When a hot new game is released I'm always conflicted if I should buy it right away or wait for the dust to settle. It's fun to get caught up in the hype and participate in the lively discussions in the forums. However it can be frustrating because more often then not new releases require several updates to clean up the bugs. Also sometimes games just don't live up to there own hype.
Buy ASAP If we all waited devs wouldn't mske much money and it would be 100% freemium When games are generally so cheap anyway I can't believe people wait to save a dollar or so
I meant to turn this into a poll, but that failed. I intentionally left that pricing issue out of my first post since that's part of a much bigger issue. As an example I'm following the Warhammer discussion. It sounds both excellent and flawed. Ideally it will be cleaned up via several updates. So is it worth getting wrapped up in it now or waiting until the bumps in the road are smoothed out.
You should wait to buy a game unless it is one that you plan to play immediately. I've fallen in the habit of picking up cool new releases or discounted titles only to find that I never got around to play them as much as I'd have liked too. My perception is that most game released are relatively bug free so personally I'm not sure how valid that concern is. Good games are worth supporting with release day purchases provided they compel your attention.
You should always buy a game later, unless you are planning to play it right now. This applies to everything, not just iOS. I could name Witcher 3 as an example - to get the best possible experience of that game would mean buying it now or after the next patch. They've worked out many of the issues and are still working on more. In the iOS space, the initial investment is lower, so you don't have to wait as long. Wait to see if the game is fundamentally broken, then download it if it's not. Also, only buy games if you're planning to play them right now. If you're thinking "well, I have to go in 10 minutes, but I'll play it when I get home..." Don't get it. And only get one game at a time. Anything else leads to hoarding behaviour. Heck, I have a history of downloading (and buying) games that look interesting and never playing them. Then next time I see something interesting, run out of space and delete those games to make room for a new batch of pretty icons to look at. And so on. It's a hard habit to get out of.
Of course I want to support developers but it's also my money. If my enthusiasm is high I'll buy something on release, especially if it is $5 or less. The great thing about mobile games is they are cheap so getting my money's worth is rarely a problem. If it looks promising, I'll wait for a review. I try never to wait for a game to go free on some promotion unless it is something from a major studio (Ubisoft, EA, etc.) Smaller devs are often struggling as it is so getting something free seems like a bit of an insult to them especially since I rarely am in a position to spread the good word about their game.
Buy. Always buy. If a game is released, it's certainly going to be in working order (especially on consoles). Who cares if it needs a little updating here and there? The point is...if something seems like it'll appeal to you, just go for it. If you don't take a chance, you may end up NEVER checking it out and deeply regret that one day. The thing is...take me and Corpse Party on iOS. It came out a little over a year ago (I believe) at something like $22 and was iPhone only. I didn't buy it then. A little while later, TouchArcade reviewed it and gave it 2 stars because the port was a crashing, buggy mess. That was it. I would never look at it again...or so I thought. A week ago, I remembered the game. The price had dropped down to $18. The game's still iPhone only, but the bugs had been worked out in an update. Shaun Musgrave, who reviewed it, told me the current version would probably get a 4/5 from him. We're talking over a year later, right? I can't imagine my iPhone and all 1.4 GB of Corpse Party without it. I don't care about the price-drop, but I HATE that it took me this long to get it. So, yeah...I'm always for buying immediately. Plus, on iOS it helps developers in the long-run. People who wait for sales are generally the reason those sales happen in the first place and potentially murder any future for those games AND premium games on the App Store.
I'd say, buy whenever you want to. If you're excited about a new game, and want to play it, then just buy it. I was on the fence on warhammer 40k deathwatch as well, but I really wanted to try it out. So I bought it, and now I can't play anything else
This can also apply to why you should never preorder any game, or think about buying it at release. There's almost always something wrong.
Yep thats what i feel. Again if we all waited for price drops or all used promo codes (some users here solely post for promo codes, never comment on games they've bought) then iOS gaming would collapse or become freemium 100%. When games are SOOO cheap on release, just a few dollars mostly each i find it incredible that people would wait for price drops for games on their $400+ device! I want iOS gaming to be huge and stay huge so i'll always buy games on release. Saying that the last few months i dont seem to be buying as many games as i used to, last two years i bought at least 4 or so games a week, now its probably one a week. Theres still stunning games out there coming out but in my view (and taste) theres just not as often sadly Granted some games when released do have bugs but with iOS gaming the dev can fix them quickly so i'm not too upset if theres something wrong with my $2 game, i'll be patient.
I have to confess....patience is not one of my better virtues. If it's a game I've been looking forward to, or one I really want I buy it. I figure $1.99 or so won't break me anyway.
Its a thin line, as many have pointed out, due to the large popularity and new titles each week, I have a staggering backlog... I have purchased don't starve, this war of mine and deathwatch and I've only logged about an hour in each. I think the impulsive buy now is popular because it's something shiny and new and you want to "get ahead" of the competition or at least stay on par with them. As far as waiting goes, I'm good with waiting on some titles that draw my attention, just because I know I won't have time to fully appreciate them until I finish some other titles. The only thing I really despise that I see way too many times is, "I'll wait for the sale price". That is one habit that I hate to see others do, because it doesn't help premium iOS developers or any other platform. For me, if I see a good iOS game on Thursday morning, at a premium price, I try to buy, if I know I have no way of playing before the next week of releases, it gets added to wish list.
I buy any game less than 3 bucks whenever TA tells me too. More expensive games that any my favorite genres thats usually extended up to about $8. Anything outside of that range I stick on my watchlist and try to grab it up at the first sale. I've never really considered waiting for updates though. Just doesnt occur to me.
It depends on the game. If its something I've been waiting for (such as Desktop Dungeons or the hopefully soon to be released Crashlands) then I will buy it right away. If its a game I'm not so familiar with then I will at least read the forums here before I take the plunge. If I'm still not sure it goes on my wish list while I mull it over (even freebies go on there just so I don't forget about them). If it simply looks appealing to me I will usually get it if its less than 2.99 even if I don't know much about it.
For me it depends on the game. If it is one I have been waiting for I usually buy it quickly. If it one that looks good and has great reviews I will then purchase the game. The original price or a sale price usually doesn't make a difference. I have been buying games since the early 80's that were $30.00 back then. Money is spread thin now but the IOS games are still a great value starting at .99 to $9.99.
