During tough economic times, it’s more important than ever to save money where possible. A lot of students don’t want to give us their favorite pastime; gaming. Here are 5 ways to ensure you get the best gaming experience while keeping your wallet heavy.
1. Rent shorter game while investing in others
This really is a common sense move. New releases such as Prince Of Persia and Mirror’s Edge are both under 40 hours of gameplay and can easily be finished in a weekend. Shelling out $70 for games like this isn’t the wisest use of money. Instead, invest in games with expansive stories like Fallout 3 or good multi-player modes like Left 4 Dead.
2. Grab sports games as the season wears down
The Superbowl is only 40 days away and marks the end of the NFL season, what better time to buy that Madden 2009 you’ve had your eye on? As the season wears on, gamers find less to enjoy in their sports games; you can only play through so many seasons until you grow tired. These casual gamers will trade in their games in hopes of getting an upgrade which leaves the door wide open for us to scoop in and benefit from the lowered price. If you are a hardcore sports fan then this may not seem like a good option, but if you have the patience for it then it could save you at least $20.
3. Rediscover your GBA
With everyone praising the DS and games like Chrono Trigger and Advanced Wars, remember you still have a viable piece of equipment stashed away somewhere. The Gameboy Advance is a portable console half the size of the DS and in its prime it had some great titles out for it which you may have forgotten about. Both Golden Sun games deserve to be checked out if you love the handheld RPG market and the Advance Wars and Fire Emblem franchises both made their mark on the console. Any of these games can be picked up from your local EB games at ridiculously cheap prices and provide days of entertainment in the palm of your hand. Don’t have your GBA? Check out pawn shops for it as well as some games. Remember; it doesn’t have to be pretty, it just has to be fun.
4. Swap Games
With so many games sharing release dates, arrange or you and your friends to get separate games and then swap when you are both tired of your own. Tired of Saints Row 2? Why not swap it for a few weeks with your friend who just finished Fable 2? This process gives you a 2 for 1 deal and lets you play games you would’ve normally passed over.
5. Trade It In
Are you ever going to replay Bioshock and get the other 2 endings or play Assassins Creed to collect every single flag? Chances are you won’t, so trade these games in and get something new. Keep games with a decent story and good multi-player (GTA 4) but you need to free up some shelf space to make room for new arrivals. Look out for trade 3 get 1 free deals that let you grab a new game when it comes out. Just make sure it’s a game you would want to play.
