So, what's your game budget this year?

FatmanGames

I've been thinking pretty hard about what I am going to spend on games this year. After reading forums, game magazines, and even hearing the mainstream press buzz, I'm convinced that this is "THE YEAR!!" for video games. EGM dedicated a cover to it. There are more AAA titles announced than ever before, completely eclipsing 2004. I spent hundreds of dollars on gaming in 2004 - I received about a dozen games as Christmas presents alone.

A-hem. I've been crunching the numbers here, and I think I have a major gaming problem this year. I'm sure that many of you have been processing this information in the back of your heads somewhere, but I haven't actually taken the time to do the math.

Let me give you the executive summary: we're all screwed. Don't go on any vacations this year.

Pretend for a moment that you haven't yet purchased the "this gen" systems. I'm only missing the PS3, so my picture here doesn't look so dire. I'm lucky, even my PC is competent and game ready.

3 "this-gen" systems out, total cost of ownership: $1250
HDTV: $1000-3000

Pretty rough, considering that you might be missing a DS or a PSP (both with excellent news for this year).

My dodged bullet means "only" $600 in this category. Maybe I'll spend another $200, if I get a PSP in 2007.

Aside from game systems, here's what the game press thinks we should have already purchased this year...

Crackdown (360) - $60
God of War II (PS2) - $40
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (PC) - $40
Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters (PSP) - $40
MotorStorm (PS3) - $60
GRAW 2 (360) - $60
Supreme Commander (PC) - $50
Command and Conquer 3 - $50
WoW Burning Crusade - $50
Virtua Fighter 5 - $60
Cooking Mama - $35
Afterburner: Black Falcon - $40

So, that's a mere $585. It's MARCH, keep in mind. Only the 3rd freaking month of the year.

On the PC this year, I'm thinking no gamer should be without:

Age of Conan - $50 (plus monthly)
Crysis - $50
Half Life 2 / Ep 2, Team Fortress 2, Portal - $50
Quake Wars - $50

Now, we're up to $785, and we've just crossed into $5K territory if you need systems / TVs / video cards.

OK, we're still under a grand, don't panic yet, we're cool. Now, let's talk about what's coming up for the Xbox 360.

All titles START at $60, and add DLC, so this is going to get ugly:

Bioshock
Mass Effect
GTA IV (heck, you might want to list this twice, PS3 is getting different 'episodes')
Halo 3
Army of Two
Alan Wake
Forza Motorsport 2
Project Gotham Racing 4
Too Human
Guitar Hero 2
Brothers in Arms
Eternal Sonata
Blue Dragon
Fable 2

14*$60 = $840, and Guitar Hero 2 should cost more than $60.

We're up to $1625, if you're keeping track.

As an add-on to the 360 area:
New maps for Halo 2 are coming soon - $15 (I hope)
Random XBLA games (Castle Crashers) - $30 (I hope)

$1670...

The PS3 is getting some good titles, too:

LAIR
Heavenly Sword
Mercenaries 2
Ratchet and Clank
Metal Gear Solid 4
Gran Tourismo 5

Also at $60 a pop, putting our total at $2030 ($360 for the PS3 games)

Ugh, then there's the multiplatform games...

Assassins' Creed
Spore
Unreal Tournament 3
Devil May Cry
Burnout Dominator / Burnout 5
John Woo's Stranglehold

Another $360... $2390...

Oh no, we can't forget the Wii...

Battalion Wars II
Super Smash Brothers Brawl
Super Paper Mario
Metroid Prime 3
Super Mario Galaxy
Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles
Fire Emblem

$350... $2740...

Add in $50 of virtual console titles... $2790

DS...

POkemon Diamond and Pearl
Dragon Quest 9
Zelda Phantom Hour Glass

$100... $2890...

There is $3K of worthwhile titles that we know about this year.

Yeah, that we know about, think about that statement. Some of the winter blockbusters AREN'T EVEN ANNOUNCED YET. Expect this situation to grow worse once we get to E3!

Somehow, I'm doubting that I'll be able to tell the wife, "yeah, I need around... say... $4000 for games and systems this year. That should cover it."

Even if I cut games out of the list, I think I'm looking at around $1500 in "must haves".

That's over $150 per month for the time remaining in the year.

Thank god for game rentals, I guess. It's kind of sad, really. I think they're all looking good - I'd love to "support" the companies making the titles by making a full purchase.

LewieP

basically, anything Zelda + bargain bin titles.

And when phantom hourglass comes out, I will go a week or two without food...

Drez

LewieP wrote: »

And when phantom hourglass comes out, I will go a week or two without food...

What's weird is that most NDS games only really take two or three days to complete, but I just can't do it. I end up spending a week or two on them.

LewieP

I meant more from being skint...

Lindsay Lohan

LewieP wrote: »

basically, anything Zelda + bargain bin titles.

And when phantom hourglass comes out, I will go a week or two without food...

Yeah - my year is looking quite tight in the funds as well. There's a slight chance that wife's college education will be completed early, putting her back at school in the Fall, if that were to occur my money woes would be greatly reduced!

I really want to take advantage of the cheap Cube stuff too!

Pheezer

I discovered this record store near my place that carries stupid cheap used games, and a lot of them are really decent titles. Last week I grabbed Ico for $10 + tax. So I'm just gonna keep getting caught up on cheap, older titles and get a Wii later in the year.

Willeth

My budget for 'must-have' titles right now is about £150, but of course that'll be supplemented with my random purchases of old titles for bargain prices, and spur of the moment buys, and so forth.

Vegan

Budget?

But seriously... I really don't have a gaming budget. I can be a very patient guy, so I just keep an eye on CAG and snatch up the $10-15 titles when they pop up. That actually keeps me more than busy.

cocheseisdead

I recently lucked out with some cash work running a floor washer while a friend was out of town and that will be the extent of my gaming fund for the year. I'm just sticking to the Wii for the foreseeable future and only really want three games for it (Galaxy, Brawl and Super Paper Mario).

I really am looking forward to picking up a PSP, Lion War and Disgaea. I'll probably grab a few UMD while I'm at it. I'm also looking into that Nintendo published Kanji trainer for the DS. All in all about $60-75 a month which isn't too terrible considering my other main hobbies cost less than $75 each annually.

tehremo

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Check
Crysis - Double Check
Half Life 2 Orange/Black Box - Check
Quake Wars - Check
SPORE - Double Check

That's about all I plan on buying this year. How could you leave Spore off? That title is going to rule.

natxcross

Thankfully I don't have any of the new consoles, and have no serious intention of buying any. The only PC games I'm seriously interested in this year are STALKER, Alan Wake, GTA IV and Quake Wars. And GTA IV probably won't come out this year on the PC anyway.

That actually leaves me significantly under my gaming budget, so I'm going to spend the extra cash on games that have already been released that I never got around to buying (Theme Hospital is top of my list) and proper indie games.

FatmanGames

tehremo wrote: »

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Check
Crysis - Double Check
Half Life 2 Orange/Black Box - Check
Quake Wars - Check
SPORE - Double Check

That's about all I plan on buying this year. How could you leave Spore off? That title is going to rule.

I didn't - it's in the multiplatform area.

supersloth

I just kinda buy what I want if I can afford it at the time. Between owning any system I'll be interested in for the calendar year (360, wii, ds, psp), and already having an hdtv, the only thing I'm worried about is games, and that will probably cap out ~600 bucks. Not too worried actually.

mausmalone

I think I've spent about $150 - $200 USD on games so far this year. I bought my Wii last year, my PC is up to snuff for the one or two games I might pick up, and I really have no intention to buy a 360 or PS3 this year.

So I'm on track to spend anywhere between $600 and $800 on games this year, if there's still a lot of good ones coming out.

Rehab

Games that I know I will purchase:

Wii

Sonic and the Secret Rings - $50
Wii Play - $50
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon - $50
Super Mario Galaxy - $50
Super Smash Bros Brawl - $50
Metroid Prime 3 - $50

DS

Phantom Hourglass - $35
TMNT (GBA version) - $35

Total: $370

Games that I might purchase:

Super Paper Mario - $50
No More Heroes - $50
Pokemon Diamond or Pearl - $35
Custom Robo Arena - $35

Total: $170

I'm also kicking around the idea of getting a PS2 later on. With that I would be picking up at least 3-4 games right away more than likely.

Jammers

I think my biggest expense this year will be that I'm planning to get a PS2 and start working my way through the stuff I missed out on there, which is probably going to be at least £250 right there (though it might be less if I can find some stuff pre-owned). From the list in the OP, there's ten 360 titles I want, so there's £400, five Wii games (£200) (though I imagine some of them won't see the light of day in Europe for years, which will save me some money)
As for the DS, there Pokémon & Zelda I want, which is £50. There's also a few PC games from the last few years I want to get since I just got a new PC, but most of them are budget titles by now, so they won't cost too much hopefully.

All of which comes to around £1k (including what I've already spent), which is about £200 less than what I spent last year, (if you don't count the cost of hardware) though I'm sure once the cost of VC\Live Arcade\misc stuff I find preowned or on special offer is factored in it'll probably come to about the same.

Scrumtrulescent

Games I have already purchased:

Crackdown ($60)

Games I am GOING to Purchase:

360:

Guitar Hero II($90)
GTA IV ($60)
Assassin's Creed ($60)

Wii:

Super Smash Bros. Brawl ($50)
Battalion Wars II ($50)

DS:

Pokemon Diamond ($30)


Games I MIGHT Purchase:

GRAW 2: ($60)


That's $400 without GRAW 2.

lordswing

I'm surprised you would have time to play all those games. There's no point in buying 10 games just to watch them sit there while you're playing one game. By the time you beat it, the prices have probably dropped already and you could've saved 30-40$ total.

TyrantCow

Over 9,000

DesertBox

I personally am only interested in Halo 3, Mass Effect, Devil May Cry, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Brothers Brawl, and GTA IV. Also Star Wars: Force Unleashed (which you don't have on the list). I figure I'll purchase half of those games new and while I play the shit out of those games, the price on the other half will fall or I'll find them used. So (counting spur of the moment pickups) I'd say $300.

Threepio

$150 a month.

$37.5 a week

$5.35 per day.

I know people triple that in coffee alone I usually allot myself about half that for games and movies and I do alright

Rehab

TyrantCow wrote: »

Over 9,000

Damn, are you sure it isn't a really nice used car that you are buying?

Captain Uglyhead

Hehh... I dunno. Maybe I'll wait another year before stepping up to one of the new consoles. Besides, my PS2 is still runnin' and people seem to still be releasing games for it.

Rehab wrote: »

TyrantCow wrote: »

Over 9,000

Damn, are you sure it isn't a really nice used car that you are buying?

Someone's not up on their catchphrases.

Vegan

lordswing wrote: »

I'm surprised you would have time to play all those games. There's no point in buying 10 games just to watch them sit there while you're playing one game. By the time you beat it, the prices have probably dropped already and you could've saved 30-40$ total.

Precisely. There's no point in buying more than what you can play RIGHT AWAY, when we're talking about items that often go down in price by $40 after a year.

Ownage Jones

This year? Around 4k. I'm going to snag an arcade machine in the fall.

Gosling

My budget is more of an at-the-moment thing. No set amount; it depends on how much I have and what I see on the market and on the rental shelves.

I do not expect the number to be very high compared to previous years, though, as I graduate in May and then plan to get cracking on my $10K student loans as quickly as possible. Once that's done, once I have made sure I have no outstanding debt to anyone, I'm out of the state and quite possibly hitting the backpacking trail.

I REALLY want out of the state.

Rehab

Ownage Jones wrote: »

This year? Around 4k. I'm going to snag an arcade machine in the fall.

That sounds pretty cool. What are you thinking of getting?

Ronen

I buy one game a month.

I only started this eight months ago, but I've been very good about it so far. April is Pokemon Pearl.

Ownage Jones

Smaller Japanese cabinet, the kind where you sit down and play. The games that would go on it is treading into muddy waters, so I'll leave it at that.

So, after I move in the Fall. I briefly thought about sticking it in the bathroom, but that's where the PSP is, so Living room. And no, I don't pay for electricity. :P

Akatsuki

I'll just keep it simple: I'm fucked.

solsovly

I don't have time to play half my games. Not to mention my backlog is enormous now. I just rent most new titles, especially games that can be completed in 10 hours or so. The rest I just buy when they drop or trade games via forums.

Nikolis

So far purchased this year.

360:
Crackdown

ps2:
God of War II

Wii (games + Console)
Elebits
Rayman Raving Rabbids
Zelda: Twilight Princess
WarioWare
The Godfather: Blackhand Edition
Also,re-bought RE:4 and Killer 7 (I sold my NGC last year to get my 360)

P.C
S.T.A.L.K.E.R

Going to buy this year:
Bioshock
Assassin's Creed
Huxley (if it comes out)
Super Smash Brothers Brawl
Super Paper Mario
Metroid Prime 3
Super Mario Galaxy
Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles
Mario Party 8
MGS4: Guns of the Patriots
GTA IV
Spiderman 3 on 360 or Wii
Manhunt 2 ..maybe
Touch the Dead

and probably a few others I forgot.

Scrumtrulescent

oh man, forgot about Bioshock

rayofash

$0.00

I'll figure something out though. I always do.

Darlan

A Wii, probably next month or May, whenever I can walk in a store and buy one.
Twilight Princess
Trauma center (when it's $30 or less)
Super Smash Brothers Brawl
Super Paper Mario
Metroid Prime 3 (If if comes out this year)
Super Mario Galaxy
Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles (maybe, it's looking kinda like RE5's little bitch though)
Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles
Tomb Raider Anniversary
FFI&2: Purty-ified
Puzzle Quest (I'm going to wait and see if that PSP bug gets fixed)
MAYBE Crisis Core. I'm hesitant to support this trend of turning FF7 into Squenix's marketing whore, but it looks pretty cool.

I probably won't get everything on the list this year, but these are games I am going to get eventually.

bruin

I don't want to add it up because I'm scared. Just for new releaees, I'll be gettingsomething like a dozen 360 games, a half dozen Wii games, and maybe like 10 DS game. I'll be buying plenty of older games for sure too. Let's say $1500.

Deusfaux

2007 so far:

WoW BC
FF VI Advance
Supreme Commander
BF2 Complete
God of War II
STALKER
C&C 3

and it'll continue as such, no set budget.

FireWeasel

If I add it up, my head will explode.

So let's not go there.

Srsly.

emutheelf

Wii
Super Paper Mario
Mario Party 8
Metroid Prime 3
Super Mario Galaxy
No More Heroes (if it comes out)

DS
Phantom Hourglass
Ouendan 2
Jam Sessions
Nanostray 2 (if it comes out)
Professor Layton and the Mysterious Village (if US gets it)
Dragon Quest IX (if it comes out)

360
Guitar Hero 2
Mass Effect
GTA IV
Halo 3
Boom Boom Rocket
Every Extend Extra Extreme
Star Wars The Force Unleashed
Overlord
Eternal Sonata

Terrorbyte

$20 a month.

Used PS2 games FTW.

SageinaRage

Well, I just graduated and now work full time, have pretty cheap rent, no significant other at the moment, so the sky's the limit, baby!

That said, I honestly don't plan on spending as much as the OP. I honestly only really want like maybe...5-10 of the games you mentioned. I may get some more of them, but they can wait for price drops. I rarely spend over...30 bucks on a game anymore. Last ones were the guitar heroes. Not to mention my huge backlogs.