Does how much you pay affect your opinion of a game?

End of an Era · **Joined:** 25th Nov, 2008 **Posts:** 1041

A quick answer-me-do:

I don't usually buy brand new games unless it's something I'm particularly taken with, and usually pick stuff up secondhand or when the price has dropped to <£15. I'm not a big reader of the mainstream gaming press, but occasionally I'll look up a review or two on games I've enjoyed to find that they score pretty poorly (i'm writing a review of one for U2J at the moment). This often surprises me because as far as I'm concerned the game (or games) in question are pretty good fun for the price I paid, although I might have balked at paying £40 for them.

Does the price you pay for a game change your perception of how good it is? Are you more willing to accept faults in a game that only cost you £5 than you would be if you'd paid £40 for it? Or does it not matter to you and your judgement is purely based on the merits of the game and not the price you paid for it?

Curiosity · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 15:45

I'd say that I'd be more willing to forgive faults in a cheap game, but more when they're originally priced that way, such as XBLA games.

That said, I was happy with 'Pure' and felt it was the right price at 20 quid, whereas at 40 I might have been disappointed (well, I wouldn't have bought it, but there ya go).

I still felt cheated paying 5 pounds for DMC4.

Grim... · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 15:47

Yes. That why I wanted UTJ (2 :spew:

) to use money as it's grading method.

markg · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 16631

Quote:

Does how much you pay affect your opinion of a game?

It's the other way round for me. I tend to find that I've usually already formed a reasonably accurate opinion before buying something and based on that I decide how much I'd be happy to pay.

Nik · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 1982

This can work the other way around too, i.e. where you spend so much on something that you convince yourself it has to be amazing and end up in a form of denial. Admittedly this is more likely when you're a kid who's saved up their pocket money for a conversion of a beloved arcade game (or spent £70 on Street Fighter 2 for some reason).

markg · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 16631

Yup, aka the "Apple Mac Syndrome"

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

Nik wrote:

This can work the other way around too, i.e. where you spend so much on something that you convince yourself it has to be amazing and end up in a form of denial.

This is a very well-known effect in consumer economics and applies to just about anything people buy, including cars with soul.

Grim... · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 16:27

It's got a name, but I can't remember what it is for the life of me.

Although 'Apple Syndrome' sums it up quite well

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38648

Purchase Justification Syndrome, or PJS

I made that up.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

Grim... wrote:

It's got a name, but I can't remember what it is for the life of me.

I've always referred to it as "Stella Artois" syndrome because of their "reassuringly expensive" tagline, but I'm sure it has a proper name. (Plus, since Stella destroyed their image by driving themselves downmarket in the late 90s, it's totally inaccurate anyway.)

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49244

Cognitive disonnance, innit?

Or, IDontWannaLookABoobIsm

sinister agent · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 7046

In terms of my personal opinion and willingness to play through bad things, I'll tend to go easier on a cheaper game. In terms of criticism, though, I tend to temper this, as cheap games should be good too. If a shit game costs a lot, though, I'll probably hold that against it.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49244

I'm appalling with money, and as such have little sense of what an item is, or should be, worth. This is why I am totally unable to ever save any money, and also why I don't really pay much attention to how much a game cost when evaluating it.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

Craster wrote:

Cognitive disonnance, innit?

No. Well, it is, but it's a specific form of cognitive dissonance and I'd be amazed if the marketing types don't have a specific name for it when it relates to price paid for an item.

metalangel · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 17:03

I don't buy anything unless I'm absolutely sure I'm going to make good use of it. Any big purchase (computer, vehicle, etc) is carefully researched.

I hate waste, see, whether it's an expensive gadget, a 360 game or an 80p bag of salad.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49244

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

Craster wrote:

Cognitive disonnance, innit?

No. Well, it is, but it's a specific form of cognitive dissonance and I'd be amazed if the marketing types don't have a specific name for it when it relates to price paid for an item.

Cogno-fiscal Bifurcation.

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38648

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

Craster wrote:

Cognitive disonnance, innit?

No. Well, it is, but it's a specific form of cognitive dissonance and I'd be amazed if the marketing types don't have a specific name for it when it relates to price paid for an item.

Perceived Ownership?
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/jour ... 1&SRETRY=0

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49244

Quote:

In 1992 a study by Beggan claimed it had confirmed the existence of Nuttin's mere ownership effect. This study examined an alternative mechanism for Beggan's findings in the form of forced compliance cognitive dissonance. Seventy-three participants volunteered for the study (66 females and seven males). Results support the view that cognitive dissonance, accepting ownership of a target that was earlier perceived with negative affectivity, is a sufficient condition to enhance estimates of a target object. Ownership per se was not found to be a sufficient condition to enhance owner's estimates of an owned object. In light of this finding cognitive dissonance is offered as a possible mechanism for explaining the previous reports of a perceived ownership effect. This mechanism may also be applicable to instant endowment and mere ownership phenomena. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

I can tell you exactly what that study proves. Women have too much free time.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 17:21

markg wrote:

Yup, aka the "iPod Touch 32gig Syndrome"

markg · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 16631

You don't even know how much soul the 32 gigger has.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 17:44

Northern Soul?
:attitude:

Nice.

Dimrill · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 17:45

I've bought a load of old shite for my xbox for the points. Terrible, me. I expect them to be shite, too.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 17:50

You're fucking shameless.

Dimrill · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 17:51

Hey, I've got Turning Point Fall of Liberty to try soon! It's going to be great!

metalangel · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 21:29

Dimrill wrote:

Hey, I've got Turning Point Fall of Liberty to try soon! It's going to be great!

You fool! You foolish fool! Don't you remember my review? You'll kill us all!

Dimrill · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 21:30

Once I'm done with that, it's on to Beowulf!

metalangel · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 21:32

You know what else is good? Shellshock: Blood Trails.

parm · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 22:14

I'd go along with the "if I pay less, I'm more likely to be forgiving of faults" line of thinking. As a result, ridiculously, I tend to put far more time into cheap games than I do into "full price" titles. Kind of absurd, but that seems to be the way it goes.

flis · **Joined:** 26th May, 2008 **Posts:** 3333

Craster wrote:

I'm appalling with money, and as such have little sense of what an item is, or should be, worth. This is why I am totally unable to ever save any money, and also why I don't really pay much attention to how much a game cost when evaluating it.

Heh, me too to a degree.

There are generally 3 reasons I buy games and that affects how I plan how much to spend:
1) I'm bored and fancy buying anything in a genre I enjoy, so I will do a bit of digging around on review sites or see what you guys are enjoying at the time. In this case, I will try and find it at 'the best price' online, in my head, all games are £40 so if it comes up at about £35-£37.
2) It's a sequel in a series I like. I may pre-order it but I'm accepting of the fact that popular games will have a higher rrp do to how good the sequel HAS to be (see CoD:MW2...)
3) I see it in a shop and a vague recollection of hearing something good about it. Complusive buying at it's best, taking into account the highstreet factor, if it's less than £40, I'll buy it. Or maybe upto £45 if I'm really sucked into the hype that day.

nickachu · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 23:03

Craster wrote:

I'm appalling with money, and as such have little sense of what an item is, or should be, worth. This is why I am totally unable to ever save any money, and also why I don't really pay much attention to how much a game cost when evaluating it.

pretty much.

I leak money when I have it. But when I don't have money Im good at living off not a lot. If I didnt leak it so much I'd be able to afford nice things all the time.
Im just an idiot

Regarding the price vs game question. I don't really pay too much attention, if something is cheap and it's had alrite reviews (mainly from you lot) I'd get it if I see it. I do rarely buy new games tho, the only real exception is going to be MW2, but that goes without saying.

GovernmentYard · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5318

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

Nik wrote:

This can work the other way around too, i.e. where you spend so much on something that you convince yourself it has to be amazing and end up in a form of denial.

This is a very well-known effect in consumer economics and applies to just about anything people buy, including cars with soul.

Cognitive dissonance.

The nadir of this being lifelong Metallica fans who not only sucked up the Load albums and S&M but then went around in St. Anger shirts. Also those who spent fifteen years taking the piss out of Axl only to not give Chinese Democracy a chance.

Curiosity · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 23:16

I have to say that the money spent on CoD4:MW was probably the best value for money thing I've ever (had) bought (for me).

That said, Maria considers it her worst purchase ever.

JohnCoffey · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 23:17

Not one jot. If a game is good it's worth the money. If they released a new DLC for Fallout 3 as big as the original game itself I would have no issue paying £100+ for it. If a game is £5 and shit then it's a total loss because it's just a waste.

Dimrill · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 23:19

It's not a waste, really. Even if a game's shite it's something to make you forget to kill yourself.

JohnCoffey · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 23:20

Dimrill wrote:

It's not a waste, really. Even if a game's shite it's something to make you forget to kill yourself.

hahahahahahaha !

Wrong thread I know, but you sould like Suicidal Sid from Viz

devilman · **Posted:** Tue Nov 03, 2009 0:46

Dimrill wrote:

It's not a waste, really. Even if a game's shite it's something to make you forget to kill yourself.

Until you play Beowolf.

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38648

JohnCoffey wrote:

If they released a new DLC for Fallout 3 as big as the original game itself I would have no issue paying £100+ for it.

How did you pay for Fallout 3?

Bobbyaro · **Joined:** 18th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 11897

I rarely spend full price on a game, but I still get annoyed if a game is shit, even if it was cheap. OFten because I tend to buy 2 for 25, and end up with 2 shit games when I could have bought the 35 game I wanted and got a good game!

Also, it does depend on the RRP as well, I paid 29 for CoD4, I am paying 38 for CoD6, but as it is RRPd at 55, I think I a getting a bargain. Plus I am looking forward to it. However, if it is as shit as CoD5 I am going to be pissed off at buying a full price game AND pissed off as I was looking forward to it.

Pundabaya · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5016

Dude, its not a Treyarch CoD, so it will be ace. Only a week!

sinister agent · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 7046

JohnCoffey wrote:

Not one jot. If a game is good it's worth the money. If they released a new DLC for Fallout 3 as big as the original game itself I would have no issue paying £100+ for it.

Where do you live again? I have an idea about opening a shop that I think you could singlehandedly fund for me.

JohnCoffey · **Posted:** Tue Nov 03, 2009 22:42

MrDavPaz wrote:

JohnCoffey wrote:

If they released a new DLC for Fallout 3 as big as the original game itself I would have no issue paying £100+ for it.

How did you pay for Fallout 3?

Well I went to http://www.amazon.co.uk

Then I picked the collector's edition, hit order, put in my credit card details and what would you know? It arrived about three days later.

metalangel · **Posted:** Wed Nov 04, 2009 8:45

Somewhere I have my official Fallout 2 doorhanger and Fallout 2 stickers/magnets (with the OLD logo on) which were sent to me by DAVE HENDEE, HIMSELF.

Bobbyaro · **Joined:** 18th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 11897

Pundabaya wrote:

Dude, its not a Treyarch CoD, so it will be ace. Only a week!

I know, but I am trying to not get too caught up in the hype.

(SQUEEEEEEE!)

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38648

MrDavPaz wrote:

JohnCoffey wrote:

If they released a new DLC for Fallout 3 as big as the original game itself I would have no issue paying £100+ for it.

How did you pay for Fallout 3?

Clearly, I meant how much did you pay

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