Can't Afford the Video Game You Want?

Anyone who plays video games knows that it is not a cheap hobby. Even if you already have the video game system you want (such as Nintendo DS, Sony PSP, Microsoft XBox 360, Sony Playstation 2 or 3, Nintendo Gamecube or Nintendo Wii), you still have to shell out a lot of money to be able to enjoy it. I'm not talking about the peripherals, here--most of these systems are ready-to-play right out of the box, meaning that they have all of the necessary hardware and equipment to use the system. Of course, you can (and most people do) purchase extra peripherals. This is usually because people want to have extra controllers or because they need memory cards on which to save their games. But, technically speaking, this is not required to use the system right out of the box.

What really makes gaming so expensive is buying the actual games--purchased new, video games for any system can cost up to $60 each. Yes, there are cheaper games available, but often these less expensive games are the ones that are not as high in quality or they are games that have been on the market for quite a long time. So, if you want a good, newly released game, you are looking at spending some big bucks. Or are you? Is there another way to get the games that you want without breaking the bank?

Well, yes--if you are willing to make a few concessions, that is. I have found that there are many places from which you can purchase newly released games for much less than the standard retail price--and these places are all selling previously used games. You can find local stores that sell used games by searching your Yellow Pages under "video games," or you can go to the closest Blockbuster or Hollywood Video or other rental place and inquire if they have any games for sale. There are also more than a few places online from which you can purchase used games (more on that in a moment). But, the bottom line here is that there are used video games for sale, and you can save a great deal of money by getting your games this way.

Now, what concessions do you need to make? Well, you have to keep in mind that these games are previously used and, as such, will not be in brand spankin' new condition--so, if that is an important issue for some reason (perhaps for a gift), you may not want to go this route. Of course, the games are all guaranteed to work and you can return any game that has a problem, so that is not a worry. But, you may have to deal with playing the game without the benefit of having the instruction guide that usually comes in the game case, as those tend to get easily lost. Also, you have to understand that the selection of used games at any store, whether it is brick & mortar or online, is bound to be different from the selection of games at a retail store. You may not find the exact game you are looking for on any given day--or, you may get lucky and find exactly what you need. You have to be willing to hunt around a little, perhaps look at more than one used game place or visit the places on more than one occasion.

If you have no local stores, or if you would simply prefer to check out the selection online, I would first recommend going to www.gamestop.com. At this site you can purchase a wide variety of previously owned video games (and previously owned systems and peripherals, should you need those). The prices are perhaps a little higher than what I have found locally, but they are still reasonable and this site sometimes offers free shipping deals. Incidentally, this site also sells new video games.

There are also many sites online on which users trade video games. I know, many people may be a little leery of getting into something like that because they are afraid of being scammed. But, I can tell you that I am a big supporter of getting video games in this manner. I use a trading site called SaySwap (www.sayswap.com). This site uses a system of points as the trade value of games--games are either 10, 20, or 30 purchase points, depending upon the manufacturer's suggested retail price of the game; games that retail for $40 or more are 30 points, games that retail for between $20 and $40 are 20 points, and games that retail for less than that are 10 points. This site also uses a system in which each trade requires a token--the tokens can be paid for via paypal or credit card, and the first one comes at a 50% discount ($2.49). . Simply by registering for the site you get 20 purchase points in your account--that's enough right there to get a game! Thereafter, you can earn purchase points by sending out your video games that you no longer need and you can earn free tokens through their frequent promotions (or, you can purchase tokens--$4.95 for two tokens).

Why should you consider trading games? Well, if you crunch the numbers, it makes a lot of sense. Say you want to buy a brand new video game for your Nintendo DS, so you check the local electronics store you see that the price of the game is $35.99. That's more than you can afford, so you decide to check out a local used video game store, and luckily they have it in stock at the price of $22. Just for comparison purposes, you decide to check Gamestop online, and they have it preowned for $26. You then log-on to SaySwap and see that this particular game will be 20 purchase points--which you already have in your account from registering on the site. All you need to do is purchase a token at $2.49 and you can get the game. Obviously, getting the game from the swapping site is the cheapest way to go.

But, if you want to have your game fast, you may not want to use a video game trading site, especially if you are a newbie on the site. While sites such as SaySwap guarantee that you will get a game if you purchase a trading token, their promise is for within 30 days--not immediately upon your request. And, long-time users of this type of trading site tend to be leery of newbies, so you have to build up your trust and reputation in order to get games more quickly (not unlike how Ebay has a feedback and ratings system of its users). Video game trading sites are definitely worth the effort, but expect to put in some time on them to reap the rewards. And, there are many other video game trading sites on the internet, too. Search around and you may find one you like better than SaySwap--it just happens to be my personal favorite. If you decide to try a video game swapping site, be sure to understand that many of the games that other people are offering may not come with instruction booklets or even cases. It is always best to ask the other user what exactly they have for their game (whether is is only the disc or cartridge, or whether they have more than that). Treat the transactions like you would any online shopping experience, even if the person you are trading with is much, much younger--I have had extremely successful trades with people as young as age 13.

Is buying previously owned video games always the best way to go? No. Sometimes you may want to buy the new version of the game because it might come with something special (for example, some Nintendo DS games have offered a collector's edition stylus with the purchase of a certain game). Or, you may be buying a game as a gift for someone and you may need the game to look perfect--in that case, you may need to purchase the game new. And sometimes, you just may not be able to find a certain game used anywhere, so if you really want the game you may have to pay the retail price. But, if you are open to the idea of getting used games at least sometimes, you will find yourself saving a lot of money.