Are you a Collector or a Trader?

[Strider]

I was just curious what your game buying habits are. Do you buy a ton of games when they come out, beat them, and then trade them back in for a bunch of credit? Or do you pick and choose games to buy, keeping them in a collection?

I find myself in the Collector's category. Though this is how I go about video games, this habit definitely started with DVDs. I started out with a few movies, and then I just had to keep adding to my library. I don't buy nearly as many DVDs anymore, but this mentality has carried over into my gaming purchases. I like to keep my games around so I can pick them up later on to play them if I want to. Plus, I like being able to say that I have X game in my collection. I also like being able to lend games to friend if they haven't played them before.

I usually like to play a game before I buy it, or know enough about it that I will be sure to enjoy it. Sometimes I will get a game after renting it or playing it at a friend's house. Recently, I've been finding myself buying things based more on the opinions of people online, such as you guys. Anyway, I am usually well informed on a game before I buy it. I don't think I've had a gaming-related impulse buy in a long time.


As for my collection.....

I've still got a couple dozen Gamecube games. It was the first system that I bought for myself (with my own cash), and so I've got a soft spot for it's games. I still pick up and play a few of them every once in a while. I could probably get rid of some of them, but I doubt I will ever get rid of games like Metroid Prime, Resident Evil 4, LoZ:Wind Waker, Eternal Darkness, and Smash Bros Melee.

I also have a few PC games that I'll likely never get rid of, even if they become too old to properly play on newer systems. Stuff like Myst, Thief: The Dark Project, Half-Life, System Shock 2, and Neverwinter Nights.

At the moment, I have about a dozen games each for my DS, Wii, and XBox 360. I would say that I will be hanging on to most of these games for a long time, as I doubt I can bring myself to get rid of them. I guess that's just how I am.

Maybe I should go start a games collection thread where we can all list what games we own. Lists are always fun! :D

[Gentlemen Death]

I use to buy a game, beat it and if I planned on playing it again, I would keep it....BUT if I did not like it I would just trade it in. Now, after a couple of months doing that, my collection had dwindled down to a few games, I traded in one more game and for now on, I am keeping ALL the games I buy....UNLESS, they are fucking horrible!

I would trade in a game for another game and repeat the process but eventually I noticed my collection going away, so I finally said scew it and I am keeping what I have.

I just have PC and 360 games. I swore off Sony after I went through my third PS2. I still have the original bundle for Half Life on my PC that came out a awhile ago. It came with Opposing Force, Blue Shift, Counter Strike and of course Half Life. I really enjoyed Opposing Force, that game rocked! I also have Half-Life2, Battlefield2 and a mix of random small games.

For the 360 I have; Bioshock, The Orange Box, SW: The Force Unleased, Burnout Paradise, Dead Space, Madden '09, Mass Effect, GTA IV, Battlefield: Bad Company, Rock Band1 and 2 and Dead Rising. I believe that is it. It's a fairly small selection but I am picky with games.

[hanso]

I trade them in if I can get good value for em which is pretty hard to do cause those pricks in GameStop always screw ya over. Example, the same week Dead Space was out they were giving $25 and then they sell the used version for $55. What I usually do is reserve a game and get like 20 - 30% extra for doing so.
I like to game but I don't have much time to replay a game after I beat it, especially if it's a long game. I got the Wii with Legend of Zelda which is a frakkin awesome game, I still have it but I haven't played it since I beat it.
I'll keep the game if the online is good, cause you never get tired of that. I actually had to trade in a few of my PS3 games when my PS3 stopped working. I had to get a new one so I lost all my saves. No way I was starting GTA4 again after like 25hrs into the game. Now that i think about it, I think I'm 50-50 on trade and keeping. I still have gamecube titles and some PS2 titles.
There is one game I will never trade that I shall take to the grave with me even though I never play it no more. Final Fantasy 7.