Buying New Games vs. Buying Used Games

Being an avid PlayStation gamer for so long, it has always been in my best interest to buy games when they are fresh off the market. That gaming rush I feel whenever I head to the nearest stores after school to buy a new release, it's just pure geekasm! Opening the CD case, reading the manual, or simply plugging it on to my console is joy in itself. This has always been the case, since games were cheap to buy back then.

Come the PS2 and PS3 age. What was once an easy access to gamers was now limited due to expensive prices and limited stores that offered the games. Now what did retailers and the masses back home here in the Philippines think of in order to solve the problem? Second hand games. The market was small when it first started, but through the years it eventually became as big as it is respected by gamers. I've never really thought that I would eventually participate in this type of transaction, since I would prefer to save up and buy a brand new copy instead.

Oh! Bunny ears :)

So what's the deal you ask? When you buy a brand new copy, you're sure that your disc is 100% scratch free, sealed, free from dirt, and of course, certified fresh. You also get interesting freebies along with the purchase like DLCs (DOA 5 extra costumes come to mind), extra manuals, maps, soundtracks (think KOFXIII), secret codes or characters, additional levels (2K13 is that you?), free shirt (RE6 anyone?), free action figure / toy (hello ACIII!!!) - this of course assuming you pre-ordered the game. But even if you didn't, some games still come with those additions we spoke of.

Now why buy a second hand game you say? It's CHEAP - you get to buy the game at about half or one fourth its original price. What you need to be aware of is where you buy these. Since the copies are already used, you don't know how intact the disc is; scratch free, no loading errors, etc. Plus, as these games have already been purchased by a different gamer don't expect that you'd still be able to use the redeem codes or DLCs to get those extra maps, costumes, or characters. No free shirt for you too!

Another thing that comes to mind in terms of second hand games is the monetary value that comes with it. If you're on the receiving end of this, retailers aren't the only ones who buy these types of games, you could also sell them yourself and earn some extra bucks! What some gamers do is buy a new game, quickly platinum it then sell it at around half the price. Instant cash!

Wario wants his cash now!

And like I said earlier, I never really thought that I'd actually participate in type of transaction. But lo and behold I bought a second hand copy of Final Fantasy 13 from a trusted friend with no second thoughts (apart from checking the CD for any scratches), I was good to go. With that being said, I leave it up to the reader their purchasing power of choice: new games or used games. In the end you'd still get to play the game no matter what your preference is.



My PSN ID is NinjaKabute. You can also follow me on Twitter to get the latest updates on my blog, PS3 news, manga, the NBA, photography, or just my gaming experience cramped up in 140 characters.