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Dammit, we want you to tell us stuff! Stuff like where you prefer to buy your games.
This isn’t some marketing survey or whatever. It’s an emotional investment in you. Yes, we’re interesting in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know fucktons about us — more than you even want to, we’re sure. But, hey, we’d like to know about you, too.
Anyway, here’s today’s question…
Question: From where do you most often by your games? And what’s the reason why you prefer to shop there?
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Honestly, EB Games. They do price match and with the 7 day return policy it can be cheaper than renting. Think of it as an $80 deposit.
I do prefer to buy online above brick and mortar stores. But anyone who saw the PSN update for the day would share my frustration due to the lack of content posted.
Love using Steam as well. My PC can’t run too many games, however it does run Team Fortress 2 well and that should be enough for anyone.
JB Hi-Fi- new games usually cost $70-$80 there, whereas they cost $100-$110 at game and eb. however if I’m buying old games, i’ll look around, but probly get them at game (especially if they’re on pc).
I buy my games either on ebay (For my ps3) or sometimes gametraders as they sometimes have those hard to find jrpgs.
JB Hi-Fi… Everything is just that little bit cheaper there, and there isn’t some douchebag trying to sell me disc-protection for an extra $6 or whatever it is.. Although i walked by EB last night, and there was Oblivion GOTY edition for $29… Should’ve grabbed it.
JB Hi-Fi. It’s generally cheaper than EB or Game and I don’t feel like they’re trying to shove used games down my throat.
I always buy my games from JB Hi-Fi unless EB has a special collectors item for pre-ordering. JB Hi-Fi is like a wonderland for techno geeks like me =)
Steam – Quick, cheap, easy and fast (although they have a habit of rejecting my credit card for no reason!)
JB Hi-Fi – Cheap… thought the service is terrible (well… you grab what you want, and wait in line for 10 minutes)
I prefer to buy from JB hi fi because it has cheap prices on new releases and it is close to work. I also like to import from online stores for the games that don’t get released in AUS and sometimes it works out cheaper too
EB, because it’s only a 10 minute walk away, and the Big W right across from it means usually there’s a good price match on offer too.
And if I am forced to buy a terribly overpriced game then I abuse their 7-day return policy over and over to get value for my $120.
I usually go JB HIFI. I tend to buy the game I want most on a whim and JB usually has better prices on non-special items. Otherwise, EB is good for bargain bin stuff.
I don’t think it’s not that people don’t want to tell you stuff, more that you’re asking boring shit. If you want to get personal with your reeader then ask them something they’d want to talk about like their first gaming experience or the first game they ever finished…see where I’m going with this?
I usually try and buy direct from the company, like I bought Sims 3 direct from eagames.com.au. Less clutter of boxes and discs and manuals that you never really use.
However if I’m out and about I usually stop into EB just to see whats there and on sale.
I’m a GAME man myself. Mostly because I get discounts there, but I also like their staff; they’re all friendly and always willing to help. They have good trade-in deals too usually.
I BUY! (you have By)
My games from Big w; the reasoning behind that is they are the biggest games retailer in my town and they are cheap (88 for a 110 game and I’m sold)
Simple. EB. Not due to them being cheap but rather because of staff discount from my little brother. Oh and price matching in a busy day when they don’t check.
Next to that, I’d say ebay due to always finding some rare jewel that I know I must own even though I probably will never play, ie, MGS:Twin Snakes and Ikaruga.
JB HIFI. They tend to have decent sales and there prices seem a little lower than other retail outlets.
I worked at EB Games for 6-7 years and bought all my games from there. Some strange loyalty thing, and also they were right in your face all the time.
I’ve since left there (got a job as a games programmer YAY!) and now basically buy all my games online. They are so much cheaper there, and now I have this major resentment for how much EB ripped me off over the years.
For console games I generally buy off eBay, tried CD WOW for a while, but after they took 2 months to ship SF4 and 2 months to ship Madworld (I actually pre-ordered it), I’ve stopped buying from there.
PC Games I usually buy off steam. My ISP is Internode, so theres no bandwidth costs for buying on there and everything is a damn sight cheaper (and more convenient) than anything else I can think of.
ok. well i usually buy my games at EB.
1. they price match any competitor (my local will match any price in the state)
2. 7 day return policy no questions asked.
3. most of the time they will give me a good price even without a catalogue.
I used to import from play asia when our $ was worth something but that just isnt worth it any more. im not going to wait a week or 2 just to save $5. id rather spend a couple bucks extra and get it NOW
I think I mainly buy my games from JB, but on occasion I buy from Game and EB, but not so much from EB. I try saving as much as I can when I buy games, but I do like their refund policy.
I like JB ’cause they’ve got some prettttttty damn cheap games there most times.
Few categories
New:
– Game Traders, asks them to lower or match price with JB Hi-Fi / Ebgames. Coz you get point card from game traders 😛
– If above fail, go to the next cheapest one, usually JB, but ebgames might work too if i can be bothered to ask them to lower the price.
Old:
– Anywhere cheap. I usually go through game traders, jb hi fi, eb games, WoW, ebay and the rest before snatching a game.
But more than often, ebay always win with the lowest price and import friendly. I got resistance 1 and the darkness each for $22. Resistance 2 for $32. Got Eternal Sonata for PS3 3 months earlier from US. Got uncensored ninja gaiden, dark sector and gta IV from US too.
Usually, I get my games from GAME, up at my local shopping centre. I prefer it due to the fact that it doesn’t feel so crowded and noisy – that’s a dealbreaker for me. Plus the 5.5% back is a bit of a bonus.
However, for older games, I’ll shop around a bit. I only rarely buy from EB – only when I can’t find it anywhere else; eg. NASCAR 09.
Steam mainly for me. With a decent exchange rate the prices are often the best too. The Steam sales have also resulted in a lot more impulse buys by me than any traditional store sales have.
If it’s not offered on Steam, then JB Hi-Fi & Play Asia for more obscure titles (mostly DS games).
Mark me down as another JB Hi-Fi Loyalist.
Same reason as everyone else is quoting; getting a new release game from JB for $80 then walking past EB and seeing the same game for $120 is amazing…
Looks like JB is the winner!!!
Who else here thinks Kotaku should have a forums section???
I use Steam for the majority of my gaming purchases, but will pick up stuff from a bricks & mortar shop if stuff is on special (or is only available there).
Console stuff is definitely EB though, mostly for the 7 day return policy (and the inherent shovel-ware status of the gaming industry these days).
I buy my games from JB if they’re new releases. Otherwise I usually get the off eBay. There are some amazing deals on there. I usually get region-free US or Asian games, or PAL games from the UK. Even with postage, they end up being much cheaper.
Steam.
Plain & simple. Weekend deals are great.
I also like not having to worry about broken disks.
nowadays its EB, becuase there they are only store around that sells games. its an hour to the next town so were lucky to even have that.
back when i lived in brisbane it was always JB-hifi, day of release and they will knock $15-$20 off the price of a game, from the shelf, with no preorder garbage.
Generally, I do the same as most other people here and buy from JB HiFi since they generally have cheaper new and second hand titles.
If it’s an import game, or a title I don’t mind waiting for, I’ll import from Games Plus. I’ll put in a large order with my partner to reduce shipping individual titles.
I find GAME has the best over the counter service. All the staff I’ve met their know their stuff about games, and if they don’t know something about a particular title either someone in the store will or they go out of their way to find out. Their trade-ins are pretty fair too.
The service at EB, by contrast, seems to have dropped over the years. I’ve been given wrong information about release dates, compatability, and prices to even bother any more. The only time I go in is when they have a clearance sale on retro or almost-new games, because you can find some really good bargains.
tl;dr JB Hi-Fi
I get games online as often as possible (Steam & PSN).
But for the console games I can’t get online and want new I usually hit up JB Hi-Fi.
Second hand games I’ll get from anywhere I find them. Mostly EB Games.
I go to Game Traders more often than not.
The staff are a LOT more friendly and, if I mention that JB has a lower price going, then they’ll price match with no muss no fuss.
And yeah, there’s that price card thing which they don’t even look at usually and throw another 10-25% discount. lol
EB is better for selection but their prices are just stupid, I only go in there for ideas now.
I never purchase from EB. Why?
1. I used to work there and found the selling techniques distasteful.
2. Price matching: When a retailer offers a particular item at a lower price, this means they bought too much stock and need to unload it, they get a great deal from a supplier, or they are willing to take a hit to get your hard-earned dollars before you spend them elsewhere.
EB charges full price (and often more, when compared to other retailers) unless the items are quite old and over-stocked, then they get the markdown treatment a few times a year.
So what have they done to earn your custom? Nothing. In fact, they’ve waited for another retailer’s initiative, then your leg-power bringing the information to them. Then they have the gall to check up on you because they don’t keep track of what other retailers are doing and won’t offer a competitive price unless you are able to actually purchase it from the other store!
3. Trade-Ins: When you buy a game off the shelf, everyone’s happy. You get a game, the publisher, designers, manufacturers etc get their percentage and the retailer makes a nice packet on top.
4. When you take this game and trade it back in to EB, you receive a small fraction of what it is worth to put towards the purchase of another game – An amount that, on its own, would probably not cover EB’s mark-up. EB then takes this game and sells it for a tiny fraction under full retail price. Nobody sees a cent of that money except EB. This hurts publishers, game designers and manufacturers.
If you think I’m being unfair, go to your nearest EB and check out the Trade-In section. Any title worth a damn is as little as $10 off full RRP. It’s not uncommon to find Trade-In games being sold for more than unopened stock on the floor.
I try to buy from Steam whenever I can. Why?
1. It’s a truly innovative form of retail. With demos, updates, gift purchasing, information and no deceptive or forced selling.
2. Products are available to buy, download and play on release date – no hunting or disappointment.
3. Sales are often unbelievably good value.
4. It allows “Indie” game publishers to release their games on a relatively level playing field.
5. Friendlier to the environment.
For my console purchases, it’s usually JBHifi or online stores. Sorry for the lengthy post, but I seem to have strong feelings about the subject.
EB’s pre-owned prices (for both trade-ins and re-seilling) totally fuck me off as well. As you mentioned, it’s infurating to see a pre-owned game about $10 less than the RRP of the new copy next to it.
Still, I’ll get something from Electronic’s Buttock if it’s way old and dirt cheap (say, under $25) and I haven’t found it anywhere else.
Typically if I’m buying something older or if I can wait 6 months to play it I’ll buy it from eBay cause I’m a Uni student with no money 🙁 but if I can’t wait (like CCFFVII) I’ll pre-order it at EB Games or just buy it at JB Hifi, JB is by far the cheapest most of the time 😀
JB HI-FI if Im buying brick and mortar, you cant beat them for price right off the bat and they also stock a lot of SE right on the shelf.
I also buy from steam a fair bit and use CDWOW/Play Asia for importing I guess it just depends on whats either uncut/cheaper/easier at the time and how soon I actually want said game.
If you’re in Melbourne, you can always check out Dungeon Crawl. It’s near the corner of Elizabeth St and Bourke St, and you need to go up some stairs. They have both imports and the new stuff, and generally a little cheaper than places like EB or JB when they’re selling at RRP. They’ve also got an eBay Shop as well if you’re not in Melbourne.
I normally check JB or EB for their prices first, (since both EB and JB are pretty close to Dungeon Crawl) then see if Dungeon Crawl has it for cheaper. If I want to import or pre-order, I’d generally just go straight to Dungeon Crawl.
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