For some reason, an invisible price barrier lives somewhere inside of the part of my brain that processes money. This magical barrier keeps me from springing on downloadable titles, even when it makes a lot of sense to do so. Whereas Physical Goods Eddy is just fine paying upwards of $40-$60 for AAA titles, Digital Goods Eddy hesitates at the prospect of a $15 title like Journey. Or Trials Evolution, which is the game that I spent about fifteen seconds debating last night.
Trials Evolution, the follow-up to the hit Trials HD, released on XBLA last night to the squeals of ghost-beating track timers the world over. If you’re unaware of the mania that this game has inspired or what makes it so fun (as I was up until the last couple of weeks) — Trials Evolution is 2.5D platformer/physics racing game, wherein players control a motorcycle through ridiculously impossible tracks. The addictive part of the game isn’t just the sensation of negotiating through these Sonic-esque levels at the fastest speeds possible, but also from the way the game uses your friends’ times to taunt you. Glowing white dots that represent your friends race alongside of you, daring you to beat them even as you crash repeatedly.
The game is great fun, and the magical barrier in my head that keeps me from picking up digital titles was shattered more quickly than it normally is. It’s funny that even though I try to enter these things cautiously, there are certain factors that can make me foot the bill with almost no hesitation. For Trials, it was the almost limitless content (the game comes with a pro level editor, for instance, meaning that players will create their own ridiculous tracks), the replay factor that comes with competing against your friends’ times, and the number of unlockable races that come packed inside.
So what about you guys? What is it about games that convinces you to foot the bill? What games have recently made you ignore price completely and throw your wallets at the screen? Go!
I’d always be hesitant on digital downloads, unless it was Steam purchases. Unless it was PS One classics on the PS3 I’d always go through a huge debate on whether or not I would buy it. I definitely get what you’re talking about Eddy. I know that feel bro.
I was debating on wether or not to buy Orcs Must Die for a couple days. I enjoyed the trial enough, I just automatically assume downloaded games are “boot up once or twice”. I finally bought it but after I made my brother play and said he liked it. I figured if it was a waste at least now I can blame it on him.
I was about to pick up Kingdoms of Amular on Steam last night. £20.09, damn good deal but I decided against it partly due to price, but partly due to me wanting to play The Witcher 2 Enhanced Edition more. That would have been a 15 second debate as far as price was concerned, but a rival game made me hesitate and decide otherwise. I’m generally quite hesitant to be honest with downloadable titles or DLC because in a lot of cases it’s a boot up once affair.
I think Bastion was the last downloadable title that I “shut-up-and-take-my-money”ed.
I think the last game I bought was NHL 12, which is not a digital download. The last game I downloaded digitally, I cant even remember. For me, the price-to-buy ratio for digital games really has to do what you just said, be overtaken by the fun I will have. For me, it can mean many different things. One game I never will regret, MiniGolf for XBLA. Still a super fun game, and it was 1-4 players! Spent way too much time on that game. For me, important factors are how the game plays as well as will it let me play with friends.
This is probably one of the toughest budgeting obstacles I run into. Not just with video games, but with the “well, it’s only 20 bucks”. 20 bucks is buying pizza for the boys and watching the game, or the case of beer for a Saturday. Suddenly, the “well, I didn’t do x and y and z this week, so I guess I can swing that $20 for this sweet video game.” But the problem is, regardless of all of my budgeting, I’m most likely going to spend that money on the luxuries anyway, on top of the game.
I guess my short answer is: If I love the developer and the franchise, I’ll almost always pre-order the game. If I’m moderately interested, there are a ton of other games I should finish first anyway, and I’ll come back to it in 6 – 8 months when it’s on sale.