Why And Where To Buy Cheap Games For PS3, Wii & Xbox360
Hi, as quite a serious gamer I thought I'd kick off my first squidoo with a guide to buying and finding cheap video games. With the recession still looming, and prices going up everywhere with inflation, people like myself are starting to penny pinch, but you don't have to suffer with missing out on great gaming as long as your willing to compromise.
With retailers vying for your trade, they very seldom tell you about there pre-owned market. This can be an Aladdins cave of delights as many games can be bought for as little as $1, the only downside if there is one, been these games will be a few years old. But not all old games are pants!
Below see my list of top 10 pre-owned Games costing $15 or less on Amazon right now.(Not in any particular order)
1. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3) - Gamespot Rating 10/10 editors choice - Currently $9.83
2.Grand Theft Auto (Xbox360, PS3) - Gamespot Rating 10/10 editors choice - Currently $8.99
3.Elder Scrolls IV-Oblivion (Xbox360, PS3) Gamespot Rating 9.6/10 editors choice - Currently $8.58
4.Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) - Gamespot Ranking 9.5/10 editors choice - Currently $21.49 OK not under $15 but that's the Mario series for you!
5.Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition (Wii) - Gamespot Ranking 9.1/10 - Currently $7.98 - New
6.Grand Theft Auto-China Wars (DS,PSP) Gamespot Ranking 9.5/10 - Currently $9.50
7.Killzone 2 (PS3) - Gamespot Ranking 9/10 - Currently $14.45
8.Halo 3 (Xbox360) - Gamespot Ranking 9.5/10 - Currently $3.99
9.Forza 3 (Xbox360) - Gamespot Ranking 9.5/10 - Currently $7.80 - New
10.Modern Warfare 2 - Gamespot Ranking 9/10 - Currently $7.80
Well that's my top 10 of the older, cheaper pre-owned and in some cases NEW bargain priced games. But Believe me i haven't even scrapped the top of the barrel of top quality bargain games available on the pre-owned market.
Now you must be thinking - pre-owned?, some over 3 years old!, Why would i bother. Well I can personally tell you i have played and still do play most of the above (although i sold out to microsoft and bought myself a PS3 slim), and they are no way inferior to most of the rubbish been brought out now. The amount of game you get for your money is extraordinary (Halo 3 - $4). OK so most of these games you will have owned at some point of your gaming "career" or might still own, but there are a bloody lot out there that you've most probably thought "Nah, rather spend my money on summat else" and never gave a second thought to it.
Well nows the time!
How many games in the last 12 months have you thought "i'm gonna queue up at 12am and get myself a copy of that before they sell out", honestly.....once if that, most probably Call Of Duty - Black Ops. Only to be disappointed by one of the buggiest games of all time (case for another squidoo) when you could of bought 5 of the 10 shown in the list above which have all been updated, debugged and optimized for playing straight away.
A lot of retailers such as Amazon, Gamestop and Buy.com guarantee your pre-owned purchases, making it a no brainer for buying that game you kinda wanted but never got round to buying!
With retailers vying for your trade, they very seldom tell you about there pre-owned market. This can be an Aladdins cave of delights as many games can be bought for as little as $1, the only downside if there is one, been these games will be a few years old. But not all old games are pants!
Below see my list of top 10 pre-owned Games costing $15 or less on Amazon right now.(Not in any particular order)
1. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3) - Gamespot Rating 10/10 editors choice - Currently $9.83
2.Grand Theft Auto (Xbox360, PS3) - Gamespot Rating 10/10 editors choice - Currently $8.99
3.Elder Scrolls IV-Oblivion (Xbox360, PS3) Gamespot Rating 9.6/10 editors choice - Currently $8.58
4.Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) - Gamespot Ranking 9.5/10 editors choice - Currently $21.49 OK not under $15 but that's the Mario series for you!
5.Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition (Wii) - Gamespot Ranking 9.1/10 - Currently $7.98 - New
6.Grand Theft Auto-China Wars (DS,PSP) Gamespot Ranking 9.5/10 - Currently $9.50
7.Killzone 2 (PS3) - Gamespot Ranking 9/10 - Currently $14.45
8.Halo 3 (Xbox360) - Gamespot Ranking 9.5/10 - Currently $3.99
9.Forza 3 (Xbox360) - Gamespot Ranking 9.5/10 - Currently $7.80 - New
10.Modern Warfare 2 - Gamespot Ranking 9/10 - Currently $7.80
Well that's my top 10 of the older, cheaper pre-owned and in some cases NEW bargain priced games. But Believe me i haven't even scrapped the top of the barrel of top quality bargain games available on the pre-owned market.
Now you must be thinking - pre-owned?, some over 3 years old!, Why would i bother. Well I can personally tell you i have played and still do play most of the above (although i sold out to microsoft and bought myself a PS3 slim), and they are no way inferior to most of the rubbish been brought out now. The amount of game you get for your money is extraordinary (Halo 3 - $4). OK so most of these games you will have owned at some point of your gaming "career" or might still own, but there are a bloody lot out there that you've most probably thought "Nah, rather spend my money on summat else" and never gave a second thought to it.
Well nows the time!
How many games in the last 12 months have you thought "i'm gonna queue up at 12am and get myself a copy of that before they sell out", honestly.....once if that, most probably Call Of Duty - Black Ops. Only to be disappointed by one of the buggiest games of all time (case for another squidoo) when you could of bought 5 of the 10 shown in the list above which have all been updated, debugged and optimized for playing straight away.
A lot of retailers such as Amazon, Gamestop and Buy.com guarantee your pre-owned purchases, making it a no brainer for buying that game you kinda wanted but never got round to buying!
New And Pre-owned BARGAINS
Is It Worth Trading In?
So you've got a hand full of games that you don't bother with anymore, best thing to do? trade-in 3 or 4 old games for 40-50% price of a latest release (if your lucky). In my experience the best way to sell old games is through eBay.
So you take your games into trade-in retail outlet, you go to the assistant and say "how much for these mate", he turns and looks at your 4 games that racked you up $200 brand new a year or 2 ago, hoping for a moment of enlightenment, a moment of expectancy until he turns and says "$32......mate" and basically pulls your pants down in front of the whole shop. In my experience selling a group of 3 or more games on eBay gives the bidder/potential customer the feeling of he's getting some kind of bargain. A group always looks better than something been sold on its own.
They probably want 1 or 2 games out of that bundle, but, for a few dollars more can have 4 games,4 games for $70.... easily achievable. The good thing about eBay is that your not just selling to one vendor, but potentially thousands, granted only a few will actually bid on your games but eBay has a way of warping peoples minds.....if they want it, they'll get it, even if someones selling the four games separate for cheaper. Competition + Product = $$$$
Another Trend i noticed is that if you start your auction at 0.99c, you will sustain more interest than someone who puts a "Buy it now" or who starts their auction at lets say $9.99. And although, your auction can run past the "buy it now" price of someone else's same item, it seems that once someone has their eye on a particular item, they are willing to pay over the odds even if the item listed underneath it is cheaper.
So you take your games into trade-in retail outlet, you go to the assistant and say "how much for these mate", he turns and looks at your 4 games that racked you up $200 brand new a year or 2 ago, hoping for a moment of enlightenment, a moment of expectancy until he turns and says "$32......mate" and basically pulls your pants down in front of the whole shop. In my experience selling a group of 3 or more games on eBay gives the bidder/potential customer the feeling of he's getting some kind of bargain. A group always looks better than something been sold on its own.
They probably want 1 or 2 games out of that bundle, but, for a few dollars more can have 4 games,4 games for $70.... easily achievable. The good thing about eBay is that your not just selling to one vendor, but potentially thousands, granted only a few will actually bid on your games but eBay has a way of warping peoples minds.....if they want it, they'll get it, even if someones selling the four games separate for cheaper. Competition + Product = $$$$
Another Trend i noticed is that if you start your auction at 0.99c, you will sustain more interest than someone who puts a "Buy it now" or who starts their auction at lets say $9.99. And although, your auction can run past the "buy it now" price of someone else's same item, it seems that once someone has their eye on a particular item, they are willing to pay over the odds even if the item listed underneath it is cheaper.
Amazon Deals
Renting Games
A great way to experience a game without actually shelling out a load of money is by renting. For only a few dollars a night you can take home one of the latest titles and return it knowing that if it wasn't that good you haven't lost 30% of its value by trading it in after buying it.
Renting is as easy as buying now, with online companys sending you the game through the post, you dont even need to get off your gaming chair to play, and with the introduction of no late fees it seems a very reasonable way of "trying before you buy".
Renting is as easy as buying now, with online companys sending you the game through the post, you dont even need to get off your gaming chair to play, and with the introduction of no late fees it seems a very reasonable way of "trying before you buy".
eBay
Latest Games
Last Minute eBay Deals
- eBay auctions ending soon with no bids. Find the best eBay deals!
- Find those eBay auctions that are ending very soon with NO bids! This is one of the best ways to hunt down ebay bargains.
Great eBay deals just a click away
- Last Minute Ebay Auctions
- Last Minute Ebay Auctions! Ebay auctions ending in 1 hour or less for $1 or less.
by Kenabiss
Hi, my name is Jase holtby a father of 2 and happily married. i work as an electrician for a large rail company. My interests are gaming, sport and bl... more »
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