Reduce Gaming Costs

In The Simple Dollar’s Everything You Ever Really Needed to Know About Personal Finance On Just One Page we are told “Buy games that have a lot of replay value …. they maximize the value of your gaming dollar.”  This can be a great area to reduce some spending.

Find some board and card games

Board games keep well over longer periods of time.  Monopoly has good play after 50 years.  Old people are notorious for playing Canasta or Bridge.  I loved playing Risk or chess with my Father growing up.  XBox Live has Uno.  Why, because board and card games have staying power.

Gaming should be social.

Multiplayer games tend to get more playing time than single player games.  What do you play more with a deck of cards, solitaire or poker?  Did you even play the single player campaign in Halo?  Why are Guitar Hero / Rock Band so popular?  Monopoly is the most played game of all time.  Playing Monopoly alone is boring.  Trust me.  Looking for games that will be played my multiple people will lengthen their life span.  I’ve never had a buddy ask to watch me play Super Mario Brothers.  I’ve had a game i stopped playing regularly that someone asks to play.  All of a sudden i start playing this game again.

Look for video games that your friends play.  Almost all board and card games are multiplayer games.  Games you are playing with friends and family will be games you remember.  Risk game nights with my buddies brought us together and made us closer friends.  In college there were plenty of Halo nights going on.  These individuals enjoy not just the game but the friendships.

Single Player games

Look for reviews that tell you how many hours a game will take to beat.  Look for games with plenty of challenges and ones with multiple play modes.  Newer Star Wars game will usually let you play as both the Jedi and the Sith.  This doubles the game play off the bat.  Look for older games that you can play again and again.  I’ve beat Mario and still enjoy playing it again.  Find single player games that you can play in multiplayer modes.  A deck of cards for solitaire will double for freecell, poker, 52 card pickup.

Reduce your out-of-pocket costs

Buy games used.  Used games cost less than the same game new.  I would not say this if this were not news to some people.  Trade in your used games that you don’t play.  This cash or credit can be used to get other games.  Sell games on eBay or Craigslist or garage sales.  Used books stores will occasionally have used games as well.  Don’t pay full price for video games.  Trade your games with friends.  You can reduce gaming costs and still have good gaming experiences.