Buying Used Games and Consoles – Useful Tips

Buying new video games and consoles is expensive. And not only games and consoles are expensive, but also extra controllers and other accessories should be bought separately, which can cast a big hole in the wallet. Therefore buying used games and consoles is a good alternative. Here I would like to recommend a very good website named Gumtree. You can find used games and consoles on Gumtree and you get a vast range to choose from. How will you choose video games and consoles? Are there any rules? Is there anything special to consider? Let’s see.

Things to Consider While Purchasing Used Games

If you are on a budget, you may find it convenient and attractive to buy a used game. But it should not happen that you buy a game which you don’t want. For this, consider the following:

Your Personal Choice

It is so obvious that you should choose a game which you love. E.g. if you like RPGs, you should look for titles in that genre first. Buying a game which is not in your shopping list could only disappoint you. You can rent a game’s copy from a rental shop before actually buying it. This is helpful when trying a new genre or type. Some popular genres are FPS (First-person Shooter), RPG (Role-Playing Game), arcade, strategy, simulation and board games. There are chances that you may not like a game in a genre you are trying for the first time. In such a scenario, most of the sellers accept returns of unsuitable games (rather than faulty or damaged). You should ask about their return policy beforehand.

Region Codes

Region codes are important to consider because they prevent games sold in a country from being played on devices sold in another country. E.g. a game sold in the US may not be compatible with some consoles sold in Europe. It is not applicable to all gaming systems, but it is better to check the user manual of the console for the region code information before purchasing games. Four main regions are North America (NTSC U/C), Asia (NTSC-J), Europe and Oceania (PAL and PAL/E), and China (NTSC-C).

Some games are launched without region coding. If you are not sure about compatibility, check the technical specs included with the game or request the seller to do that.

Player’s Age

The game should be chosen according to the player’s age. For this, you should check its rating, which is decided as per the amount of violence, sexual content and crude language used in the game. Main ratings are:

EC (Early Childhood) suitable for age three and above

T (Teen) suitable for age 13 and above

M (Mature) suitable for age 17 and above

AO (Adults Only) suitable for only adults

Potential Shortcomings of Buying Used Video Games and Overcoming Them

Buying used games have some shortcomings of their own but they can be overcome by simple common sense. The game disks may be scratched or damaged, there may not be booklets or other material included, or you might get a pirated copy. You should exercise caution while buying video games to avoid these issues. But you should also remember that you are buying a used game and it may have at least some small blemishes or scratches.

Things to Consider While Purchasing Used Consoles

There are only three leading manufacturers of consoles, viz. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. Each of these has their own strong points. It depends on you that to which you give more importance. Most people choose the console according to the games they like. E.g. Nintendo normally manufactures more family friendly games which are more interactive too. The first console to include motion sensors in the system was Wii. Though Microsoft and Sony tried to incorporate motion capabilities in their consoles, they failed to be successful.

The strong points of Microsoft and Sony are their high quality graphics and online gaming abilities. People usually get pulled from one console to the other just because of their game choice and controller setup. Some games like Halo are exclusive to the Xbox, while others such as Uncharted are available only on PlayStation.

Microsoft Xbox 360 – Xbox 360 is actually meant for hardcore gamers who prefer realistic sound effects and intense graphics. The system was created to become an entertainment powerhouse and it succeeded in that.

Sony PlayStation 3 – PlayStation 3 has most of the features of all gaming systems. The sound, graphics and processor are all topnotch. It includes a DVD, Wi-Fi and Blu-ray player, and touch with all the popular online streaming sites. But similar to Xbox, PS3 has less of family-oriented games and some more mature ones like Uncharted, Gran Turismo and Resistance, which are exclusive to PS3.

Nintendo Wii U – Wii U is the newest console from Nintendo and is quite different from their earlier gaming platform. They replaced the movement based gaming with better graphics and a novel controller. The controller is the first of its types and is the largest attraction for getting the console. It is bigger than normal and has a touch screen which users can use to pull up additional game features such as tools, maps and others.

Finding the correct platform to purchase is important next to how many consoles you own. Your purchase decides which games you get, how the games are played, how the graphics look like and what additional features are included in the system. Since consoles are not cheap, it is a good idea to buy used ones to get a correct idea. Regarding games, buying them used is a great option to save money, not only for those who are on a budget, but also for those wishing to try something new without being hard on their wallets. You should only consider your own preferences and tastes and other matters given above while purchasing game and you will enjoy the feeling of making some right decisions and purchases.