Debate of The Day: Pre-Order or Wait for Second Generation?
By this point, I think most of us are past arguing about which consoles to buy. I have made my decision like many of my friends but I am still stuck in a dilemma. Should we give in to the hype and pre-order, or should we just wait for the second wave of next generation consoles? If my parents were still the ones buying consoles for me, I wouldn’t even think about this for a moment. Alas, I must earn my own money and support my hobbies without their support. I’m sure almost everyone here in Unreality buys their own consoles, and it’s well known that they aren’t cheap either. The PlayStation 4 is priced at $399 and is cheaper than the Xbox One, but that’s still a large amount to take out of your wallet. This is one of the reasons why I am considering just waiting for the second wave. It’s possible that they could introduce a price drop, and that’s definitely something my wallet will appreciate.
Secondly, I do not want to encounter another Red Ring of Death scenario that I faced with the earlier models of the Xbox 360. I heard that there was a similar problem with the PlayStation 3, but I was lucky enough not to experience it. The first wave of technology is always mired with annoying and glaring bugs that will hinder your experience from enjoying the console and video game.
It sounds like such a wise thing to do to just wait for a price drop and bug fix, but it’s a hard decision to make if you are excited to play all next-generation launch titles. While there are some that may support past generations, there are also a couple of great ones that are only compatible with the next generation. Will you miss games like Titanfall or Infamous: Second Son for a price drop and convenience? Or is it worth every bug and dollar to experience next generation from day one?
I was going to wait, especially with the uncertainty of changing specs and features and the fact that I’m currently furloughed and so planning to be short about $5500 this year… but they just cut our furlough in half, so it’s almost like I got a $2000 bonus. We’re going to celebrate by grabbing the Xbox One, and probably get a PS4 down the road a ways (same thing we did this gen; I ran out and grabbed a PS3 when we started hearing the rumors about backwards compatibility being stripped from the system, as we were on our third PS2 and the wife is addicted to Disgaea and the MegaTen series). I then spent several grand upgrading our movie collection to Blu Ray.
Sounds like you already know the answer to this one, BB. It’s all about suppressing that animal urge to be the first one on the scene and being happy with what you already have available. My plan right now is to get a PS3 instead and enjoy all of the games I’ve been missing out on for a year or so until the new gen sorts itself out, gets cheaper, and builds up a library worthy of the investment. Seeing that I don’t have a blu-ray player yet, when I finally get a next gen console I can move the PS3 into the front room and use it as a blu-ray player so it won’t just be obsolete.
I am planning on waiting, as I don’t trust 1st generation anything with technology anymore. Although it does seem that many BGA solder problems have been sorted out moving forward.
There was a rumor about a PS4 bundle with a Vita for $500, if true that would be amazingly tempting, just to pick up that handheld at $150 off and be able to use it with the system.
i just cant resist the urge of buy the 2 consoles DAY ONE ,i think is smart wait
for a price drop but is boring.
I’m going to do what most corporations do, wait until it’s been in the hands of the mass market before purchasing. This way most of the bugs are found out by those that can suffer the money drain.
I’ve always waited. As much as I want to get one on the first day, the risks are just too great. Like you said, the first models have problems. More so with the more modern, complex consoles I’ve noticed. You never heard of problems with the NES. Sure, I’m a gamer, but I also want the peace of mind of knowing that my console won’t have problems down the line.
Besides, a lot of the games, if they do become big sellers, they’ll become part of the Greatest Hits library, which are cheaper and usually have more content.
Nick, if you get a PS3 and Journey isn’t the first thing you buy, I will personally hunt you down. My words: mark ’em.
I never preorder. I will probably wait for like a year or something, that way you can see which console is the best and get a lot of good games as well.
I’m curious what you mean by ‘second generation’.
Do you mean just waiting until stores are stocked up and don’t have to deal with preorder nonsense? Or are you waiting for a pricedrop and/or new model. A ‘slim’ wont be anytime soon, neither will a pricedrop unless sales are horribad.
It all depends on the games. When a must-play-next-gen-only game that you are willing to spend $400+ to play then I will buy a next-gen console. I waited for Blu-Ray to win before buying a PS3 and waited for bug fixes, price drops and a few great games before buying a 360. But really it is all about the games.
Never pay more than $199.00 for a console. NO MATTER WHAT. By the time they reach the $199 price tag all the bugs are sorted out and those must have games that were lauched with the console can be bought as “Platinum Edition” for $20 or less.
Patience is a virtue.
People who wait for the price to come down, bugs to be fixed, gaming library to improve are smart and patient, but they aren’t gamers. Maybe they could be called casual gamers, but so is my grandma. But if you love games, especially multiplayer games with your friends, you don’t wait a year or more to jump in.
Cocoa is wise, but way too patient for me. However I don’t plan on rushing and the game prices for my current consoles will drop when the new ones are launched. So I will have lots of fun squeezing and enjoying the (countless) last drops my consoles can offer till the newer ones lower their prices. Not a fan of how game companies cruelly take advantage of most gamers’ new-console frenzy.
Worried about getting a red ring on your preorder? Easy solution… Get a ps4.
Seriously thought I preorder my ps4. I was gonna wait but I’m way too excited over watch dogs, and assassins creed 4 looks great too, and preordering those give me $20 bonus each from best buy. So if figure I may as well get the upgraded version.
Sure, I can wait and buy them used, but for them to drop to $40 will take ages.
Plus I already have about $150 in best buy points from shit I was buying anyway, so basically it’s like getting a ps4 for $250
It’s good to know I’m not a gamer. I was worried that spending my free time playing video games would make me one.
@Banko
Gamers can be smart and patient and, pretty sure there are plenty of people who are gamers and aren’t buying a ps4 or xbox on release. They aren’t even the only game in town.
You’re basically being the console version of a pc elitist.
The only consoles I’ve ever purchased the day of release have been Nintendo systems. For MS and Sony, I always wait for them to work the bugs out, and have never regretted the decision. Of course, not having the time or the budget any more, I haven’t even picked up the last couple Nintendo generations first-day either.
Unless I receive one as an unsolicited gift (which I’m not expecting), I’m absolutely waiting. There are enough recent games that I haven’t had a chance to play yet (and not mention GTA V coming out) that will be more than enough to fill my gaming time until all of the news/features/issues with the next gen is sorted out.
Complaining about a gaming console that costs 400 and 500? How long do you want the console’s life to be? 1 or 2 years? Its called hardware. If you think about a gaming machine costing that much and lasting 6-10 years, you are getting great value. Keep waiting longer and longer before adopting the console and you will enjoy it for a shorter period of time.
I give you this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rIJmGj4g-s