As a parent, you know your children want the “latest and greatest” when it comes to everything, and video games are no exception. With the holiday season (a.k.a. gaming season) upon us, it’s the time when a lot of good games are coming out, but chances are your kids only know about the “latest and greatest” – which really only means “titles from companies with million-dollar marketing budgets”.
So what do you do with the barrage of requests to get them their favorite games? Check out these money-saving tips on how to best please your gamer, young or old, this holiday season.
Ask them what game that they really want. Yes, it can be as simple as asking the gamer what game they really want to play. As a gamer, it’s easy to get lost with all of the games coming out at once during gaming season (September – December each year). Narrowing it down to what they want to play the most will help you get the game that will give them the most hours of enjoyment.- When in doubt, rent. Some games are great either in the single player or multiplayer category, so if the gamer is not sure which they want first, it is better to rent the title vs. making a purchase that will collect dust once the game is beaten. With rental services like Redbox and GameFly, it is much easier to rent a game that you are not sure about vs. purchasing it without the ability to return it if they don’t like it. A GameFly membership is also a great gift; think of it as a Netflix gift membership for gamers. What’s even better is that if a gamer plays a rented game and loves it, GameFly will often give the option to purchase the title at a discount.
- Check out games from independent developers. There are literally hundreds of great games out there that no one knows about because the developer didn’t have a company with a million-dollar budget to build up the hype. Family Gamer Review is a great place to find them, and while there are no cardboard cut-outs of the characters propped up at GameStop nor commercials during prime time, some of these independent titles are among the best ever released!
- Check out the reviews of a game on several sites. Sometimes a blockbuster title may not live up to its hype, but people are buying it in droves because of the great marketing. The purchaser (you) may not know that they are spending in upwards of, with season pass and other DLC (downloadable content), of $100 or more for a single game! Trust me, there have been many long-awaited games released, with non-stop hype since their announcements, only for them to receive bad reviews everywhere. The only thing worse than being disappointed by a bad game is being stuck with it.
- Trade in those old games toward that new one! A lot of gaming stores like BestBuy, GameStop and even Amazon are taking back older titles and giving store credit. So, if your gamer wants that new title that is now out or soon to be released, it’s not a bad idea to trade in those older titles toward a new game. Some people say that you don’t get a good trade-in value for those games, but very often these stores may be running a trade-in deal towards that game that the gamer wants. This is a great way to get the new game at a low cost out-of-pocket.
- Buy a used copy. The myth is that used games aren’t as good because they have already been played… not true. Most of the retailers that I mentioned above have very strict guidelines on what types of trade-ins they can take. For example, GameStop gives a longer warranty on used games than on new, so they have to make sure that the next person who gets that game feels as if they were getting it brand-new. I have personally seen places like GameStop decline to take a game as a trade-in if it looks very used or damaged; furthermore, their process of cleaning the game is very thorough. I can personally say that I buy used games most of the time and I have not, in the last several years, ever ran into a game that needed to be cleaned or even returned because of it being used before I bought it.
- ‘Tis the season of sales! With the holidays coming up, many retailers (and e-tailers) will have sales throughout the season, and that can mean that a $60 game may be 40% off its retail price at the right time. So if your gamer wants a title but is not watching the minutes go by until they play it (or if you’re teaching your gamer patience or the value of money), waiting for a sale may be the best way to make it easier on your pocketbook or wallet.
- Watch “Let’s Play” sessions and Twitch. With the rise of social media, Let’s Play sessions and Twitch are becoming increasingly popular for watching others play new games, get previews of game quality, etc. On YouTube, Twitch and other online channels you can find at least a few people playing the game that your gamer wants. This can also be a great way to see if the game is appropriate for your gamer. Within the Twitch broadcast, or in YouTube video comments, you can even ask questions about the game; sometimes seeing the game in action will help the gamer in your family decide if they really want that title or not.
- And for the gamer who has everything… What if they’ve already got their favorite game and they’re not looking for a new one? Focus on what they love in a whole new way – gamer art! Studio MAP makes art that will delight your gamer and that you’ll be proud to hang on the wall. Your gamer will love that you support their love of the game, and you’ll be happy to put up something more sophisticated than the poster that came with the game!
Some Gamer Art for your children’s bedroom
You can survive the gaming season without breaking the bank with just a little investigative work, paying attention both online and offline for sales and talking to that gamer in your family. Make it a win-win situation this year; make your gamer happy without putting in overtime to do it!
Also if you want you can listen to the Podcast Here.
As always, if you have any questions or just want to know what we consider the holiday season’s best family-friendly games, email us and we will get back to you ASAP!
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