have a package waiting for me to be unwrapped :)

I think your problem is that you have kids... those things suck the life out of you!

Iam 40 and never on release date. I wait after reading reviews and opinions-about 2 to 4 months.It also have to be a game that interest me very much(going far back since Atari 2600). Money is not the issue.Family with good wife and 3 boys. Plus my wife sees me researching my favorites sometimes and I get them as either birthday or Christmas gifts(I'm easy to please).

42 here and I'm probably a bigger kid than my 16 and 20yr old sons. We all like to game and do get genuinely pumped for a new release. I've been to midnight launches with my boys for GH1, GH2, RB, GTA4, and Uncharted 2. I guess its attributed to my lack of a childhood having to start working at 14. Although I've been gaming around 20 years, I did get a late start (22ish). I'm making up for it big time now.

And we love the same music too. Yes, I'll be the grey-haired guy in the pit at the Norma Jean/The Chariot show next month. ;)

F$#k getting old. :D

38 years old and I use to buy games on day 1, but slowly moving away. Too many priorities, family, work, friends. Even when I buy games, I try to finish them and move on. While I like Achievements and Trophies, I have come to the conculsion that I don't have the time to work on getting them, so when I play games if I get them, great, if not, no worries. I also like to give new IP's a chance like Borderlands (mixed feelings after playing for an hour), but it was also on special.

One of my resolutions during the New Year will be to only rent games as I just don't have enough time to play them to their maximum and get rarely 10 hours into any game.

FF XIII and White Knight are the only games I am looking forward too and once released, I definitely will not purchase or rent any other games as these games should keep me busy until DC Universe is released. I am a big RPG fan as I find them relaxing.

Games like Demon's Soul, while it is a good game, it is not for me. Tried it for a few hours and realized that dying and starting over just makes the game longer and I don't have that type of commitment to put into a game.

Over 50 and got Uncharted 2 (3 copies)on release date from toysrus b2g1free , but not
usually. But will for Gran Turismo5 in march. Im currently playing Uncharted2 multiplayer with my children ages 14,27, and 29yrs old.

48. I don't rush out on release day, but I casually stroll in and do buy the occasional game like The Beatles RB and Uncharted 2. No rush.

over 50...currently playing uncharted2 multiplayer with my children ages 14,27, and 29yrs old.

= win!!

38 and I mostly use Gamefly.com. Much cheaper!

Same here - 38 and just rent my games from Gamefly. I only own four PS3 games despite having the system for over a year.

Of course there are exceptions like the Grand Theft Auto, Gran Turismo and Ratchet & Clank. These games are predictable... I liked the previous version so I like the new one as well. Most games never live up to the hype so I'd rather take the wait-n-see approach.

51 here. I usually buy online unless I'm really really hyped for a game. I rushed over to Fry's to get Demon's Souls 'cause I had to get the special edition while it was only $60. Glad I did too because they're not making them anymore.

At 40 with a 5.5 year old that plays way more than me, that would be silly. Last thing i bought on opening day, and last one forever for that matter, was Halo and whatever 2 others came with it when they made you buy a bundle for release day of original XBOX. if you dont have several friends that you would play with not much point imo. and the best reason is $$ . picked up Deadspace last weekend at wallymart for 16.99....its new to me:)

I play VERY few games these days and never buy one day and date, but I do like to play the absolute must play titles such as Bioshock and Uncharted 2 (which I am going to get here at some point soon).

I guess I am getting kind of lame as the only 2 games I have really played this year are Hot Shots golf and Pinball Hall of Fame.:p

I guess I am getting kind of lame as the only 2 games I have really played this year are Hot Shots golf and Pinball Hall of Fame.:p

Nuthin' to be ashamed of - those are both great games!

Over 50 here and I don't rush for anything at my age:D
I pre-order if it is a game I really want like U2. Usually I read reviews and shop till I can get it cheaper than $60.00. I also have a friend who has more games then time, so he loans me games to play.

Good gaming all!!

psn id: talon_3

Good to see so many older gamers in this thread. I recently turned 39, and it's good to know I'm not the only old dude that still loves gaming but just doesn't have as much time for it as I used to. I still love reading about the industry on various websites, and in a few magazines, and listening to some gaming podcasts. I get my game on when I can, just not as much as I wish I could. If there is one super power I would love to have, it would be the ability to stop time. I'd love to stop time, play games for 5 or 6 hours, then restart time. Then do it again and again. It would really be the only way for me to possibly catch up on things. It seems like there are just too many quality games coming out for all these systems and portables. Just no way to keep up with it all....

Good to see so many older gamers in this thread.
The thing is, most of us aren't really that old -- according to the ESA, the average age of today's video game player is 35 (http://www.theesa.com/facts/index.asp)...

- Jer

First off, great thread. I'm 32 in a week and I can identify with many things stated in this thread.

I've found my entire approach to gaming changing since, well, I guess last gen (xbox/PS2/GC). I stopped buying games full price on day one for the most part. I think only Halo 3, Resistance 2, and Gears of War 1/2 were purchased full price this gen. The reasons for this I believe are:

1) Life's priorities. No children yet, but with a personal life(GF), job, night school, and a mortgage, I have to be more frugal about how I spend my money.

2) I have a large backlog of unplayed games. Looking in retrospect, it didn't make sense for me to pay full price for games as old as 2 years that have yet to be played. Hell I've still got God of War 2 wrapped, and I bought that in March 2007. Seeing as it's now a bargain price, there was really no need for me to buy full price 2 1/2 years ago. Ditto for newer titles coming out now.

3) Bang for the buck. Single player standalone titles will be enjoyable the day it's released, 6 months and a year after release. Uncharted? Didn't buy it till November 2008, for under $40. Online Multiplayer games have a window of time when they will be hot, after which point the online activity subsides, so I normally buy those games soon after release. Exceptions would be Call of Duty 4 or Halo, multiplayer games with an active online community years after release. I understand even Halo 2 has an online following 5 years later, though I've not popped the game in in years.

4) My friends have lives. Remember back in the day when everyone would rush out to buy the latest blockbuster, and then play them all night long at each other's house? Well, that day has passed. My closest friends, who are also gamers, are married with mortgages, etc. The rush to get that new game to invite your friends over is no longer there. Hell, my friends and I are lucky if we can get on xbox live once a month nowadays.

5) With life's expenses, I've become a cheapass. I've recently started collecting games from past generations, which can be bought at a fraction of the price of new games. Just the other day, I picked up Super Smash Brothers Melee, Star Wars Rogue III rebel Strike, Zelda windwaker, Mario Sunshine, Mario Kart Double Dash, and a GC controller for $50, the same as a Wii game, and $10 less than a 360/PS3 game. I've even gotten back into collecting Dreamcast games( picked up Marvel vs Capcom 2, Powerstone 2, Sonic Adventure 1/2, and Crazy taxi from a thrift store for $20 total), some SNES and genesis games from same store for $1-5. I'm in full retro gaming mode. No idea why and when it started.

I'm 32. I try to pay $40 or less for my disc-based PS3 games. So that's involved more buying used or waiting for sales like the recent Toys R Us/BB Buy 2 Get 1 deals. I calculated my average for all of my disc-games, and it's at about $45.

(I picked up 2 copies of Uncharted 2, 1 of Katamari Forever, and sold one of the UC2 copies on Amazon, to bring the average to $35 per game.)

Many things others have posted apply to me.

1. I have a backlog of games. Why should I pay premium prices for new ones?

2. Lots of new games are also very multiplayer heavy, and that's not where I'm at as a gamer in general (don't have 6 hours a day to hone my skills in order to compete against 12 year olds).

3. I don't have time to play games as much as I used to, with a wife, grad school, and a commute. So I find myself playing a lot of smaller games, like Pinball Hall Of Fame (my current obsession), The Last Guy, WipeoutHD, Shatter, etc. PSN games are cheaper and less time consuming, and generally more arcade-oriented, which I like anyway, having grown up in the 80s with Atari, NES, and classic arcade titles.

The great thing about PS3 games is the Blu-Ray discs. It makes buying used much less stressful because of the Durabis coating. I've never gotten a used disc that had any visible defect.


I guess I am getting kind of lame as the only 2 games I have really played this year are Hot Shots golf and Pinball Hall of Fame.:p

Dude, I've been playing almost nothing BUT Pinball Hall Of Fame for the past 3 weeks. Total crack on a disc.

I'm an old dawg, most of these new fangled games are over my head.:o However, I do enjoy the Ratchet & Clank games, and have already preordered the upcoming one. Whoo-hoo!

I'm only 27...can I still chime in? If I wanted a game day and date these days, I just get release day delivery through Amazon. I mostly just hate the retail experience so Amazon is so much less painful/annoying. Nothing beats not having to make an extra trip or stop AND not having to pay tax. Plus Amazon has been having some sweet pre-order deals lately ($20 credit on MW2 right now).

Just the other day, I picked up Super Smash Brothers Melee, Star Wars Rogue III rebel Strike, Zelda windwaker, Mario Sunshine, Mario Kart Double Dash, and a GC controller for $50, the same as a Wii game, and $10 less than a 360/PS3 game. I've even gotten back into collecting Dreamcast games( picked up Marvel vs Capcom 2, Powerstone 2, Sonic Adventure 1/2, and Crazy taxi from a thrift store for $20 total), some SNES and genesis games from same store for $1-5. I'm in full retro gaming mode. No idea why and when it started.

Not to sidetrack the topic of my own thread, but it's interesting that you bring this up. I ended up going "retro" a few years back (around 2003/2004), and almost quit playing modern day games. It happened accidentally for me. I walked into a GameCrazy store, (had never heard of the place at the time), and saw all these old SNES and Genesis games that they had in a glass case. I was looking at some of the games, and was surprised to see Madden '93 for the Sega Genesis for 49 cents. Also saw NBA Live '95 for Super Nintendo for like $1.49 or something like that. I ended up buying both games, not to actually play them, but just as decorations for my desk. I played the heck out of those games back when they had originally released, and they were some of the best sports games ever released in the history of gaming. To me, it was like a souvenir to my past.

However, after a few weeks went by, seeing those games on my desk, at a certain point I started messing around with some SNES and Genesis emulators on my PC. Just screwing around if you will... Well, I started to get back into playing some of the old SNES and Genesis classics. So then, I started hunting down the real hardware. (I had sold all my old systems years and years ago). Slowly but surely, I reacquired all my old gaming systems, and was slowly but surely reacquiring the games via Ebay and thrift stores and flea markets, etc, etc.


Anyways, to make a long story short, I basically went off the deep end, and was hardcore retro for a couple of years. Hardly played many modern day games at all.... Then as the Xbox 360 neared it's launch in November 2005, I started to get hyped on modern day consoles again, and ended up buying one. Then, I stopped playing retro, and almost went exclusively modern. Then after a year or so, started playing some retro again. I kinda bounce back and forth now, although I must say that I probably play way more modern games than retro games, but I'm not afraid to bust out the old SNES and play some classic SNES game that I never completed. It's cool to play some of these old classics with my kids too.

Anyways, sorry to totally derail my own thread with this story, but your comments reminded me of my "retro experience" from mid 2003 till November 2005.

Not to sidetrack the topic of my own thread, but it's interesting that you bring this up. I ended up going "retro" a few years back (around 2003/2004), and almost quit playing modern day games. It happened accidentally for me. I walked into a GameCrazy store, (had never heard of the place at the time), and saw all these old SNES and Genesis games that they had in a glass case. I was looking at some of the games, and was surprised to see Madden '93 for the Sega Genesis for 49 cents. Also saw NBA Live '95 for Super Nintendo for like $1.49 or something like that. I ended up buying both games, not to actually play them, but just as decorations for my desk. I played the heck out of those games back when they had originally released, and they were some of the best sports games ever released in the history of gaming. To me, it was like a souvenir to my past.

However, after a few weeks went by, seeing those games on my desk, at a certain point I started messing around with some SNES and Genesis emulators on my PC. Just screwing around if you will... Well, I started to get back into playing some of the old SNES and Genesis classics. So then, I started hunting down the real hardware. (I had sold all my old systems years and years ago). Slowly but surely, I required all my old gaming systems, and was slowly but surely requiring the games via Ebay and thrift stores and flea markets, etc, etc.


Anyways, to make a long story short, I basically went off the deep end, and was hardcore retro for a couple of years. Hardly played many modern day games at all.... Then as the Xbox 360 neared it's launch in November 2005, I started to get hyped on modern day consoles again, and ended up buying one. Then, I stopped playing retro, and almost went exclusively modern. Then after a year or so, started playing some retro again. I kinda bounce back and forth now, although I must say that I probably play way more modern games than retro games, but I'm not afraid to bust out the old SNES and play some classic SNES game that I never completed. It's cool to play some of these old classics with my kids too.

Anyways, sorry to totally derail my own thread with this story, but your comments reminded me of my "retro experience" from mid 2003 till November 2005.


Good story.... I said before I'm not sure when and why it happened. But I'm starting to notice that as I go further into my 30's , I've been getting nostalgic about many things from my youth, which was 80's/90's. Movies, tv shows, and of course, games. Of course, once I fire up certain old games, I find that father time has not been good to them:D.

But there are many games from yesteryear, especially in the golden era of 16 bit gaming, where the games have a certain timelessness. I'm talking the Mario world games, Contra III, Streets of Rage, Final Fantasy III (VI), NBA Jam, Sonic, Zelda link to the past, Donkey Kong Country, etc. Outclassed technically in every way, but the gameplay remains as fun as ever, and watching the 2d sprites onscreen has a certain charm.

In fact, funny enough, I can switch from Uncharted or Gears of War to Mario Allstars, and it's all good. It's the early 3D games from the PSone/N64/ Saturn era that make me cringe. 2D gaming for me, is still very enjoyable, particularly the classics I mentioned above. My GF has a ten year old who loves gaming, and in a sense I'm reliving my gaming youth through him. Just a few weeks ago, he was playing Mario Kart Wii, I stopped him ,hooked up the ole SNES and Super Mario Kart, and said 'No no, THIS is Mario Kart!!" About a month ago, I picked up Super Punchout for like $3 from a thrift store. Of course the excuse to my GF is 'well you know, I bought it for your son to try, honest!!' :D;)

I'm 29 soon to be 30 and I really don't buy games on release day anymore. I think the last game I got on release day was Halo 3 and that's it. Waiting for ODST to come down in price or get it used at a good price. Right now I'm only buying "old" releases only. I just got Lost Planet for 5 and Prince of Persia for 10 at wallymart. Excellent games at great prices.

I will be 38 next month. I still drive 2hrs to get a game at launch if I have to and wait in line for hours for consoles..."im always the 1st in line too :)"

I will be 38 next month. I still drive 2hrs to get a game at launch if I have to and wait in line for hours for consoles..."im always the 1st in line too :)"

Hard core....i wouldnt drive 2 hrs if it was free and they paid for my gas.

Hard core....i wouldnt drive 2 hrs if it was free and they paid for my gas.

I guess thats the difference in hardcore and casual..lol..I have stood in line for the consoles 7 different times for 8+hrs and was 1st in line every time..hahah...Its also fun and a cool way to meet other gamers.

We have ordered pizza , exchanged emails, gamertags ect over the years. It can be fun..;)

I guess thats the difference in hardcore and casual..lol..I have stood in line for the consoles 7 different times for 8+hrs and was 1st in line every time..hahah...Its also fun and a cool way to meet other gamers.

We have ordered pizza , exchanged emails, gamertags ect over the years. It can be fun..;)

did it once in 96 for the n64 and got nothing and liked it when we finally got in...never again:p

I'm only 27 too, but one thing you're all overlooking is that distribution systems are much, much better then they used to be in the 90's.

Unless a game is going through a very small publisher (cough, Demons Souls), it's pretty easy to grab a copy sans pre-order, or running out to get it day and date.

I remember trying to find a copy of Resident Evil 2 back in 98, and I was SOL for 6 weeks because major retailers didn't get shipments of new games release date, and EB games was new on the block, and the distribution channels were newer too, shipping was more expensive, the net and info tech was new on the block, ect. man was I angry I didn't preorder when finding out EB only got 10 disks!

Now in the days of Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Frys, ect. It's not a problem.

Publishers are also much better at printing more disks, and getting them spread throughout the country for Tuesday mornings. Retailers are better at stocking new items and being in the know on new products.

I found that out after thinking I was going to have trouble getting MGS4, and (grudgingly) went to their midnight release party to grab my pre-order, only to find the store literally had about 200 copies.

I'll still pick up a AAA title on a Tuesday when one comes along, but it's only 2-3 times a year at the most. no more midnight releases for me. The rest I've just been requesting and putting on hold in my Goozex queue.

Once I finish a game, I sell it on Goozex, and change a request from hold to active and have a game in my hands within a week. All the while I'm moving up queue positions in other newer games.

Goozex's really been a god send in saving me money (about $600), and managing the boat load of good games that flooded the PS3 this year. Only regret was that we didn't have em more spaced out in 2007 and around launch... my queue is backlogged. All you older gamers, I highly recommend it if you're waiting to pick up games at reasonable prices anyways, since it takes time to wait out your position in a queue. new games usually get sent 1-3 months after release, but the trade in values are much better for 95% of them (1:1 for it's current used value). The Goozex team is also very good at resolving any disputes as long as you followed their methods on sending and receiving.

I'm only 27 too, but one thing you're all overlooking is that distribution systems are much, much better then they used to be in the 90's.

Unless a game is going through a very small publisher (cough, Demons Souls), it's pretty easy to grab a copy sans pre-order, or running out to get it day and date.

I remember trying to find a copy of Resident Evil 2 back in 98, and I was SOL for 6 weeks because major retailers didn't get shipments of new games release date, and EB games was new on the block, and the distribution channels were newer too, shipping was more expensive, the net and info tech was new on the block, ect. man was I angry I didn't preorder when finding out EB only got 10 disks!

Now in the days of Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Frys, ect. It's not a problem.

Publishers are also much better at printing more disks, and getting them spread throughout the country for Tuesday mornings. Retailers are better at stocking new items and being in the know on new products.

I found that out after thinking I was going to have trouble getting MGS4, and (grudgingly) went to their midnight release party to grab my pre-order, only to find the store literally had about 200 copies.

I'll still pick up a AAA title on a Tuesday when one comes along, but it's only 2-3 times a year at the most. no more midnight releases for me. The rest I've just been requesting and putting on hold in my Goozex queue.

Once I finish a game, I sell it on Goozex, and change a request from hold to active and have a game in my hands within a week. All the while I'm moving up queue positions in other newer games.

Goozex's really been a god send in saving me money (about $600), and managing the boat load of good games that flooded the PS3 this year. Only regret was that we didn't have em more spaced out in 2007 and around launch... my queue is backlogged. All you older gamers, I highly recommend it if you're waiting to pick up games at reasonable prices anyways, since it takes time to wait out your position in a queue. new games usually get sent 1-3 months after release, but the trade in values are much better for 95% of them (1:1 for it's current used value). The Goozex team is also very good at resolving any disputes as long as you followed their methods on sending and receiving.


yeah managed to get in early enough in the Q(goozex) to prob get Brutal Legend next month, and ill be almost guaranteed to get my 1000 pts back when i ditch it 3 or 4 weeks later:)

I don't and never have. For two reasons (in this order)...

1) I simply will not pay $60 for a game. There are a very small amount of games that I would say would be worth $60, but I wouldn't know that until after I bought them, would I? I wait for the sales. Last year I got Pure for $17 and Fallout 3 for $27 and it was around X-mas time, so the games hadn't been out forever.

2) Time. I work 50+ hours/week and on top of that have small children. My game time is strictly limited to after 9pm and weekends, at best. Running out and purchasing on day one means it's likely to just sit there. I can't tell you how many friends I have that have games, DVD's, etc still in shrink wrap that they ran out and bought.

It's the early 3D games from the PSone/N64/ Saturn era that make me cringe. )

I object! :eek: …. I maintain that Zelda OOT for the N64 is still one of the most impressive games ever when viewed relative to what other games/technologies were available at the time.

Although the polygon count was so low that you really had to use your imagination, the story and game play was top notch. It still hasn’t been beaten as far as overall gameplay fun allowing a person to fight 1st or 3rd person with swords and shields, imo.

-Suntan

I object! :eek: …. I maintain that Zelda OOT for the N64 is still one of the most impressive games ever when viewed relative to what other games/technologies were available at the time.

Although the polygon count was so low that you really had to use your imagination, the story and game play was top notch. It still hasn’t been beaten as far as overall gameplay fun allowing a person to fight 1st or 3rd person with swords and shields, imo.

-Suntan

Ok, well of course there's a few exceptions to the rule. For that matter, Super Mario 64 is still a shitload of fun. I should have said 'generally', the games from that era haven't aged well from a technical standpoint. For some reason I can play 2D sprite games all day, but early 3D stuff is a bit hard on my eyes. Perhaps because of the two extremes in style, don't know.....

I agree with that. The old 2d stuff was able to have really nice pre-rendered backgrounds that made the hardware look a lot better than it really was. Once 3d came around, the gfx engine had to do all of it.

Mario 64 was pretty impressive too. Although I always got to the first snow/ice level where you just slipped around everywhere and lost interest. I’ve probably picked it up 3 or 4 times over the years (included emulated on the laptop) and just couldn’t bring myself to complete that level before turning it off and finding something else to do.

-Suntan

For some reason I can play 2D sprite games all day, but early 3D stuff is a bit hard on my eyes. Perhaps because of the two extremes in style, don't know.....

Image quality on that first gen 3D hardware is really bad. That's why.

I think Dreamcast style is the bare minimum of acceptable IQ.

Not wanting to derail either but I also had a zest for retro gaming a few years back. I worked in an arcade for an amusement park back in the late 80's and I loved arcade machines and the competition involved. NBA Jams or Street Fighter or whatever. A fews year back I decided I wanted to purchase a real NBA Jams arcade game but the cost was pretty prohibative. Thats when I stumbled on BYOAC.com (build your own arcade controls also a book you can pick up under same title but i never did).

Basically they said hey do you have an old pc(check), old 27 tv with s video (check), buy couple sheets of 3/4 inch mdf, some wire and a few arcade sticks and buttons and a keyboard emulator. So I built one by hand (I never used a circular saw before this project). It came out awesome, I configured a front end that runs like 6 emulators (Mame for arcade games, SNES, Genesis, NES, N64, Atarti 2600, Sega Master System (and a few others) It holds about 50,000 games I would guess and is alot of fun at parties. NBA jam and SF also get alot of run as well as punch out.

Shame is I never finished the control panel unit once I got it working so its not decked out or painted. If I only had the time, but for you retro fans check out the site or pm me if you have any questions.

Im 37 and no, I don't really buy games these days. The only one that I've purchased is COD4 and that was a period of time after it was released. I will have MW2 on release date but I don't feel the need to rush out and get it and be in on the ground level. If it's atleast like MW1 I'll get 18months of play time out of it.

I play VERY few games these days and never buy one day and date, but I do like to play the absolute must play titles such as Bioshock and Uncharted 2 (which I am going to get here at some point soon).

I guess I am getting kind of lame as the only 2 games I have really played this year are Hot Shots golf and Pinball Hall of Fame.:p


Going to score pinball hof, but was going to get it for the PSP. is this something that needs to be on a 40-60 incher(have them) to be fully appreciated.

I am 39 and I usually just to pre-orders and pick them up or have them ship via Amazon prime. I have not done a midnight launch but I will for MW2. Took the day off of work on the 10th as well :eek:. I am not sure why I get all of these games I really dont have time for to play all of them right away (Wife, 2 kids 7 and 5). I am the same way with Blu-Ray discs.

I am 39 and I usually just to pre-orders and pick them up or have them ship via Amazon prime. I have not done a midnight launch but I will for MW2. Took the day off of work on the 10th as well :eek:. I am not sure why I get all of these games I really dont have time for to play all of them right away (Wife, 2 kids 7 and 5). I am the same way with Blu-Ray discs.
I think its fun and somewhat healthy for the soul to do things like that. Im the same way and love it every time I do it. I have so much fun and get excited like im 10 years old when I buy things and wait for games and such. Its just fun.

For certain games I know I will love I pre-order and Amazon has them at my doorstep on release day. They also usually have the best deal on the pre-orders anyway. I don't do the running to the game store. It is just a pain in the ass. I mean really...I look old enough to be the father of the kid behind the counter and he says he needs ID for a M rated game?

For games that I am not sure I will completely love I usually wait for a good deal on them. It also gives me a chance to hear what others are saying about the game.

One thing I must mention.....


While I could care less nowadays with getting a hot new game on release day, system launches are a completely different situation. If you look up "Early Adopter" in the dictionary, you'll see my mug shot right next to it. Here is a list of systems that I bought on the very first day of availability:

Super Nintendo - (first system I bought with my own cashola...)
Sega CD
Atari Jaguar
Sega 32X (big mistake, what a waste of $169.99)
Sega Saturn
Sony Playstation
Nintendo 64
Sega Dreamcast
Playstation 2
Xbox
GameCube
Xbox 360
Playstation 3
Nintendo Wii (only owned it for like 6 months then sold off, haven't had one since)


Anyways, since the release of the SNES in August 1991, I've bought just about every major video game console released in the USA. The only "major" console I didn't buy on release day was the Panasonic 3DO. At $699.99 back in October of 1993, I decided to pass on it. Luckily, a good friend of mine was crazy enough to buy one, and I got to play it at his house quite a bit. I ended up getting an open box 3DO in April of 1994 for $399.99, a full $300 less than it's launch price. I also didn't buy a Neo-Geo at launch, though I did own one for a brief period during 1993.


Anyways, I'm not the type to run out and buy the latest and greatest game release on launch day, but if it's a major home console, I'm the guy sleeping in the tent outside of Target the night before. :D

I'm 36 and do still buy some games on release day. Lately this has included MW/COD4, Uncharted, Infamous, Uncharted 2, Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time (pre-ordered, picking up today after work!), and MW2 (also pre-ordered). But I don't get everything; mostly new releases in a series that I already enjoy. Also I find that as I get older my interest in gaming become sort of seasonal, or at least definitely cyclical. I seem to have less interest in buying and playing games during the summer, when I'm outdoors more, and then as winter sets in I get back into it. Kind of a hibernation thing, I guess :).

So most of you guys have kids, and i bet most of (us) have had a Wii and dumped it. Dont let your daughter see that there is a new ICarly game. I cant believe im going to have to buy that thing again. Although the new Press Your Luck might be worth the price of admission:D

I'm 37 (at least for a few more days) and I rarely purchase games on release day. My one upcoming exception is MW2, which I'll be grabbing at the midnight opening.

Very rarely (last game I bought like this was Gears of War 2) I will however usually pick up any game I "want" with in the first week.

So most of you guys have kids, and i bet most of (us) have had a Wii and dumped it. Dont let your daughter see that there is a new ICarly game. I cant believe im going to have to buy that thing again. Although the new Press Your Luck might be worth the price of admission:D

Lol. My kids love that iCarly show. I don't mind the Wii. We've downloaded several old school games I grew up with. I did just get the new Ratchet & Clank for me today.:cool: All I have to say is no whammy, no whammy... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iLTbZbzNLA);)

Going to score pinball hof, but was going to get it for the PSP. is this something that needs to be on a 40-60 incher(have them) to be fully appreciated.

Yes, yes, 1000 times yes.

I have both. The PS3 version is FAR superior.

For one thing, it has 3 more tables, 2 of which are classic must-haves (Medieval Madness and Arabian Nights).

The game is MUCH more stable on PS3 (silky smooth framerate, no balls passing through flippers. Multiball on PSP is a little dodgy at times).

The controls are much better with a Sixaxis/DS3 vs. the PSP. Control of the plunger and table bumping is about 1000 times better (on PS3, both are mapped to the analog nub).

Graphics are 10,000 times better - it is impossible to see some aspects of the PSP tables, simply because of size but also because of texture quality.

Also, the PS3 version has online leaderboards.

I'm not saying not to get the PSP version if you want it on the go. I have it and enjoy it. I still break it out every now and again. But the PS3 version is just a world apart, and you'd be cheating yourself not to get it, if you are at all a pinball fan. I've multiplied all of the numbers in this review and determined that the PS3 version is precisely 10,000,000,000 times better (note, not a scientific survey).

I am 45, married/no kids and I own a Wii and PS3 and I still run out to buy games on release day. I mostly play sports games, like NHL 10, Madden 2010, MLB 2010. I am thinking of getting a few used games to try like COD4, Need 4 Speed.

Im 37 married with 4 kids. Ill one up all of ya!! hahah I get the games the night they are released. The games stop down the street from my house is also right down the street from my wifes work, she gets done work are 11:50 and gets the games all the time. Shes won like 10 drawings over the past few years for various items! hahah

Well I'm older than most you guys. Some of you guys (a few more than I thought) got me beat though but not only do I get release day games I get games early ;). Know a guy who knows a guy who got a spot. lol

I am 39 and I usually just to pre-orders and pick them up or have them ship via Amazon prime. I have not done a midnight launch but I will for MW2. Took the day off of work on the 10th as well :eek:. I am not sure why I get all of these games I really dont have time for to play all of them right away (Wife, 2 kids 7 and 5). I am the same way with Blu-Ray discs.
Kids ( 6 and 2) other than that same respons

I used to buy more games on release day but now game prices seem to be dropping faster than they have in the past. Right now amazon has a bunch of games that only came out a week ago or so for $50. Still not "cheap" but prices do drop quicker now. Also, I'm not a "backlog" person so if I have a game I'm currently playing I don't feel the need to buy something else until I'm going to play it or find a deal. I used to rent more, I still get free game rentals from BB online, but I rarely have a chunk of days to rent and play through a game in.
I still get sucked in and buy some games on release day. Uncharted 2 I had to buy and I'm sure GOWIII will get me too.

Just today I bought Halo 3 and Fallout 3 for the Xbox 360. Got Halo 3 for $14, and Fallout 3 for $16. I actually played these games back when they came out, but that was via a Blockbuster monthly rental plan that I was using for a number of months. I got about halfway thru Halo 3, and barely cracked the tip of the iceberg with Fallout 3. But, now that I can get them less than $20, I don't mind picking them up at all. I also recently got Killzone 2 for 20 bucks. I rented it for a couple of days when it first came out, but barely scratched the surface. I figure, for $20, it's not a bad deal.

My new philosophy is that I can wait on the new "hotness". I'll try to be content with the "old and busted", and see how that works out. (those quotes are from Will Smith in Men in Black 2, if anybody is wondering what the heck I'm talking about, lol).

Yeah, new games like Borderlands and Arkham Asylum and Uncharted 2 are pretty freaking awesome, but they will still be very awesome months from now, so I can wait on them. There are tons of games I still haven't finished completely like: Prince of Persia, Mirror's Edge, Fallout 3, Halo 3, Gears of War 1 and 2, Killzone 2, Infamous, Dead Space, Far Cry 2, Bioshock, Assassin's Creed, Orange Box, Mass Effect....just to name a few. Some of these games I'm about 70 percent finished with them, but I'd like to see the end credits. Some of them I'm only half way thru, and some I'm only like 1/4th or 1/3rd the way thru. All of those games are fantastic games, and I really should polish them all off and actually see the end credits.

So, Uncharted 2, Borderlands, Halo ODST, Arkham Asylum, Assassin's Creed 2, etc, etc, will have to wait. I figure by the time I get finished playing thru my backlog, I'll be able to get today's hot games for dirt cheap, like I did with Fallout 3 and Halo 3 today. I'm gonna try to avoid buying any games over $20 (including tax and everything), and see how long I can last.

I will admit that when "The Last Guardian" and Heavy Rain get released, those babies will be extremely tempting, and I just might have to break my $20 rule. Maybe I'll just get a monthly gaming pass with Blockbuster for a couple months, and play those games, along with a few other big spring 2010 releases....

I'm almost 30, so I don't quite belong in this topic yet. That being said, I've been married for 9 years and have an 8 year old son and work long hours-- so I feel I can relate to just about everyone here!

That being said, I rarely buy games on release day or even at full retail price. For some reason I have to justify (to myself) spending money, almost everything I purchase I feel I have to get "my moneys worth" out of or I beat myself up over it. That includes all electronics (which I love and work in the tech industry). This system in needed to keep me in check!

I spend free time in the gaming forums reading all about the hot new titles and hardware, love it! Always have. I think I get as much satisfaction discussing new games and hardware with like minded people as I do actually playing the games.

That being said, I have God of War Collection and GoWIII pre-ordered at Amazon right now:D

Heavy Rain is a must have for me too on release day:)

I'm almost 30, so I don't quite belong in this topic yet. That being said, I've been married for 9 years and have an 8 year old son and work long hours-- so I feel I can relate to just about everyone here!

That being said, I rarely buy games on release day or even at full retail price. For some reason I have to justify (to myself) spending money, almost everything I purchase I feel I have to get "my moneys worth" out of or I beat myself up over it. That includes all electronics (which I love and work in the tech industry). This system in needed to keep me in check!

I spend free time in the gaming forums reading all about the hot new titles and hardware, love it! Always have. I think I get as much satisfaction discussing new games and hardware with like minded people as I do actually playing the games.

That being said, I have God of War Collection and GoWIII pre-ordered at Amazon right now:D

Heavy Rain is a must have for me too on release day:)


Dude, you used "That being said" three times in your post :D Can you say.... writer's crutch? lol... Jusk kidding man....

Hey, if you love discussing new games and hardware and stuff like that, you should also try listening to some podcasts. It's not actually a discussion, per se, but it's usually pretty good banter about all the latest and greatest in the world of video games. I highly recommend these podcasts to get you started:

1. Digital Cowboys
2. Out of the Game
3. Giant Bomb
4. Geekbox
5. Rebel FM
6. 4 Guys 1up

The last game I bought on release day was Zelda on GC. :) I get excited about new games and pre-order from time to time, but no longer feel the need to play them right away. I think mostly it's because I have a huge backlog (for me anyway, I play ~5 hours a week) which I'm pretty sure will never go away, some of which haven't even been opened yet...

I will be the big 4 0 in Dec. and I notice I find my self less excited about new releases,I still buy them but not on the very first day. I will however be getting Modern warfare in the morning. I love the PS3 my 360 collects dust and the kids have taken over the wii (they can have it). I am ready for some new consoles, I am more eager about the new technology, than I am about playing the games.

I think going out and getting these things when they come out is silly but hey this is the over 35 thing. The back log of great games games you can get if you are patient for next to nothing these days is great. Just got Star Wars FU for 200 pts on Goozex. Just one examp.....if you can get pts on there games are cheap. I will turn over again on the 26th, turkey day, appropriate:D. But i will say we will not shy away from an electronics sale......the Walmart tv's and 360's were too sweet to pass on even though i have plenty of both...may need to get a room at the YMCA...do they still do that;)

38 and I mostly use Gamefly.com. Much cheaper!

44 and +1 for the above.

I love playing the new releases for a couple days and deciding if it's something I want to pay $40 to $45 to keep. Most of the time I just play it for as long as I enjoy it and return it for something else. But there's always a few "must buys" like Beatles Rock Band that I just click "Buy Now" as soon as it ships out and pay the used price on the brand new game.

I'm 40 and have never moved far from the rpg genre of old days. I buy alot of different games but the only ones i go out and buy on opening day are the ones that remind me of the older games.

Things like eternal sonata, valkyria chronicles, disgaea 3 were scooped up quick. I think i;ll buy white knight story as soon as it releases also.

Due to the limited amount of time I have to play, I'm very selective about the games I play/buy and only get those that I know I'll get my money's worth out of (ones I'll play through 3-4 times and get most achievements/trophies). Consequently, I don't mind paying for a day-date release (or getting one as a b-day gift as was the case with U2 this year, and LBP last year :D) if it's a must have. I'm usually more or less done with the games I have by the time the next big thing comes out. I will say, however, I've been getting a lot of new titles of late, and am developing a backlog as I got Batman last month, U2 last week, and R&C comes next week.

I'm 42 BTW and only started gaming as an adult when I bought a PS3 two years ago.

I was wondering if there was going to be some other over 40 in this thread. :)

I'm 42 also & I stopped being "hardcore" right after Q3 came out, so no for me. However, I can be intrigued. If you do a search, I think you will find that I had more interest in Fat Princess than anybody else on these fora (which has since waned because as a recovering EQ-aholic I have recently discovered WoW (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/index.xml)) but in general, I just don't have the time (nor money as my college Freshman daughter would attest) or inclination to play.

In short, I got old. :eek: