Best Deals on Video Games for Your Chistmas List

My family finally entered the modern era this year and upgraded our Nintendo Game Cube for a Wii. It wasn't without a whole lot of fighting on my part; I loved the simple design and elegance of the Game Cube, and the Cube was remarkable in its graphic technology and playability. When you consider the fact that it pretty much sat in the corner gathering dust, I saw no reason to drop the cash to upgrade. Until I actually played the Wii.

My whole family are big fans of the new technology that the Wii represents, and I have friends who are equally smitten by their Playstation 3 consoles and the new X-Box platforms. These new consoles represent a quantum leap in gaming technology, and despite the various differences in the technologies, they all share one common attribute; jaw-droppingly expensive game titles. As an example, let's say that you decide to get your favorite game player a copy of Madden Football 2010 - the newest title available in the series for any of the major platforms. The suggested retail is about $59.99. Do a little shopping, and the going rate right now on Amazon.com for the Playstation and X-Box 360 is $56.99 and $46.99 for the Nintendo Wii. Fifty bucks is still a lot of cabbage, no matter how you slice it. What are your choices, though? You're pretty much doomed to paying it, right? Wrong. You have some choices, depending on how flexible you're willing to be and how well you know the recipient.

Buy it Used

Buying a used game as a gift is a judgment call. There are a few on my list that would have no problem with a home-made used game package with bonus gear, books or action figures. Others, not so much. If you're buying for yourself, this should be a no-brainer - that same Madden 2010 game that was going for $56.99 new on Amazon is available used for from $35-$40 depending on your gaming platform. We've bought several titles used from Game Stop and Blockbuster and have been more than happy with our purchases; it's hard to see a downside to buying a new title for less than half retail. The only real downside is that selection varies from store to store; there are precious few bargains on-line. Look for a store that accepts trade-ins - we find these to be in generally good shape; Game Stop advertises that they do a four-point quality check on games they offer for resale. Be sure you inspect the game disc before you buy.

Buy a Slightly Older Version

Does it have to be Madden 2010? If you can slip by with Madden 2009, your cost goes down considerably - Madden 2009 drops down to $19.73 - $23.33 on Amazon, again depending on your platform. This is often the best approach to take if you're worried about buying a used game, but get queasy at the thought of dropping fifty buckaroos. Honestly, unless the person you're buying for is a hard-core enthusiast, there is probably not a whole lot of difference between gifting the two versions. Worst case, if they really enjoy the 2009, you're giving them an upgrade path to 2010 if they're willing to drop the cash themselves.

Search Hard, Search Often, Search E-Bay and Buy Early

The Internet is a big place - if you look really hard, you might find a deal on that game, or on a slightly damaged package in a bricks-and-mortar store, but you have to burn a little shoe leather, be it virtual or otherwise. E-Bay is a great resource as well; not all items sold on E-Bay are used - you might get lucky and find a copy for sale that some nitwit thought would be a good present for Great-Aunt Rose. Use your head, though, and practice safe browsing. If you find a brand new version for $2.55, chances are you're gonna get taken. If you wait until December 20th to do your shopping, you're going to be sorely disappointed as you search for that bargain copy of the newest, latest and greatest. Do it now. Good luck, and try to have fun doing your Christmas shopping.