Why do I retrogame? A few months ago, I'd have a giant list of reasons, from aesthetics to nostalgia to music appreciation. Now, it's because I just plain can't afford games. I was willing to drop 50 dollars for a solid title. I got Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door and Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness at (or around) that price and did not regret it.
But apparently I've been out of the new-game-buying loop for too long. I logged on to my store account with Sony to see what kind of games I could direct my mother to get me. And when I saw the titles, the prices were there too: $59.99.
This might be a first for me. My first "that seems a little steep for a game" moment. This, unfortunately, will inevitably lead to the "when I bought new video games" moment. Indulge me for a moment, though.
I started buying my own games in earnest, I suppose, when I used my checks from Abrakadoodle to get mad loot during discount sales at Blockbuster. We had a particular Blockbuster nearby that had a pretty decent video game selection. (I've written about this store before, I believe.) I even got an N64 there as the systems were being phased out for the Gamecube. That N64 was not more than 50 dollars. (I can't remember how much exactly, but I was used to jockey lot and thrift store console prices, if that tells you anything.)
I got an entire console for less than a single modern game. Anyway, my "when I bought new video games" moment (if it even was that) is over. Back to today:
I wouldn't be so annoyed if it weren't for the recent rash of crappy games pushed out by AAA companies. Sonic Boom, supposed to be a big, hopeful event for the blue blur, turned out to be a buggy mess. Case in point: the character Knuckles has a move than can be exploited to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. Assassin's Creed: Unity saw major glitches and errors.
In the Playstation Store, Assassin's Creed: Unity, the game that has been panned for being buggy and full of glitches, is still $60.00! The real kicker is that the listing is for a download version of the game. Maybe I'm being too harsh, or don't understand the costs behind releasing digital versions of games, but it seems a little ridiculous to have a rushed game, download only, and not discount the price somehow.
Maybe I want too much out of a game for a 'mere' $50. After all, I want story! Maybe some action! And great music, too.
In short, I'll be keeping to emulators and my old consoles for now. To be honest, there's a giant backlog of games I still haven't played. Most recently, I've felt some pull in the Saturn and Dreamcast direction. And I still have to complete the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword! So while my friends buy and enjoy next gen games, I'll be discovering classics on the Dreamcast or the SNES.
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