Never Buy Games Off Impulse

In the video gaming marketplace, there is an ongoing battle taking place between the companies and their consumers. Companies are focused primarily on their bottom line while customers are focused mainly on their satisfaction. When both sides have their needs met, it is a beautiful thing. But one thing consumers have to realize is this: The companies are out to win.

I have no issue with companies being in business to make the highest amount of money possible. That in itself is not a bad thing. Making money is the purpose of having a business. Otherwise we would simply be doing everything for free. Where businesses find themselves in trouble is when they have no regard of customer satisfaction. This leads to the dangerous attitude of supposing that customers will always buy their products no matter what how good or poor the quality is. The issue is that many consumers who make purchases based off emotion and impulse continually prove them right.

Because of the ridiculous amount of money I’ve invested in video gaming over the course of my life, I’m in a great position to speak from the perspective of a consumer. There is one rule that I have learned when I make my video game purchases and it leads to satisfaction more than 90 percent of the time. My rule is that I never buy anything based on impulse. The moment you do that as a consume is the moment you have fully conceded to the business.

Let me explain. Companies put a lot of money into the marketing of their games. They show trailers, purchase television time and do everything they can to get you to pre-order their upcoming games or to make a day-one purchase. The job of the marketing department is to get into your head and emotions as a consumer to make you believe that it is a requirement to purchase their upcoming title. If the company can lock you in through these advertising methods, they know that you are very likely going to spend money on their products. Advertising is how companies gain the upper hand over their consumers. The only way to even the playing field is to keep your emotions in check and to remain objective in your mind.

I’m not suggesting that no one can ever get excited about an upcoming release. It’s a great feeling to have something to look forward to. But take the time to actually get to know the product that you’re interested in. It sounds a lot like a relationship, but the same principles apply. Before you fully commit yourself to purchase a game, do your homework to best know exactly what you are purchasing. After the trailer, visit YouTube channels that offer gameplay videos. Read the impressions that are being posted online. Ask the questions that need to be asked and make sure that you are finding all the information you need based on what your desires are for the upcoming game. As Persona 5 suggests, “Take your time” and do your due diligence in making sure you know exactly what you are planning to buy.

There can be a lot of pressure to hold off from pre-ordering or making a first-day purchase. Stores like GameStop are usually pushing for pre-orders. The YouTube and Twitch content creators are hyping the games more so than the advertisements. Then the message boards are full of people who are working each other up with the excitement of the anticipated release. I understand that it can be hard to resist all of that and keep a clear head. But if you do, you will either purchase a game that you know you’ll enjoy or avoid one that would have left a bad taste.

WWE 2K15 was a game I regretted buying back in 2014. Coming off the amazing WWE 2K14, I was intrigued by the new graphics engine that was introduced that year and had high expectations for the series’ debut on the Xbox One and Playstation 4. The game was pre-ordered and I also bought the downloadable content with it. What a disappointment that game was. It was an incomplete and unpolished game that was significantly stripped of features, wrestlers, and options. Had I not been sucked in by the hype, I would have waited to get all of the information I needed to make an informed decision. Instead, I purchased a game that I ended up hardly playing.

Remember, as the consumer you have a lot of power in your hands. You are the one who chooses to spend your money or not. All the companies can do is use their tools to try and reach you mentally, emotionally, and psychologically in order to influence you to the purchase counter. If you keep yourself calm and objective, you’ll be able to resist those tactics and make your decisions solely on what you want. Being excited about an upcoming game isn’t what counts, it’s your satisfaction in choosing the right game that matters.

-TVGA