If we know one thing, it is that 2016 will be the most expensive year in gaming history. Not because there are awesome games coming out and VR hardware that will rob us blind, but our dear rand has suffered a great stab to the heart that has resulted in everything awesome going up by a few hundred rand. As of February, new release games will sit just under R1000, or over in some cases. Hardware, like the DualShock 4, has received a price hike of R200, pushing a new controller to around R1150. We know it sucks, and we will cry together as we go without food.
I have some tips to surviving the gaming price hikes, these are some methods that might just save you a few rand on your games, or even ways to make money off your old games that you do not want.
Use all your loyalty points
Every five months or so, I somehow land up with a ton of eBucks. I know there are a few loyalty programs out there which rack up points as you spend money on important things in life, like Star Wars masks from Takealot, and power banks for your smartphone from Hi-Fi Corporation. I try and save up around 5000 eBucks, which is equivalent to R500 before spending them. When the times comes, and I really want that version of Just Cause 3 that comes with a steelbook and a replica grappling hook, I then spend them all, and pay the rest in cash. This is a great way to save some money on games when you have to set aside R1000 and you have a couple of Discovery Points and eBucks to bring down the price.
Buy on Sale
I know it sucks to have the rest of your rich friends playing all the games as soon as they come out, but putting off buying a game for a couple of months, might just be for the better good of your pocket. Game prices drop over a 4-month period, depending on the title, and after that shop around and see, you might save a R100 on a title. Some games although, still stay at their retail price way after launch. If you are extremely patient, then putting a game off for a year or so, which is not always the most ideal thing, will obviously save you the most money.
Always look for sales whenever you are around. Takaelot Daily Deals are the best thing since sliced bread, and my favourite gaming sale website is CheapGamer. They are forever putting up the best local and international gaming specials. Maybe follow them on Twitter and turn on notifications so you never miss anything.
Purchase Internationally
If you are a PC gamer, then you are lucky enough to benefit from international sites which sell games at cheaper dollar rates. I know what you are thinking “the dollar is smashing the rand’s head against the wall right now“, but most of these sites sell their Steam codes for a portion of the price. One of my favorite sites is CDKeys. They often has some really cheap pre-order prices for upcoming games. I picked up LEGO Marvel Avengers for R278 on PC compared to R399 on Steam. If you are all about sales, then check back regularly for cheaper games.
Borrow and Lend Them
I sometimes feel like a video store as my friends are always looking for games from me to lend. I even have an excel spread sheet with a list of people, and what they have of mine. Lending a game from a friend is literally the cheapest way out of buying a game, you do not have to spend anything, unless that friend is a complete D-bag and requires a rental fee, in which case, you need to unfriend them. Actually, it does sound like a way to make a quick buck, I should keep it in mind. Another way to do it is to take turns on who is buying the game. Say you buy Far Cry: Primal, and she buys Plants Vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 in February. It is not only the rent that can be split up, its genius!
Sell Them
If you have a massive game collection, maybe it is time to say to yourself “the struggle is real” and sell them all. It can be tough, I know, as I went through a rough stage last year where I had to sell most of my games and consoles to make ends meet. There is nothing wrong with it, and the thought of people enjoying my games as much as I did, made the experience much more joyful than depressing. Games come and go, that is life. Put your games up for sale on forums and sites like Gumtree. Try and sell them in bundles as you have a better chance of getting rid of them. You can also, and this is not recommended due to the low trade-in value offered, but you can trade your old games in towards credit on your new purchases at BT Games.
So there you have some tips to surviving the expensive year ahead. What advice do you have for us gamers who just want to own and collect them all, but are on a tight budget?
