Gamers are not exempt from this financially depressing environment. Whether you are the type that’s still living off their parents (or have rehomed themselves in your parents’ basement), the independent and self-sufficient kind, or somewhere in between, this has affected your hobby adversely. Of course, you being the stalwart patron of the electronic arts, you trudge on, supporting the game companies whose games have brought you so much joy through countless (literally) hours of digital entertainment.
It is unfortunate, but there are those of us who aren’t able to keep up with the new releases and the cutting-edge tools of the trade required to enjoy these electronic diversions more thoroughly. Short of selling your own kidney or using your car to get a loan (the latter is actually more feasible), you simply cannot afford to follow the pace.
I’d like to assure you that it’s alright, and that your money and resources should be properly allocated to the essentials of living. The diversions come later. Still, you can still be a happy and actively playing gamer without sacrificing heating or toilet paper.
I would like to share some tips for the struggling gamer, and hope it will help you enjoy games and free up some much-needed funds to allocate to essentials.
Do Your Research
Many times have people bought games on reflex only to find out that it totally blows. As a result, they just shelve the titles and don’t bother to finish it, therefore it becomes a waste of time and money. If there’s this game you are interested in, do your research on the internet. Read reviews, watch gameplay videos, but be careful and avoid walking into spoiler information that will ruin the experience for you.
Borrow
Quit the urge of being a collector or hoarder for the meantime, at least until you get your finances in order or find more/better income sources. Go and borrow some games from someone who trusts you enough with them. I’m hoping you have some good friends to borrow games from, otherwise this tip would be useless.
Also, do not be a jerk. Do your best not to damage their goods, and return it to their respective owners like you said you would.
Second Hand
There is no shame in buying pre-owned games and hardware. You just have to be careful what you buy. Make sure the media is still functional and readable, or in the case of hardware, be it PC components or consoles, make certain those work as well. Don’t try your luck in shady auction sites; stick with safe portals like eBay or Amazon.
Bargain Hunting
There’s always being something sold at a discount in one of the many game retailers out there, particularly those who utilize digital distribution (Steam is my favorite). Do check frequently as they are fond of very short-term special offers, some lasting for only a day.
Free to Play
This is very prevalent in this era of gaming, with Free-to-Play MMO publishers from all over the world (mostly from Asia) and social media platforms offering tons of free games to play. Be warned, most of them are cheap knockoffs and rehashes of older, tried and true titles. A good number of them will also be “pay-to-win” (sinking cash into it will make your experience “better”). That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if the game is a multiplayer sort, don’t be surprised when some player outdoes you simply by sinking money into the game.
Go Retro
While games are getting better and better when it comes to interface and visual quality, some grizzled veterans are inclined to think that the older games have much more brilliant gameplay, engaging storyline, and “personality.” You should consider that and get in on the retro gaming spree. They won’t be as pretty, but in turn, they require so much less from your hardware (cheaper and older consoles, or less expensive PC processors/video cards/memory).
Also, Go Indy
The smaller game developers have some interesting titles, and they’re either inspired from the good old games many people have enjoyed, or they are totally novel concepts that might just create new dimensions of gameplay (which the big publishers will either buy out or rip off, sadly). You should still be discriminating when buying these cheaper games; indy doesn’t always mean it’s good quality.
Patience
If you get down to it, there’s really no need to line up on the first release day for anything (except maybe for emergency relief goods after a natural calamity). Fight the urge to be one of the “first” people to get that hot game/console, or to pre-order (unless it’s loads cheaper than when it hits the shelves).
About the Author
Stacey Thompson is a professional writer, marketer, entrepreneur, and a lover of weird little animals. She is based in San Diego, California, and is currently working on publishing a blog with her closest friends, Word Baristas.
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