The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: Turtlemcshell on May 04, 2014, 01:08:38 PM
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Hello fellow Mustachians!
As a newer mustachian myself I am starting to take steps in frugality. And i already see progress (which i am loving) however i am beginning to notice that one of my hobbies takes up quite a bit of cash and is very un-mustachian: video games. I currently own only an Xbox 360 (i havent stepped up to the next gen consoles yet) and have an Xbox live subscription which is $60/year. Not bad really but still makes me feel guilty especially when new games cost $60, although i RARELY buy new games for that reason alone. I mostly wait till games go on sale or buy used.
Anyway, my question goes out to all the mustachian gamers out there; what are some of the ways you have found to make gaming more affordable or more mustachian for lack of a better term? I really love games as i have been playing them since i was just a little kid and is one of my favorite hobbies. I am also aware of Steam and have an account and do some PC gaming on my laptop but not much. i mainly stay to my Xbox not loyal to any one company or system. Any thoughts anyone? thanks!
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1. You could go cold turkey and quit. Find something else to fill your time with. That's what I did, actually--used to play 5 hours a night, only stopping to take pee breaks and microwave dinner. I had 10+ consoles, multiple rare games and huge collections for each system. I sold it all for somewhere around $5k total (I suspect I spent $15-20k to acquire it all, much of it it when it was brand new). The only thing I own now is a PSP Go, and I fill what was previously gaming time with weight training, cooking, and reading.
2. You could mod your systems and pirate everything. Yes, this is morally wrong and illegal, but hey, it's an option. If you're a retro gamer, get a PSP and hack it to play basically anything SNES/Genesis or before. If you only play current games, you can pirate PC games fairly easily. Console games are a little more difficult but I know there are mods out there for the PS3/360 that require minimal effort/time/cash to do. Not sure about the new consoles.
3. Stay one or two consoles "behind" the current generation. Personally, I think PS2 games still look pretty damn good, but I haven't been exposed to a lot of the really new PS4/Xbox One titles that are pushing graphical limits. You can buy systems one or two gens back for a 10% of the launch price, and games are dirt cheap ($5-10).
4. Stay with the current console and budget shop. This is definitely the most expensive option, but if you absolutely have to have the newest games, follow the CheapAssGamer (CAG) forums and you can usually get $10-20 off new games. You can also "cycle" titles (i.e., wait a year before you buy the console, then play all the launch titles. While you're playing those, the newest games will be dropping in value, buy those when you're finished with launch titles, etc).
I've kicked the gaming habit entirely and I'll be honest and say I am much more fulfilled. That being said, there's a small part of me that still longs for weekend-long marathons of Warcraft 3 and Battlefield 1942. Just not worth the "addiction" I had. That being said, good luck to you,
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Here is my take on gaming while pursuing a mustachian lifestyle:
Gaming itself doesn't really fit in very well., however, it is still a guilty pleasure of mine. I think the key is to find ways to extract high value out of your games. Which means replayability and low cost. In general, I feel consoles are a horrible value. I've always thought it bizzare that you have to pay a subscription to play online with the Xbox. On top of that a computer does so much more than play games and most of today's laptops can play most games on low settings.
Also, I think MOBAs are the holy grail of low cost, high replayability games. League of Legends for example. You literally don't have to pay a dime to play if you don't want and it has infinite replayability. And if you've dropped cable you can get your "sports" fix from it if you follow the competitive play.
Steam sales are great, as long as you don't get roped into buying a game you wouldn't normally buy.
Ultimately, the key with gaming, like anything else is really to reduce your consumption. Find other things to replace your gaming time. Spend time outside, read, build something, etc... Every hour of gaming time you replace effectively reduce your consumption and eventually your spending.
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I play android/laptop games. You can connect the tablet/phone/laptop to tv for bigger screen and use a bluetooth controller for the same feel. You won't notice it not being a console game except that the games aren't the same. But I'm only into mmo-rpgs so laptop/pc is still the way to go for this.
but I've pretty much kicked that habit. Except I spend my time reading online articles >.> so I'm wasting same amount of time lol
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I don't think gaming is antimustachian or any silliness like that. Who has the right to say that gaming is any less worthwhile than any other hobby that people do in their spare time? Do whatever brings you happiness. That said, like all things, I've realized moderation is the key. I used to game for hours and hours, now I limit myself to a couple hours at a time and a few select games that I really want to play, things that I know will give me the best "bang" for my buck. Free to play games are great, because I don't have a problem resisting the urge to spend money in-game.
I do both console and PC gaming. I shop Steam sales for the majority of my PC games, and buy my Xbox games when they are on sale (CheapassGamer was already mentioned, also keep an eye on Slickdeals). I'm contemplating a Gamefly subscription. Yes, I'll be paying something like $15 or $20 a month to "rent" console games... but considering the cost to buy a brand new game is $60, and I can get three MONTHS of unlimited gaming for that price, I think it would be worth it.
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I created a login JUST to reply on this topic.
For me the value is really in open-world games and RPGs, which you can own a spare handful of and get hundreds of hours of joy and new experiences from. I'll play your average Elder Scrolls game for two or three years with as much as 400 hours - so $0.15 an hour for even a brand-new purchase (of course, I wait for the GotY or Legendary or whatever version that packs in the DLC for the same price as launch) is pretty good.
When we get right into mustachianism, however:
I'd say gaming is about as productive as any consumption of fiction - yes, reading included, despite the desperate "read a book, read ANY book" message most now-twenty-to-thirty-somethings steeped in in schools and cartoons all through the 90s. The thing to keep in mind is simply that time spent playing a game produces only as much as your imagination does in that timeframe - you're sedentary, you're making nothing, you have to do this in moderation. But if your brain takes off soaring every time you spend a couple hours in someone else's playground, if an afternoon with a book sparks an evening of leatherwork, if the right movie gets you composing after a dry spell - it's hard to claim that's not a worthwhile use of time.
While newer game systems consume a fair bit of power (you can practically heat a small apartment or dorm on one launch-model PS3 alone) a recent television uses relatively little electricity; a 42" behemoth near and dear to me rates at 32W for standard usage - but that's if you're not running super features like a demanding speaker system. You can control a lot of it just by exercising the aforementioned moderation in frequency of play, which will have the handy side-effect of keeping you happy and excessively entertained on two or three games per year (or every five years, if you're me.)
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I love video games. Compared to many hobbies you get great entertainment value for the buck.
I stick to PC games and upgrade my computer myself every few years as needed (I haven't for several years and my games run fine). I generally avoid consoles altogether, but have some computer emulators to play old Nintendo favorites like Super Metroid or Final Fantasy 2.
For me, I maybe buy one new game a year on average, and hold out for games I know I'll like. I do occasionally take old games from friends that they no longer play and get lots of fun from them. And any game with a monthly subscription or where in-game purchases are required to be competitive is straight out - I refuse to pay ongoing fees.
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I'm a gamer. My general feeling is that games are fine, they just need to be a controlled part of your life and finances. If you're trying to save a lot, console games might not be the best choice for you right now. I have three main suggestions:
1) Indie games
2) Classic games
3) Free to play games
This will depend on your tastes, of course, but I've been surprised by how many great indie games are available completely free. They're often more experimental, giving you new ideas and experiences that you might not get playing your favorite genres, but there are also plenty that do things you like very well for free.
Do you have a list of old games you've always intended to play and haven't gotten around to? You can probably find them free or very cheap, and while you spend time on them all the newer games get less expensive.
Free to play is also another obvious choice. It wasn't for me (I like the finite progression of games with an ending point) but they're worth at least trying to see if they work for you.
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I have recently started playing old classics on an emulator, mostly PlayStation 1 games, the one and only console I have ever owned. I bought a knock off Xbox 360 USB controller and it works fantastic for all my trips down memory lane, which come out to roughly 2 hours a month, if that.
Sure it's technically illegal but where am I supposed to get a working copy and necessary equipment to play a spyro the dragon game that came out in 1998?
As to whether gaming is mustachian or not... does it matter? Sure, you're using electricity and it's not the most intellectually or physically activity there is. But unlike you're doing it for hours on end every day, meh.
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thanks for all the responses guys, just a few things here. i am pretty much a console player but i am leaning towards becoming a PC gamer and avoiding the consoles all together. the console wars seem to be getting out of hand and you can play a lot of console games on PCs now thanks to Steam. I might just wait till Steam releases their own system and go with that. Anyone have any thoughts on this? any good PC investments to look at if i decide to go this route? also i thought the Gamefly comment was interesting, i will have to check them out. i like to play shooters (Battlefield and some COD, although COD is just getting worse latley) although i love action/adventure like the Assassins Creed series just for example. I love arcade games as well. when it comes down to it i like pretty much anything except MMO's; never gotten into them.
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@Dillon.J
Thank you for starting this thread. I think everyone already made excellent suggestions. One thing that might help is to simply establish an annual gaming budget that you think is reasonable and try to stick with it.
Back in my student days it used to take me months to finally commit to a game because I was afraid of spending too much, but when I finally did buy a game it really hit the spot. I played MMO's for a while and because I wasn't spending money on anything else I managed to pay off my consumer debt. I eventually dropped MMO's because I needed to finish my graduate thesis and get a wife =).
I for one will probably never give up gaming. It's been a huge part of my life and it has inspired me in uncountable ways.
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Spent a few years doing paid and unpaid game coverage, so I was deep into gaming, mostly on the PC side. Steam and the various other download services offer incredible deals - far cheaper than consoles in large measure.
I've given it up almost completely for now, mostly a time limitation. I read, write my own fiction, DIY all sorts of things, and do endurance cycling. Oh, and homeschool 3 kids. Only so much time in the day!
I generally prefer heavily moddable games. Skyrim offers a lot of content, but with mods thrown in...damn. Minecraft is a popular modding game. My kids are obsessed with Don't Starve.
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I employ this strategy: http://xkcd.com/606/
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I've had a playstation 3 for a while now, and mostly stuck to buying used games. Over the last two years, I probably spent about $100-200 per year on games, so not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.
However, I've noticed that for the last year or so, I just really haven't used the system very much. Kids getting older + work, plus other things grabbing my attention has reduced my gaming time pretty significantly. So, i finally took the leap today and posted it on craigslist. Hopefully I can sell it, and throw a few extra dollars towards the down payment fund!
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I don't game myself, but my boyfriend has a pretty good strategy.
1. Borrow games from the library for free
2. Borrow from friends (he also lends to friends, so not moochy)
3. Buy games secondhand, and sell them after you play them. He often can sell them for the same price he paid. Even works with new releases - people start selling them on Craigslist usually a few days after release.
4. Pre-order limited-edition versions of games that come with free stuff (fancy metal case, Zelda treasure box, soundtrack CD, cloth maps, whatever), and sell the free stuff. He once sold a little plastic Zelda treasure chest for $84 on ebay.
He also did blog post about saving money on games a while ago here: http://incomingassets.com/2014/01/01/video-gaming-on-the-cheap/
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My PS3 died this year, so I've been playing PC games using Steam. Steam is great. My PC can't handle fancy stuff, so I've been buying indie games for like 5 bucks a pop, plus oldies like FF7 for a few bucks. I'll make the leap to a PS4 in a couple of years.
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Gaming isn't anti-mustachian by nature. It's very cheap if you're willing to wait a couple of years before you play new releases, and keeps your mind and hand/eye coordination sharp.
Everyone's got an entertainment budget. List video games under yours, no biggie. I spent about $100 a year on gaming and have more to play than I have time available. If you're interested, I did a blog post (http://"http://www.livingafi.com/?p=700") on this subject some time back. Most of the recommendations are things that other folks have already commented on, but repetition never hurts.
Currently I'm playing the original Dark Souls right now on PC. It was $7.49 and I've dumped about 60 hours into it for the past two months -- so we're talking a little over ten cents an hour. Ridiculous.
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TF2 free-to-play, just don't buy the hats
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Basically not grabbing new releases is key.
Waiting for Steam Summer/Winter/Spring sales. PSN sales (good one on right now).
Also of course not jumping on consoles that are just released (PS4/XB1). First you generally get BAD hardware as it's Rev 1.0 and you get it overpriced. Wait til the redesign and they work out the hardware glitches and software... and knock another hundo or two off the price. Plus the library will be better overall (IT SUCKS RIGHT NOW).
As little as I game nowadays I think I'll always be a gamer my entire life. Gaming actually was what brought my interest into IT which I do as a career now.
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Gaming need not be expensive if you do it right.
Buy used off craigslist, then sell for almost the same price as you paid. I made money once by buying a game at a retail store on sale (for $11) and then selling on Craigslist for $15. Of course I didn't do it just to make a few bucks, I actually wanted to play the game.
Buy on sale - lots of good sales on PSN and to a lesser extent Xbox Live.
Basically just don't buy brand new games for $60 and you're good.
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Wow, I'm amazed at how many gamers we have here :) I can't add a whole lot to what others have already, said, but I'll reiterate:
1) Buy used
2) Wait a couple years after a game is released and pick it up for $20 or less for AAA titles.
3) Look for good deals.
4) Free to play. My wife got me Starcraft 2 (Wings of Liberty) for Christmas a couple years ago. Recently, everything except the single-player campaign went F2P. Because there are a lot of custom and Arcade games, there's a good chance you'll get a LOT of play time out of it. $20 for hundreds of hours of entertainment (well, ok, the computer isn't free, and neither is our internet connection) is very good value. Team Fortress 2 is another game where I've spent hundreds of hours. It's F2P as well, and incredibly well-polished. Valve's Orange Box (I got it for $20 several years ago) also gave huge bang for the buck, between Half Life 2 (and its episodes), Portal, and TF2.
You didn't mention what genre is your cup of tea--are you into RPG? MMORPG? RTS? FPS? Sim?
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I also am a gamer, though I probably only buy a few console titles a year these days-- Deferring your gratification pays off for you, though, especially in modern gaming-- anything worth playing ends up with a GOTY version where you get all the downloadable content, console exclusives, etc. and usually at a discount. Let others weed out the stinkers for you ;)
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I play games and frankly, it has saved me a lot of money. I go out less as a result and consoles are good for 7+ years nowadays instead of 2-3 in past years.
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I forgot to add Freecycle.
I have a couple friends who are video game collectors, and they've managed to get a lot of things completely for free through that site. Typically really old stuff, like S/NES, but occasionally newer things as well.
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gog.com is pretty amazing and has lots of stuff that steam doesn't.
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TF2 free-to-play, just don't buy the hats
but....but....but the hats are SOOO COOOOL! (seriously, silliest things ever IMO)
GOG is awesome, and you can also usually get the sound tracks with the games, awesome source for indi music.
And no one mas mentioned it, but if you do go to steam, sell those damn pointless trading cards! You get them for buying games or playing, list them on the market place, even if you only get a few cents a card, it quickly adds up to lots of free credit.
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And no one mas mentioned it, but if you do go to steam, sell those damn pointless trading cards! You get them for buying games or playing, list them on the market place, even if you only get a few cents a card, it quickly adds up to lots of free credit.
Good call! I'm so glad Steam instituted that trading card system. I was able to get NBA2k14 for free (sale price) by selling enough trading cards I had earned just playing my own games. If someone else collects those things and wants to pay me for the cards I get for free, be my guest.
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My mustachian move was to switch to PC. you can make any controller work, the "online gaming" is free, skype replaces "party chat" in XBL, and there are literally THOUSANDS of free games that are incredible.
I jokingly call my computer my $700 dota2 box because that's what i play on it 85% of the time. free game.
as with many mustachian things: a bigger up front investment saves you in the long run. If you're inexperienced with pc building (buying a gaming pc is for the birds) look up Newegg's tutorial on how to build a gaming pc. its about 2 hours long and very thorough, and you'll feel very confident about what you need to buy and what deals you can find as well.
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I employ this strategy: http://xkcd.com/606/
I've done this too. I bought a PS3 just this January and borrowed most of my games from generous gamer friends who've long moved on to the latest releases. Just finished Final Fantasy 13 and 13-2 and couldn't be happier.
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Another gamer here. Have been playing same game for 6 years online. It is a paid subscription, yes, and I've calculated roughly what it has cost me over the years. Averaged just over $200 per year for hours of entertainment. The same amount of hours I could have been doing something productive, yes, but it also gave me something else. I have friends that I chat with regularly while playing, making it social. It has given me an outlet to just 'zone out' when my brain needed a break, thanks to the introvert in me. It allowed me to have something to do that didn't require gas, shopping, social eating out, not having to waste products to fix my hair or makeup cause no one saw me, lol. I didn't sit for those hours watching tv being unsatisfied by not having the things those DAMN commercials were throwing in my face! Yes, the house is always clean and dinner always cooked, I don't play and neglect other things. I like the strategy some things took to complete. I liked that it also in a way forced you to watch your $ (you can't buy kick ass gear if you're broke!! lol). For introverts like me, it was a way to be social, but still safe from actual face-to-face encounters that usually make me nervous. And it's always there to play or not whenever and at whatever time I feel like it. The one I play in particular I like because there isn't an end, no way possible, so there is always something to work on, to do, or not, whatever your mood.
So for hours on end of enjoyment, strategy, socialization, zone-outness, accomplishment, hobby, and entertainment an average of $17.50 a month isn't too shabby in my book. Just my .02
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And no one mas mentioned it, but if you do go to steam, sell those damn pointless trading cards! You get them for buying games or playing, list them on the market place, even if you only get a few cents a card, it quickly adds up to lots of free credit.
Good call! I'm so glad Steam instituted that trading card system. I was able to get NBA2k14 for free (sale price) by selling enough trading cards I had earned just playing my own games. If someone else collects those things and wants to pay me for the cards I get for free, be my guest.
Wow, I didn't realise I could sell those things! I don't have many yet but that can definitely go towards extra games...
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I just nixed my Xbox Live Subscription. I've found that I get no enjoyment from playing online with other people. While there are good experiences to be had, there are too many trolls, cheaters, 12-year-olds out to prove themselves and other BS that I don't have time for, so I just play solo campaigns now. I only buy from bargain bins, so I save loads of dough to game.
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Gaming can be expensive (like most things), but it can also be done cheaply (like most things).
If you buy all the current game systems, and buy every AAA title the week it comes out for $60, you can burn through money like it's going out of style. But there are other ways.
You can apply a flat x-year delay, as was mentioned above. You can simply emulate or pirate. I recommend a different approach.
I now look for video games to play the same way I now pick out movies to watch. There are loads of great games/movies out there that I haven't played/watched. Some are recent, some are older. If a game/movie is new and people are talking about it, 90% of the reason they're talking about it is because it's new, regardless of quality. If an older game/movie has notoriety, it's (generally) because of its intrinsic quality or influence on the industry. This way the game/movie is ranked against every other game/movie ever made, not against what else came out this week.
With this mindset at work, often newer games/movies seem like a gamble at best. If I haven't seen The Godfather, what business do I have seeing Fast & Furious 6? If I haven't played Chrono Trigger, what business do I have buying Call of Duty 37? When the choice is either a known "classic", or a maybe good/maybe bad current game/movie, the choice is obvious, even disregarding the cost.
But the cost savings are dramatic.
If my girlfriend and I want to see The Godfather, my cost is either $0 at best (rent DVD from the library), or $13 at worst (buy the fancy Blu-ray disc from Amazon.com). If we want to go see the big new Tom Cruise Runs Around Again film, that's best-case scenario $11 (two discounted tickets), or $26 worst-case (two IMAX tickets).
If I want to play Chrono Trigger, I can buy the cartridge on eBay for $80. I can go to the store and buy the newest PS4 shooter for $60. After I'm finished with Chrono Trigger, I can resell it for what I paid for it, because it's a known classic with a now-constant value. That PS4 shooter probably is worth half of what I paid for it, maybe less. Even with really expensive classic scarce games like Chrono Trigger, you still come out ahead.
An example of how this has worked for me: Over the years (since ~2001), I have been an Nintendo 64 fan. I had bought many of the best games for that system. I sold them all earlier this year on eBay for $295. I went back and figured out that I paid a total of $270 for them over the years. So even after eBay fees and shipping, I about broke even, and I got 13 years of Nintendo 64 fun out of it. And they were all great games. Hard to beat that.
If you only buy good games, they will retain their value. If you buy bad old games, they will only cost a few bucks. If you buy bad new games, they'll probably still be $60 new, but worth only a few bucks within a year.
Since I truly adopted this mindset of looking for movies to watch and video games to play, I've spent very little on either. The last new game I bought was Skyrim (Steam), and I've probably been to the movie theater once or twice in the past year, always as a social outing.
I've also abandoned any idea of a "collection" of either. After I play through Banjo-Kazooie, I don't need to keep the cartridge as some sort of perverse trophy. I can sell it and pass it on to someone else to enjoy, and recoup the space and money. If I really want to play it again in five years, I can track it down again.
And this doesn't mean you can't play dumb-fun "non-classic"/"non-art"/whatever games/movies. But if you really want to watch Fast & Furious 6, you can probably find it in the bargain DVD bin in a year, and I'm sure there will be plenty of copies of Call of Duty 37 for 99 cents at Goodwill in 2018.
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Ahhh Chrono Trigger, so many fond memories...
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I am another person who only buys in Steam sales. Steam has a wishlist features where you can load up all the games you want to buy and sort by price - depending on what I want I usually don't even look if it's over $10, maybe purchase if it's $5-$10, and almost always buy for <$5. Plus they send you an email when a game is on sale so you always know. I picked up Risk of Rain for three bucks last week and have already sunk ten hours in (with many more to come), so it's very cost effective!
My most played games on there are Skyrim and The Binding of Isaac, two games I picked up reasonably cheap that have given me hundreds of hours of playtime. There are people playing DOTA2 and TF2 who haven't even paid the initial cost for the hundreds of hours as well!
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If I want to play Chrono Trigger, I can buy the cartridge on eBay for $80.
This is not a good idea. Most people don't have a SNES, for one thing.
It would be much better to simply buy Chrono Trigger on the Playstation network (currently on sale for $3.50, normally $6). It is also sold on the Wii Virtual console for $10.
Chrono Trigger DS is a superior version, but much more expensive than $6 - maybe $30-40.
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Emulation is a dicey topic to justify but I think once you hit the 16-bit era it's pretty much allowable. Chrono Trigger can be downloaded and run instantly on basically any device for free - you're not taking any money out of Nintendo/Square's hands since the game hasn't been produced for decades.
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Hello fellow Mustachians!
As a newer mustachian myself I am starting to take steps in frugality. And i already see progress (which i am loving) however i am beginning to notice that one of my hobbies takes up quite a bit of cash and is very un-mustachian: video games. I currently own only an Xbox 360 (i havent stepped up to the next gen consoles yet) and have an Xbox live subscription which is $60/year. Not bad really but still makes me feel guilty especially when new games cost $60, although i RARELY buy new games for that reason alone. I mostly wait till games go on sale or buy used.
Anyway, my question goes out to all the mustachian gamers out there; what are some of the ways you have found to make gaming more affordable or more mustachian for lack of a better term? I really love games as i have been playing them since i was just a little kid and is one of my favorite hobbies. I am also aware of Steam and have an account and do some PC gaming on my laptop but not much. i mainly stay to my Xbox not loyal to any one company or system. Any thoughts anyone? thanks!
Like you, I have an extremely strong connection with nostalgic games that I will always want to play. One way I have made gaming more affordable is by reading all reviews about a game and making sure what I'm buying is going to be really worth playing in the long run. I look for 9/10 or better IGN scores. This doesn't necessarily lower the cost per se, but it does help raise satisfaction. I only buy new games with good ratings now. Other than that, it's better to just buy used or discounted games. I shop on Black Friday for games, too. It usually has decent prices.
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I just nixed my Xbox Live Subscription. I've found that I get no enjoyment from playing online with other people. While there are good experiences to be had, there are too many trolls, cheaters, 12-year-olds out to prove themselves and other BS that I don't have time for, so I just play solo campaigns now. I only buy from bargain bins, so I save loads of dough to game.
Haha, that's mostly true. I still play online because PS3 is free for online play :D
I would only buy online play if companies really stepped up to take care of cheating, lagging, etc.
Edit: Sorry, I forgot this forum system doesn't merge double posts!
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Become a PC gamer and get into games with a lot of playable hour potential (Diablo 3, halflife, final fantasy, world of warcraft come to mind). League of Legends DEFINITELY is mustachian friendly because it's free.
If you pick long games that are highly intricate, you can put in tons of hours into the game with little cost. I remember in high school I played competitive counter-strike in a clan for 2.5 years. Didn't buy a single other game during that time, developed friendships and teamwork, got tons out of the game. Total cost over 2.5 years: $40 for halflife.
Final fantasy or other long RPGs are great too because they are such long involved story-lines. FF7 for instance, if you get every single thing in the game can take you upwards of 60 hours. That's a lot of enjoyment for the cost!
I think there's more mustachian potential out of PC games over consoles. More adaptable, more open-sourcey.
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My most played games on there are Skyrim and The Binding of Isaac, two games I picked up reasonably cheap that have given me hundreds of hours of playtime. There are people playing DOTA2 and TF2 who haven't even paid the initial cost for the hundreds of hours as well!
Yeah, Binding of Isaac was a good value. I'm looking forward to Rebirth sometime this year, though I'll wait to get a good deal on it.
If anyone wants a rogue-like that's less bullet hell and more puzzle (also more unforgiving), I recommend Spelunky. Not the same experience as BoI, but similar enough you might like it - plus, version 1.0 of Spelunky is completely free and will play on any PC.
Another free rogue-like I'd recommend is Desktop Dungeons. Very much a pure numbers game, so not for everyone, but if you like that kind of strategy, well worth your while.
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Kinda late to the party here, but a quick "find" revealed nothing on this topic. Saving money can be a great game, and you can try to "gamify" it by viewing dollars invested as "points." In this way, saving money can be modeled as an upgrade type game like cookie clicker, where you have to take certain actions to get points and points compound based on various purchases (or investments). It's not instant reward though.
I'm busy enough at work that I only play the occasional free web game, but I'd love more time for games in FIRE. So although I don't have direct tips on cheap gaming, I'm interested to see the responses. I always liked the "own a 5 year old system and play 5 year old games" approach, but then you miss out on some of the multiplayer stuff. Although I did play a little CS Portable on the web the other day and it still had plenty of fucking campers ;-)
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If I want to play Chrono Trigger, I can buy the cartridge on eBay for $80.
This is not a good idea. Most people don't have a SNES, for one thing.
It would be much better to simply buy Chrono Trigger on the Playstation network (currently on sale for $3.50, normally $6). It is also sold on the Wii Virtual console for $10.
Chrono Trigger DS is a superior version, but much more expensive than $6 - maybe $30-40.
You are correct. There may be better ways of obtaining Chrono Trigger specifically. I was mostly just going for an example of an expensive classic game. Also, the cartridge requires a SNES of course, but PSN requires a Playstation device of some sort, the Virtual Console verison requires a Wii/U, and the DS version requires a DS. It all depends on your situation and what you already have. My DS is broken, my Wii is on the fritz, and I don't own a PS3. But I do have a functional SNES (and no Chrono Trigger cartridge, sadly).
Emulation is a dicey topic to justify but I think once you hit the 16-bit era it's pretty much allowable. Chrono Trigger can be downloaded and run instantly on basically any device for free - you're not taking any money out of Nintendo/Square's hands since the game hasn't been produced for decades.
I avoided this mentioning this on purpose. I find that legality aside, I value and enjoy a game more when I either have a physical copy, or I paid for it. Maybe it's just a stupid brain problem, but I have always found emulation to be lacking in satisfaction. But yes, absolutely, you can emulate almost any system up to Gamecube almost perfectly on any decently modern computer, and older stuff on smartphones and the like.
And for Chrono Trigger specifically, it is for sale on modern systems as mentioned by Celda, so I don't know if the "victimless crime" argument holds water. Of course, the development of the game was long ago paid-for. But I'd rather not get into all that.
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And for Chrono Trigger specifically, it is for sale on modern systems as mentioned by Celda, so I don't know if the "victimless crime" argument holds water. Of course, the development of the game was long ago paid-for. But I'd rather not get into all that.
It's definitely a subjective thing, and you have to find your own ethical stance. I'm just putting it out there since it's the cheapest option (for your wallet AND your soul!)
If anyone wants a rogue-like that's less bullet hell and more puzzle (also more unforgiving), I recommend Spelunky. Not the same experience as BoI, but similar enough you might like it - plus, version 1.0 of Spelunky is completely free and will play on any PC.
I love Spelunky! That sort of roguelikelike or procedural death labyrinth game is usually really cheap and easily lends itself to hundreds of hours of play. Spelunky, Risk of Rain, Binding of Isaac, Don't Starve and FTL are all really good price-to-time value, plus I bought all of them for under five dollars.
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Long time heavy gamer.
Best thing to do is get out of the consoles and go with PC gaming. The refresh cycle for gaming rigs has essentially stopped (e.g. My 2-3 year old mid range $700 laptop runs recent games just fine.)
Best part of PC gaming: MODS!!!!
I have played more hours of the Star Wars and Star Trek mods for Sins of a solar empire than I have played of the main game.
Second best part: old games are dirt cheap. I LAN party Star Wars Battlefront 2 with friends all the time.
Best way to stop playing games... Have two kids!
Also, if you like shooters, you should really check out Arma 2 / 3 and DayZ. Once you play a real mil-sim shooter, you can't go back to the arcade that is CoD / BF. These of course are only on PC.
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If a game/movie is new and people are talking about it, 90% of the reason they're talking about it is because it's new, regardless of quality. If an older game/movie has notoriety, it's (generally) because of its intrinsic quality or influence on the industry. This way the game/movie is ranked against every other game/movie ever made, not against what else came out this week.
Ketchup, you nailed it. Not only does this modulate your spending but it saves you from blowing HOURS OF YOUR LIFE on media that don't deserve it. A bad game or movie is generally NOT WORTH your finite lifetime, and that's the thing I was trying to get at with the relative productivity of fiction consumption - there is a limit to how much it will contribute to your experiences as a human being.
If only I could adopt your angle on letting GO of the games I'm unlikely to reply... I hoard in fear of finding myself without.
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If a game/movie is new and people are talking about it, 90% of the reason they're talking about it is because it's new, regardless of quality. If an older game/movie has notoriety, it's (generally) because of its intrinsic quality or influence on the industry. This way the game/movie is ranked against every other game/movie ever made, not against what else came out this week.
Ketchup, you nailed it. Not only does this modulate your spending but it saves you from blowing HOURS OF YOUR LIFE on media that don't deserve it. A bad game or movie is generally NOT WORTH your finite lifetime, and that's the thing I was trying to get at with the relative productivity of fiction consumption - there is a limit to how much it will contribute to your experiences as a human being.
If only I could adopt your angle on letting GO of the games I'm unlikely to reply... I hoard in fear of finding myself without.
Heh, it took me a while to adopt the letting-them-go mentality. It's only in the past year or so that I've been selling off a bunch of my finished-and-set-aside games. Even "classics that I of course will want to play again". 99% of the time, that's BS. With a few exceptions, I haven't touched most games after completing them. I can always re-buy them in the future if I find myself really wanting to replay Macarena of Time.
Relative productivity of fiction is a good thing to keep in perspective. Moreso for games than movies. A bad movie wastes a few hours tops, but a bad game can burn even more of your time. Seeking out only the cream of the crop is really just about another form of efficiency.
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If you are comfortable with PC games, you could try PlanetSide 2 ( free to play). I've had a lot of fun with this over the past one year.
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any good PC investments to look at if i decide to go this route?
I'm sure you've heard that PC gaming is expensive....and it definitely CAN be, so beware. Since the graphics CAN look so much better and you can get higher FPS at higher resolutions than consoles, sometimes it is hard to resist upgrades - and those upgrades can be expensive! But the games are certainly cheap on Steam and if you can build your computer yourself it will help reduce the cost. But personally I enjoy it enough that I spend most of my "fun money" on either PC upgrades or video games.
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I only played 1 game - an MMO that cost $12-$15 a month. I thought that was a great price for the amount of value I got out of it. But, you really have to be that kind of gamer. I've never met a console game I could play more than a few times.
Probably the best value I got out of any game was Diablo 2. I bought it once for whatever it cost ($40-$60) and played it for years.
I also used to find a game I liked and stick with it despite recommendations from my friends. They would always tell me about better games, but I'd avoid them and keep playing my game. Very inexpensive.
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I started using the library to get games, at least the ones that don't take weeks/months to finish.
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2. You could mod your systems and pirate everything. Yes, this is morally wrong and illegal, but hey, it's an option.
Please don't do this. This isn't for xbox,etc, but if you like games, a lot of indie devs are going with the 'pay what you think it is worth' model. Check out the Humble Bundle, a collection of pretty cool games and you pay what you want.
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I've had various consoles but also would strongly suggest PC gaming. Here's what I do...
1) Learn how to build / upgrade your own PC properly. I sold my first gaming PC after a year or so and MADE money. This has since snowballed into a side-gig for me. And I usually have a pile of free game codes from buying video cards etc.
2) Don't buy new games very often. There are TONS of quality games out there for free or cheap. Watch the Steam and Origin sales. Last weekend for example, Origin was giving away Battlefield 3 and Plants vs. Zombies away for free. And try out League of Legends, Hearthstone, Planetside and other F2P games. Oh, and make sure to buy ALL of the skins and whatnot. They are a great investment.
3) Take money from stupid people. I figured out a small part of the Diablo 3 economy when the RMAH was running and made a few hundred bucks with very little effort. People will also pay money in games like League of Legends if you can get them to the next tier (Silver, Gold, etc.).
4) If you're really good at something - capitalize on that - especially if you're in a smaller city. I've made some money / won prizes in LoL and CoD tournaments. My city is big enough that it has these, but small enough that no one really good shows up... Also it can be kind of embarrassing to do this as an adult. Oh well.
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any good PC investments to look at if i decide to go this route?
I'm sure you've heard that PC gaming is expensive....and it definitely CAN be, so beware. Since the graphics CAN look so much better and you can get higher FPS at higher resolutions than consoles, sometimes it is hard to resist upgrades - and those upgrades can be expensive! But the games are certainly cheap on Steam and if you can build your computer yourself it will help reduce the cost. But personally I enjoy it enough that I spend most of my "fun money" on either PC upgrades or video games.
Absolutely, this. You can buy a $500 graphics card every year so you can run all the newest games at 140fps on Ultra at 2560x1600, or you can be more sensible about it.
My card probably can't do now-current games, but it got me through the end of 2011 playing Skyrim on Medium at 1920x1080. That was a 2008 graphics card that cost me $130 then. It's really not that expensive if you don't get picky about cranking up the settings all the time.
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I'm less of a console gamer (these days) and more of a pen and paper (I know, nerd alert) kind of gamer.
But that wasn't always the case. We used to spend more money than I like to think about on video games. We don't as much anymore. Some of this stuff has been mentioned above, but here's what we did:
-Stay a generation or two behind on consoles. And if we upgrade, we upgrade *1*.
-Don't buy games new. Ever. If I can't get it used, I don't buy it, where ever it's coming from.
-Try to play it without buying it first. A lot of the titles I ended up disappointed in, and if I had just asked friends to borrow it first, I wouldn't have dropped 30 bucks on something that I didn't enjoy playing.
-Pick games with high replay. The last game we bought was Skyrim. We have legitimately been playing that, off and on, for the last two years. It's ridiculous. But awesome.
-Play less. Find other things to do and a single game purchase gets you further.
-Find a group who wants to play table top. Seriously, this one night a week thing for us makes video gaming less appealing. You can meet in one place and game, or use Skype or GooglePlus, which is what we do. We've been running a D&D game for two years now that is WAY more entertaining than anything we could buy for the console or PC.
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Gamefly.com Rent games works like netflix except for games.
We use it for husbands ps3, ps2, Xbox, and wii. Yes I know that's a lot of game systems it makes him happy. And we can easily afford it. I like with game fly no disks to keep. Better for the earth. He like new games whenever he wants them.
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there are free games on steam. not all games suck and are crippled with in-app purchases, there is a lot of 'abandonware' out there as well.
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I love games of the board game and Xbox variety.
The Xbox Gold subscription includes two free games every month (games with gold) and I've mostly been playing those. 24 games a year for $60 ain't bad. Some of them are awful,but there have been plenty of good ones too. Once in a while I'll pick up a used game at Gamestop, play it for a while, then sell it back. Or trade games with a friend. It's pretty cheap entertainment IMO.
I did resist the siren call of the Xbox One. The 360 is just fine, and since we don't have cable, is also our streaming device for Netflix & so on.
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Stay 2 console generations behind... you can buy secondhand for next to nothing that way.
Case in point:
http://cedarrapids.craigslist.org/vgm/4514764578.html
http://cedarrapids.craigslist.org/vgm/4514578513.html
only checked the last 2 days in my local area... and what do you know :)
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I would recommend trying to buy classic cartridge games (NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, etc.). They have already hit rock bottom in depreciation, and are starting to gain in value. From a price standpoint, it's unlikely they will depreciate much more than they have. A nice part of these games is they're generally pretty easy to find, and if you ever decide to sell, the sale price will likely be the same or more than you purchased them for. Talking as someone who has tossed $1500 at a collection that is now worth $6500+. Or, you can emulate like the criminal scum you are.
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Also: DOTA2.
if you like strategy, and free games, and you don't play DOTA2, you're wrong.
I find its a wonderful way to bond with all of my buddies that are across the nation for literally no money except the electricity and internet connection to play it as well. And there's no end to the multitude of combinations in characters and builds you can do. I find it a great joy.
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How's the Steam sale going for everyone? I've made about ten bucks in credit from selling the cards, which has bought me five games I was really looking forward to, which will keep me going until the winter (summer for me!) sale :)
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I bought Skyrim on steam for 5 dollars. If it keeps me entertained for as long as I except, it was well worth the cost.
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Best (easily approachable) game ever made imho. Great deal for $5. I got the Legendary Edition last year for $20 I think.
There are alot of good PC mods available that really make the game better. HD textures is one, and skyrimUI is another.
Tomb Raider is another great pick for $5.
I bought Skyrim on steam for 5 dollars. If it keeps me entertained for as long as I except, it was well worth the cost.
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Yeah, definitely pick up SkyUI. Another one I love is Frostfall, which makes you vulnerable to hypothermia and gives you penalties for not drying out after swimming or wearing full clothing. Not for everyone, but if you like immersion, look it up!
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what are some of the ways you have found to make gaming more affordable or more mustachian for lack of a better term?
Having a spouse that is a dev in the Xbox division helps. I was playing Xbox One in early 2013 =)
That being said, I really enjoy playing board games on Brettspielwelt for free. Puerto Rico and Imperial are two of my favorites.
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I'd be curious to see a dollar figure /month for your spending. A friend of mine just buys a bunch of stuff during steam sales and plays it throughout the following year on a < 100$ budget. Is there perhaps an equivalent for the XBOX 360?
I used to be a huge gamer (My gaming peak was just before and in my first years of college where I'd easily spend my full weekends and evenings (Even days, if my class schedule would let me) gaming) and somehow, I lost interest at some point.
I still play once in a while (Stuff like a skirmish in age of empires), but really, I'm probably below 1hr/week on average. Other hobbies include reading, playing an instrument or watching some series (Seriously, is it me or did tv series get ridiculously good in the last few years?). Reading is basically free (Library membership), an instrument is a one-time purchase, albeit a fairly expensive one and Netflix is something like 7$/month.
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Here's the games I love to play, a lot of them are free and the ones that aren't have a lot of re-playability.
- Arma 2 (3 isn't as good, even with mods)
- Warzone 2100
- Tremulous
- Open TTD
- Railroad Tycoon 3
- Robocraft (it has a cash shop, don't fall for it)
I used to play way too much, but I've almost completely stopped now. It's nice to have time to do other things too.
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I would second what others said
- PC gaming is higher initial investment in the hardware (you will have fun putting together your PC) but _much_ cheaper over a long run. Steam/GOG sales are a small fraction of the console monopoly pricing.
- if you are not picky ask for spare parts , most of the people who deal with hardware have more than enough spares to build few more PCs. I have sent people i do not know video cards that I no longer need as it is better than having it collect dust in my basement. Ask, the worst you will get is no interest.
- gaming = entertainment (same as reading or any other activity). as long as you do not overdo it and have fun doing it - enjoy!
- type of gaming you like would influence console vs PC choices , i.e. the good storytelling i am interested in (i.e. Witcher) is much harder to get on the console. or total war type strategy
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Steam Summer Sale Mustachians!
There are some great deals on there, and subsequently some horrible ones as well.
One of the best ones I've seen thus far is CS:Global Offensive for $7. If you're an FPS fan its hard to beat counter strike, especially at this price.
just don't get caught up in the DLC trap. apparently there are "gun packs" that are in the hundreds.
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Steam Summer Sale representation here. I've held myself in check compared to my pre-mustachian days, but I've still managed to buy myself three games so far, all at 75% off or more. The Last Remnant (I know know, but I've always wanted to play it), Supreme Commander 2, and the indie game Unepic.
Really hoping Halo Spartan Assault, Baldur's Gate II Enhanced Edition, and The Walking Dead Season 2 go 75% off at some point during this sale. Or any of the other 20 games on my wishlist, hah.
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I got some fun looking games. Two were partly due to art style - "Brothers - a tale of two sons" and "Child of Light". Also got castle crushers for multiplayer fun :)
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I'm bummed that I missed out on Kerbal Space Program when it dropped below $20 last week :( Heard about the sale a day late!
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Supreme Commander 2
Why... Supreme Commander FA is better in every way.
http://www.faforever.com/
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sell all your console but keep a wireless Xbox controller to use with the PC.
Then Steam -> download Rogue Legacy for 10$
When you need to play, make a couple of dungeon. Is the perfect combination, retro style game of SuperMarioBros meets Diablo 2. Random generating castels, lot of things to do. Is funny as hell, difficult but doable, like the good old game and after months of play I still love it. Like Diablo 2, it has the same addictiveness. Years of gaming ahead are guaranteed, I swear. I play two hours a weeke and after 50 hours I've barely scratched world 2 of 4 and still has to beat a final boss.
An alternative is going to gog.com ('good old games') and download older gem for small bucks.
In twenty years, you'll find Xbox360 games to download. You may not have the most shiny new technology, but try to shift '20 years in the past', like with cars. You'll find today's technology in 10 years in cheap used cars. Do the same for videogames: go back to 10-15 years ago (thanks to www.gog.com and Steam), spend 3.99 for a 50 hours game and in 10 years you'll be playing today's game.
Is exactly like car: Moustachian buy used and old, and sometimes is difficult to resist to the new "graphics and gameplay" of new cars, but we know that in 20 years they will be available used. That's mustachianism in videogames I think.
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Then Steam -> download Rogue Legacy for 10$
When you need to play, make a couple of dungeon. Is the perfect combination, retro style game of SuperMarioBros meets Diablo 2. Random generating castels, lot of things to do. Is funny as hell, difficult but doable, like the good old game and after months of play I still love it. Like Diablo 2, it has the same addictiveness. Years of gaming ahead are guaranteed, I swear. I play two hours a weeke and after 50 hours I've barely scratched world 2 of 4 and still has to beat a final boss.
Seconded; Rogue Legacy is a fantastic game. However, in the interest of full disclosure, Grog may be on the higher end of getting gameplay out of it. The game's quality shines in its depth, not its length, so the actual amount of time you get out of it will depend largely on how you play and how familiar you are with rogue-likes.
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Seconded; Rogue Legacy is a fantastic game. However, in the interest of full disclosure, Grog may be on the higher end of getting gameplay out of it. The game's quality shines in its depth, not its length, so the actual amount of time you get out of it will depend largely on how you play and how familiar you are with rogue-likes.
Re-seconded :) it saved my videogames life, I couldn't find anything and I didn't want to spend money, RogueLegacy saved this hobby of mine, cheaply and awesomely.
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Supreme Commander 2
Why... Supreme Commander FA is better in every way.
http://www.faforever.com/
Calm down, this isn't the gaming subreddit. I like what I like because I like it ;)
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Grew up a console gamer, began switching ot PC ~10 years ago, conversion to PC more or less complete ~6 years ago.
I'm pretty shocked that no one has mentioned Let's Play videos! They're free, and surprisingly satisfying in most cases. I suppose for those into MMOs (not so much for me), but not interested in watching competitive videos, Let's plays may not scratch your itch, but for most other game types, they work pretty well.
I found that for the majority of single player games, especially those that I sort of want to play, but sort of don't want to buy, I'll look on LParchive or youtube for a good player. Like audiobooks, you're subject to the players commentary, so that's sometimes distracting or not so great, but I've probably Let's Played 20-30 games and saved a lot of money by doing so.
Maybe it's not true for everyone, but I get very nearly as much satisfaction from LPs as I do from playing it (except for open world/sandbox types or MMOs, as they'll likely not make the same choices as you would want to). For me, I can't play horror games, but enjoy watching other peoples reaction while they play (See Amnesia), so that opens up a whole new genre for my viewing that I wouldn't otherwise play.
Another benefit is that quite a few of the bigger LP channels on youtube will pick up new releases and start LPing very soon after release.
Some LPs that I rather enjoyed are Amnesia: the dark descent, Dwarf fortress (similar to checking out other people's Minecraft debaucheries), dead space, Bioshock 1, 2, and 3 (I played 1 and 2 before, but LPs give me my nostalgia fix here), Dishonored, assassins creed franchise, Ocarina of time (again for the nostalgia fix), and I highly, highly recommend Let's Plays of the uncharted series - they play like a movie and are great fun to watch. I enjoyed the Uncharted 2 LP about 98% as much as when I actually played it myself.
Some channels I like are Toegoff, SeaNanners, PewDiePie (I'm not always in the mood for his high energy, but they're usually fairly funny. Highly recommend his Last of Us LP), etc. Check out here for a whole bunch more: http://letsplay.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_let%27s_players
Other games that can be fun are ones like Impossible Mario for their reaction. These can get old, but are usually good for a quick laugh.