Addicted to Buying Games!

thebob101

thebob101

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I just realized that I am addicted to buying cheap games. Ever since the CC sale, the recent TRU sale, not to mention the TRU closings, I have found myself buying games in large numbers that I know I can't play anytime soon. I have amassed a collection of about 100 games in 6 months. I know I don’t have the time to play them much less complete them, but I don’t care. I was at TRU this afternoon, mulled around the gaming section for about 20 minutes, picked up a few games, told myself that I didn’t need anymore games (talking to myself in a TRU that is closing is strange in itself) and ended up buying 3 games anyway.

I think I need help. Is there a CAG Anonymous?

Anyone else having this problem…..
 
Of course! My rationale is that if I get the games cheap enough, other than getting lucky at clearances or waiting till you find them disc only in 10 years like we see NES and SNES games, you wouldn't have saved much money by waiting until you had time to play them.

I've managed to cut down on the games that I buy "just because they're cheap" but there are still a bunch of games on my wishlist.

For the record, I got my GC last Thanksgiving, but between June and now (since joining CAG) I went from about 5 games to 75. Got a DS and GBA this year at Thanksgiving and now have 23 DS and 21 GBA games. I think I've played about twenty or thirty total.
 
Yea... I had about 20 games across PS2, SNES, PS1, dc and GC when I joined this site. Now I have at least 200 for xb, gc, ps1, ps2, nes, snes, gba, psp, saturn, dc, 64 and neogeo pocket.

I've spent a ton of money, but it went a lot farther than it would have normally. And there are a lot of great people on the site.
 
I pretty much spend all my money on games. It is sad but it is true. I try to keep around $75 per check to have enough money for food and such, but most the time end up spending that on a game as well, and then have to live off of $3 for a couple days, it sucks, but hey at least I have games to play.
 
Yeah, before I joined CAG, I only bought games that I knew I really really wanted. After joining CAG, my collection has more than tripled, I've bought a lot of random systems I never really wanted, and I have become more broke than ever.

To try to break that, I decided to put myself on a gaming budget as part of my New Years resolution. $100 per month on games with rollover money in case I don't spend it all in one month. I was considering putting it at around $50 but who would I be kidding, lol.
 
Cheap games make me spend more money than I otherwise would, but I never buy cheap games that I'm not very interested in.
 
I think I need help. Is there a CAG Anonymous?

Anyone else having this problem…..
Click to expand...

*looks at bob*

*looks at the name of the site*

*looks at the members list, 30,000+*

*looks back at bob*

You're definately not alone.
 
At least you're not addicted to buying methamphetamine or street pussy or Beanie Babies... I hope.
 
man, all this site does is get me bo buy games, its crazy!!!! i dont even play them that much, like 4 hours a week. you guys convinced me to get a DS, and thank you.

This is what I got at the TRU sale yesterday, they were closing:

GBA:
F-Zero:GP $8.00
Metriod, Classic NES $8.00

DS:
Polarium $8.00
TonyHawk ASL $16.00, it rang up way wrong, so I stayed quiet.

XBOX:
DOOM 3:CE, are you ready? This is insane, $7.79!!!!!!!! Apparently this was a Green tag, and the girl gave me 20% off the 50%. It was her last day, didnt care.

PS2: Sunny Garcia Surfing ( why they had this still I dont know) $4.00

GC: Fifa Street $8.00 DO NOT BY THIS GAME, HORRIBLE HORRIBLE CRAP!!!!!
 
I'm in the same boat. I went from buying one game for $50 to five games for $10 each. The problem is that I only have time to play one game anyway so 4 sit unopened until whenever. My wife is starting to freak out every time I come home and I have a TRU, Target, CC, BB or CompUSA bag. The only thing saving me is that I haven't come home with a 360 or DS........yet. I did get to be the cool relative this year though. I got everyone a huge amount of games that they wanted and everyone looked at me like I was Daddy Fat Sacks.
 
[quote name='docvinh']I sometimes buy games for systems I don't have just because they are cheap.[/QUOTE]

Like Meteos for $10 at KB......Hey I'll be right back guys, gotta run to KB.
 
As long as I can sell or trade a game for close to what I paid, I pull the trigger. I end up buying a lot of crap, but it is all entirely guilt free.
 
Thank goodness for Gamerankings.com, or else I'd be buying tons more games just because they're cheap.

Some of my friends and I have a trading system worked out, too, so when one of us gets a cheap-ass game, then the others take it off their want list and swap.
 
I'm addicted to buying games (not as mush as sex;) ) but I dont let that blind me on the more important things in life.
 
Im an addict... i wish I could be more like my wife. She only plays WoW now, her gaming budget is $15 a month! lol


But me... I have a problem. I made a resolutuon this year to not go soo crazy on buying games. Ive fought off the temptation every day last week and this to visit the gamecrazy near me on my way home from work... I already spent too much at the TRU and CompUSA sales.

I buy soo damn many that I have started hiding purchases from my wife! I get games shipped to my work, and then bring them home and hide them behind stacks of other games... lol

Before joining CAG, I had maybe 20 ps2, 10 GC, and 10 Xbox games. Now I have 125 ps2, 30+ GC, and 40+ xbox games. And I only joined in June of last year!

I used to buy games, dvds, books, toys, all kinda stuff. Now I cut out everything but games and I funnel all my spare cash into games only.
 
The most common time massive game buying happens when a new generations is approaching. Retailers and people usually want to clear out their old stuff in order to make room... I spent $180+ this month alone on games! And that's not counting the TRU sale items I bought last month.
 
I know that I am addicted to buying games because I just can't seem to stop having fun with the ability to make a profit on the trade-in of certain titles at Blockbuster/Gamerush. I buy cheap games play them for a while then when I get some more I just take the old ones and trade them in when Gamestop is having a trade-in deal too since it is closer to me than Gamerush.

But one thing is cool about my gaming spending is that most of it is with store credit and not actually cash because of me trading in so many of the games I have. I guess my problem is when I find out that there is a loophole in the system with trade-ins I try to exploit it as much as I can which has gotten me in trouble with my girlfriend one too many times because she hates to go game shopping with me.
 
The retailers must be making a killing. They've got the cheap ass gamer buying all the $10-$20 games. The rich ass gamers are buying all the $50-60 games and their bright shiny 360s. And they've got the normal ass gamers that buy Madden, Mario Kart, Grand Theft Auto, and the Greatest Hits games.
 
[quote name='depascal22'] I went from buying one game for $50 to five games for $10 each. The problem is that I only have time to play one game anyway so 4 sit unopened until whenever. [/QUOTE]

You know, there's a thread like this every month or so, but this is the best summary I've ever seen on the situation I'm in (and probably for most people here).
 
[quote name='thebob101']I just realized that I am addicted to buying cheap games. Ever since the CC sale, the recent TRU sale, not to mention the TRU closings, I have found myself buying games in large numbers that I know I can't play anytime soon. [/QUOTE] I did exactly the same last year. I bought & bought & bought. But then the Sales dried up, so there was nothing more to buy. I eventually did play about HALF the games I acquired in January-March of 2005.


As long as you are smart and only buy games if they're $15 or less, you're okay, because you can sell them on Ebay and recover the money, later.

But if you're buying $50 games, on sale for say $40, then you're screwed. Because by the time you get around to playing them & selling them a year later, they'll only be worth ~$15.... net loss of $25!!! Ouch.

[quote name='vietgurl']Yeah, before I joined CAG, I only bought games that I knew I really really wanted. After joining CAG, my collection has more than tripled, I've bought a lot of random systems I never really wanted, and I have become more broke than ever.[/QUOTE] Simple philosophy: Only buy the AAA titles (aka just say no to average stuff). That automatically limits your selection to only 1 or 2 games per month. For example I wouldn't buy Mary-Kate & Ashley Strip Tease, even if it was only $5.00.
 
My game buying isn't nearly as bad as it once was and I try to pick up shorter games. However when a deal comes along where I don't have much time to react ($10 RE4 on Amazon), I usually get it despite the fact that I may not end up playing it.
 
And I thought I was the only one having this problem. I registered some time ago but didn't become active till December 2005 when I started trading with other CAG people, getting infos on referral and buying games at cheap prices thanks to deal.

I got like 5-7 games incoming from trading yet I know mst I won't even touch thanks to my college timetable.

I think it'll get worse if I have sufficient funds to get a DS >_
 
I've managed to stop most of my current spending over the last six weeks or so, but now I'm boggled about what to do with all of the games I all ready purchased. I've got about 200 PS2/NGC/XBox games (in total), about 150 of which I've never even tried. But they're mostly A-list titles, so I know that I'd love to play them. The trouble comes from wondering which ones I should sell.

I suppose I should just realize that these games will be around for years to come, so maybe I should start selling them off, and rebuying them one by one, finishing each game before purchasing another. That's how I gamed when I was young, and it worked out wonderfully.

I have stopped buying DVD movies entirely, as well as music CDs. I now rent movies, and have satellite radio. Maybe I should start renting games as well. I'd say, at this point, that my game buying is worse than most habits. But it's still cheaper than drugs/drinking. And I've got something to show for it at the end of the day! :)
 
Update-

Told myself I wasn't going to spend anymore $ on games. DAMN, drove by a TRU that was closing and dropped $100+ of games and accessories! Got home, wife saw TRU bag, I smiled, she looked at bag again, I walked out of the room as fast as I could. I think I shake when the stores are closed. I really think I am powerless......
 
If anyone has some older sealed games for GC,I may be interested. Please PM me a list. I am particularly looking for Bounty Hunter sealed for a gift for my son, but may be interested in others.

Thanks, Dane.
 
I went back to TRU and got PDZ and FIFA06 for 360, i dont have one yet......but man, tonyhawk on DS, that is a blessing, now i can crap and play at once.
 
[quote name='marcus12024']I've got about 200 PS2/NGC/XBox games (in total), about 150 of which I've never even tried. But they're mostly A-list titles, so I know that I'd love to play them. The trouble comes from wondering which ones I should sell.[/QUOTE]

I was in a similar situation, but I didn't sell them. I *played* them (after all, that's what games are for, right?). I took a one week paid vacation, and I played through 100 different games that week. (The reason I went through them so fast is because, once I had tried them, I realized they were trash!)

So take that week vacation, play all your games, and then sell them as "like-new" on Ebay.
 
[quote name='Vegan']Cheap games make me spend more money than I otherwise would, but I never buy cheap games that I'm not very interested in.[/QUOTE]

Me too. I do buy more games now and I do take more chances on $5-$10 games I wouldn't otherwise purchase at a higher price but if I have no interest in a game at all I won't buy it just because it's cheap.
 
I used to have a huge problem, but then I got Dragon Quest for $26 and all I've been doing is saving all my money. I'm so pumped that I've been able to slow down. Another main reason is that my Game/DVD storage cabinet is out of room, and I don't feel like dropping the money on another one.
 
the only problem i see about having a backlog of games is not having the time to test them all to see if they're defective. i try and test every single game i have (and end up deleting the save file on my memory card afterwards...;) *back to the backlog pile w/you* i've only had 1 game so far that was defective.
 
Another update-

Stopped by a CC on the way back from some business and dropped $45 on 9 clearance games (Xbox- Sphinx, Syberia, Van Helsing, Drake, Legacy of Kain, Hunter, XIII, Rogue Ops and Big Mutha Truckers 2).

This has got to stop. I was pacing around the PS2 display trying to figure out a reason why it would be beneficial to buy a PS2 and Guitar Hero. I already had a the 9 games in hand. Oh me, oh my....
 
[quote name='thebob101']Another update-

Stopped by a CC on the way back from some business and dropped $45 on 9 clearance games (Xbox- Sphinx, Syberia, Van Helsing, Drake, Legacy of Kain, Hunter, XIII, Rogue Ops and Big Mutha Truckers 2).

This has got to stop. I was pacing around the PS2 display trying to figure out a reason why it would be beneficial to buy a PS2 and Guitar Hero. I already had a the 9 games in hand. Oh me, oh my....[/QUOTE]


Please step away from the PS2 section, sir. Everything will be OK.


I guess everything should be OK as long as no one holds up a TRU because they didn't get a $10 copy of God of War or whatever game is on clearance.
 
I used to be better at it, now I have like 5 games I'm currently playing and 2 I haven't cracked. At least 90% of that came from game trading sites, and the ones I can't trade I give to my relative for xmas/birthdays/whatever. Now that's being a cheapass.


My prob is that I want to play Shin Megami pretty bad, but I can't see dropping $150 for the whole series. It was bad enough when my ps2 died and I had to get the new slim dealie.
 
I think another problem for me is that, once I manage to finish a game, unless it was absolutely horrible, I have to keep it. I just can't sell it. I'm the same way with books, however. I've kept every book I've read since I was about 16 - around 1500 in total.

I guess I just need a house to store all of my stuff in, so that I can stop feeling guilty about having so much. It's all paid for with my own money, and it's not like I'm going broke or anything. Hmm...
 
[quote name='marcus12024']I think another problem for me is that, once I manage to finish a game, unless it was absolutely horrible, I have to keep it. I just can't sell it. I'm the same way with books, however. I've kept every book I've read since I was about 16 - around 1500 in total.

I guess I just need a house to store all of my stuff in, so that I can stop feeling guilty about having so much. It's all paid for with my own money, and it's not like I'm going broke or anything. Hmm...[/QUOTE]


I feel you there. I keep all my games, I only sell or trade doubles. Although sometimes I will buy games that I have no interest in playing if I think I can use them for trading or reselling, but I dont really consider those 'my' games.

I picked up a copy of Xenosaga II at the CompUSA sale, I had no real interest in it, just a feeling that I could get back more than $10 worth of credit for it. I dont consider that one of my games and I dont list it as a part of my collection. It will remain sealed until it finds its way to its new owner.
 
[quote name='Puffa469']I feel you there. I keep all my games, I only sell or trade doubles. Although sometimes I will buy games that I have no interest in playing if I think I can use them for trading or reselling, but I dont really consider those 'my' games.

I picked up a copy of Xenosaga II at the CompUSA sale, I had no real interest in it, just a feeling that I could get back more than $10 worth of credit for it. I dont consider that one of my games and I dont list it as a part of my collection. It will remain sealed until it finds its way to its new owner.[/QUOTE]
Yep... the only game I actually intended to keep that I traded away was Lunar Dragon Song, simply because I heard so much bad about it, played about five minutes and hated the setup; and I got $2 less credit than what I paid for it, so it wasn't bad. Other than that, any game I've ever sold or traded was bought for the express purpose of selling or trading. It's sick, really.
 
FYI- you'll have more time to play video games in college than you will for the rest of your life. Real life will come and bitch-slap your time away.

Trade time for $$$- I still have to play a crap load of games that I bought freaking 7 or 8 years ago. Have Dos games I still want to play, Dreamcast games, Playstation games (Grandia I & II anyone?) Wheee.....

Welcome to the club.

Want to know what cut down my buying of games? I started playing World of Warcraft- thats like going from smokes to pure 100% columbian cocaine- so not exactly the best way to quit. I.E. I quit smoking by doing Crack! lol
 
[quote name='friedram']FYI- you'll have more time to play video games in college than you will for the rest of your life. Real life will come and bitch-slap your time away.

Trade time for $$$- I still have to play a crap load of games that I bought freaking 7 or 8 years ago. Have Dos games I still want to play, Dreamcast games, Playstation games (Grandia I & II anyone?) Wheee.....

Welcome to the club.

Want to know what cut down my buying of games? I started playing World of Warcraft- thats like going from smokes to pure 100% columbian cocaine- so not exactly the best way to quit. I.E. I quit smoking by doing Crack! lol[/QUOTE]

^^cracks up laughing, water comes out my nose.^^

totally agree on the buying games just because its fun. start playing rpgs and you will notice your addiction shift to actually playing the game (if its interesting). i just spent 50+ today on taiko drum master X2 and time crisis 4 because they were on sale at GC. I already have 2 guncon2 so i might be the best friend and give it to my bud as a bday present. the drum games are more for parties. as should all accessory games, right. most of the games i buy go to trade ins, but i only keep the rpgs because of their replayability at 50+ hours per play through. i have 12 unopened games sitting on my shelf collecting dust.

to the person who posted not wanting to get another cabinet, if it will stop you from buying, dont do it. otherwise, just get another bookshelf cause you will need it later.
 
Common problems.
-Dozens of PC games waiting for a good video card.
-All current gen games totaling 50+ waiting to be played.
-A couple 360 games waiting a console.
-handheld games for GBA, DS, and PSP. At least a dozen and a half waiting to be played.
-And a want list that is growing in size.

Glad i'm not the only one suffering these problems. Maybe not all but you guys share some of my crazy problems.
 
You are not alone my friend. Although I am making progress the remaining money that weren't payed to taxes,bills,food,medicine were for games. That's about $500 on games. However the long delays and waitings for the games to come out has made me spend my money on other stuff. Now I'm buying military tatic books from my base I'm stationed in!

Good luck to all the game-spenders out there, I feel your pain...
 
My girlfriend and I were in EB, buying her Super Mario Advance 2. I tell her I'll look around, while she's on the phone with her sister talking about the .99 CD's EB is clearancing.

I ended up going to the register twice (she didn't notice!) and got:

DMC 3: SE
Wild Arms Alter Code F guide
Wild Arms 4 guide

She wasn't too happy when she got off the phone, turned around from the CD's, and the small bag with SMA 2 grew into a huge bag.
 
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