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Topic: How often should my parents buy me games?

Posts 1 to 20 of 63

CobraNorovia

I'm not asking this because I'm mad about my parents and their decisions, I just want to know what it was like in your families. In my opinion my parents don't buy me games too often. I got my Nintendo Switch in early September for my birthday, and with it I also got Zelda ($59.99). Then, in late November, I got Rocket League ($19.99). On Christmas, as a present, my Mom got me Odyssey ($59.99). Finally, in late January I got Stardew Valley ($14.99). Keep in mind, these are the only games I got in this time frame across all video game platforms. So far, there is between 1-2 months of time before I buy my next game. I usually try to avoid premium priced games for my parent's sake, unless they are rare must-buys such as Zelda and Mario. Is this a healthy pattern? Did your parents buy you more or less games in the same time frame? Thanks.

CobraNorovia

darkfenrir

Well considering my parents bought me 0 games... any games I want, I have to save up from my own savings so yeah.

(Just my parents usually bought the console only if I got good ranking at class, like when GBA SP for my 4th year in elementary or DS Lite for finishing elementary at super good marks :v any other consoles I have is all from me saving up from my monthly allowances)

Edit: Forgot to answer, and imo, the matter of pattern is really depending on your parents' income etc, imo. As long as they don't go too deep for getting stuff, it's okay I think (o3o )

Edited on by darkfenrir

darkfenrir

faint

In the 80’s I would get 3 for Christmas, 2 on birthdays, one in the summer and rentals here and there the rest of the year. The cost was about the same back then. Mostly I traded with my friends.

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Tasuki

Well when I was a kid my parents would buy my brother and I games two times a year birthday and Christmas that's it. However and I know this can't be used this day and age every Saturday morning depending on how we did at school that week, if we did our chores without too much arguing my dad would let us rent a game from the local video store.

So we necessary wouldn't get to keep the games but in a sense every week we got a different game. Of course the price of a rental was alot cheaper then the price of a new game.

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Sisilly_G

@CobraNorovia : And so you should. While my parents did buy me some games over the years (I never expressed an interest in anything over $20), I was/am grateful with what I had. My parents were more generous concerning educational/edutainment software though.

The vast majority of games that I had growing up were shareware games that were sold at local vendors (we didn't have the internet back then for this sort of thing), and from memory, most games were around $3-$5 (some were even as high as $8 to $10!). The shareware model is where you get a portion of the game for free (usually one third or fourth of the full game, though there are instances where you get only one sixth of the game, or even a tenth), with the full version requiring payment, which would normally be shipped via mail order from the developers themselves (or an authorised distributor). Virtually anybody could sell shareware games legally, and God knows that these vendors probably made more money from the sale of shareware copies than the developers did for the full versions. To be fair though, my mum bought a lot of those games for herself as well. Now she just play F2P iPhone games (despite suggestions over the years to try out the Wii/Wii U/DS).

I never dared to ask for full versions of shareware games though, no matter how badly I wanted them (which were usually priced at around $60-$80, in the rare event that I had spotted one at retail), as it seemed far too extravagant an expense considering that we weren't well off back then.

I never expressed an interest in owning a console, but I really wanted a Game Boy, but I didn't have the face to ask my folks for such an expensive device that was limited to expensive retail games exclusively for my use. I eventually did save up enough money to buy a DS in 2005, but I was only able to afford very few games (most of which were clearance bin/third party games) in those early years as I paid for it all myself.

Like many of you, I usually received such gifts during religious holidays (mine being the two Islamic holidays).

You're very lucky to be living in a time where the quality and quantity of games is in such abundance, with so much content being available freely (particularly if you have a PC). Even the demos on the eShops are free. Pre-internet, we had to go to a shopping centre/market to PAY for those demos. Count your blessings.

Edited on by Sisilly_G

"Gee, that's really persuasive. Do you have any actual points to make other than to essentially say 'me Tarzan, physical bad, digital good'?"

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Gamecubed

You're lucky!

My parents rarely ever bought me games. And I mean, it was rare. My mom hated them (still does).

For Christmas they surprised me with a Switch with Zelda and Mario. Only because 2017 was a really hard year for me in a lot of ways. A lot happened. So they got me that as sort of a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm stunned. That's the first system they bought since the Gamecube in 2002. So that's still crazy to me.

I've bought all my systems and most of my own games. I still remember saving up all my money to buy a GBA SP when I was 10 with Pokemon. I paid for it with mostly change. I did it again with my DS Lite and Pokemon Diamond.
So, growing up, it was maybe once or twice a year for my birthday or Christmas (never ever both) and if I did well at school that year. I remember renting games occasionally at the local video store, but that was rare too. That's how I played Dragon Ball Z Sagas and found out that it was garbage.

When I got into high school, I stopped getting games as gifts. I started doing really well in school though, so sometimes my mom would let me get something out of the $20 bin at Walmart once every six months. That was what I had. Of course, in high school, I had a little bit of my own money, but never too much. I think the only newly released full-price games I got while in high school were Pokemon Heart Gold, Uncharted 3 and Skyward Sword. Looking back, I think I enjoyed games MORE because of that though. I spent more time with them and really appreciate what I had. I'm almost 23, and I can just buy them whenever I want now.

To answer your question, I don't think there is a "norm". It depends entirely on the situation. If your parents can afford it, if you're getting use out what you have etc.

Gamecubed

Imerzion

I had the occasional game bought for me when I visited my grandparents. I lived over three hundred miles away from them, so I didn’t see them as much as I would have liked.

My parents never bought me games as a child. But what they did do was wake me up at 5am to work on the farm we lived on before I went to school and then had me back on the farm when I came home from school from 6pm-11pm and from 5am-11pm on a weekend.

I loved gaming, I had to fit in playing Pokemon on my GBA when I had the time. I got my first console from a friend of the family, a hand me down with a bunch of games I was eternaly grateful for.

It wasn’t until I started my first year in college until I had any income (£30 per week), that’s when I first saved for my Xbox 360, which took around four month of saving for if I remember correctly, with that money also going towards food for when I was in college and such.

My parents, didn’t really support me with gaming, and quite frankly I wouldn’t have had time until I reached around 18 and left home to even own a home-console as much as I wanted one.

Now I’m working full time and I support myself and my partner and I still can’t afford the games that I want lol. Story of my life! I’ve had a Switch since around October now, I’ve got Zelda and two additional indie games on top of that. There’s a truck load of games that I want to play. Hopefully, one day!

I’d just count your stars that you’re getting something from your parents. I worked 8 hours a day for them and I mean WORKED, without getting a penny from them, I did however have a warm bed to sleep in, food on the table. Man, my upbringing was TOUGH and believe me, that’s only the half of it.

Edit: Didn't intend on posting my life story, apologies!

Edited on by Imerzion

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Fooligan

Like most people here I also received around 2-3 games per year (Christmas and Birthday) and a rental once or twice a month. sometimes my brother would come in on my birthday or just a random day with a new system and a box full of video games which would come out to be 5 or 6 games total (I love you bro.)
I think in your case since you got your Switch and a game in September ( your birthday), another full price game in December (Christmas) and one cheaper eShop game in both November and January you are pretty much on par with everyone else at the end of the year.

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Eel

Your birthday and the relevant Christmas-like holiday.

Maybe once during the summer break if you did well at school.

Edited on by Eel

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Sisilly_G

@Imerzion : No need to apologise! I wish you much happiness and success.

Edited on by Sisilly_G

"Gee, that's really persuasive. Do you have any actual points to make other than to essentially say 'me Tarzan, physical bad, digital good'?"

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GoldenGamer88

It mostly works like this for me: 'Mom/Dad, I want that game.' 'Fine, how much is it?' Then I get the money. In rare occassions several games come out on the same day, my mom/dad and I will share the costs, which I use my savings for (these mostly come from grandma giving me 50€ on a monthly basis for helping her out every day like bringing her lunch, cleaning her dishes and just hanging out with her, but also from other relatively giving me money on birthdays and Christmas instead of presents). I think the only game I didn‘t get on launch day was during Switchmas last March when I had Horizon Zero Dawn preordered but canceled it because Switchmas was so darn expensive already.

I can‘t say whether how my parents do it is 'good parenting'. I‘d say what‘s important is that you are aware of the value of money, that you are aware that gaming is an expensive hobby to have, no matter how many games you buy or your parents buy for you. What‘s also important is to try and finish every game you get and don‘t form an immensively big backlog like I have over the years. This has definitely been a fault of my gaming style and to an extent of how my parents give me money. So in a sense, forcing you to be more selective about games is a pretty healthy thing to do.

Edited on by GoldenGamer88

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skywake

When I was a kid I got at maybe one or two for Christmas and the same for my Birthday. Then very occasionally I might get something at another point during the year if it was something I really wanted. Also there were no downloadable or indie games and no free to play or smartphone games. So with my Birthday later in the year if I got something at Christmas that was it for months.

And TBH I was fine with that, I don't remember ever being annoyed that I wasn't getting enough games to play. I'd just 100% the games I got and then start them over again.

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noobish_hat

One or two games on birthdays and at Christmas was normal for me too, but kids these days are lucky to have the internet so they and their parents can find the best games. Not a lot of fun to wait all year to get a game and have your parents pick some movie tie-in crapola like Home Alone 2 or Jurassic Park.

Also the huge range of prices these days must be great for kids, since you can pick up amazing stuff for pocket money on digital stores.

noobish_hat

LuckyLand

I'll be honest. In my opinion, my parents should have bought me every game I wanted. Of course they didn't. But if I think about it now I don't even have kept not even one of those old games I had back then. At the time (Gameboy, PS1) I thought they were my most precious thing and that I needed them but now I almost don't care anymore because I have games I like more. I also discovered that I missed games that I would have liked a lot, I just did not know them or overlooked them so even if they bought all the games I wanted I still wouldn't care that much anymore and would have missed a lot anyway. Then during the PS2+Gamecube era they started to buy me some more games and at the same time I was more aware of what I wanted or not (I am also rather picky sometimes ) so I ended up having more or less every game I wanted and I still have all of them today. Sometimes if it happened that my parents were willing to give me money for a game but there was nothing I wanted at the moment I didn't tell my parents about this fact, took the money and saved them for future games

Edited on by LuckyLand

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Eel

noobish_hat wrote:

One or two games on birthdays and at Christmas was normal for me too, but kids these days are lucky to have the internet so they and their parents can find the best games. Not a lot of fun to wait all year to get a game and have your parents pick some movie tie-in crapola like Home Alone 2 or Jurassic Park.

Well, to be fair, I think that sense of mystery when a parent bought a new game for us made them even more special when they were good.

Back then when there was no way for me to know what was being worked on, what was good or not, even just knowing what was on sale at the moment... Getting a new game was an event... And figuring them out was part of the game. (Specially since back then English was just gibberish to me).

I have to admit my parents usually had good taste in games though, I can only think of a few games they choose without my input that I didn't end up liking.

Edited on by Eel

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Fight_Teza_Fight

Growing up my parents were extremely strict, but very generous.

One day out of nowhere my Dad bought me a SNES with Super Mario World and Super Double Dragon, which was probably the moment that turned me onto video games.
Same goes for my PS1 and Gameboy Pocket- I never asked for them, just got them given one day.

Games were different though. I was only allowed 1 game for my birthday and 2 games for Christmas.
For years those 3 games would be yearly irritations of the early WWE, FIFA and Pokemon games as I didn't want to use up one of my allocated games on something I might not enjoy.

I do miss those times, because I feel like I take a lot of games for granted. Nowadays I easily buy 3-5 games a month. I bought almost 70 games last year across PS4, PSVR, PSVita and Nintendo Switch.

@CobraNorovia 1-2 months between games is really good and very generous imo. Like I said, I got 3 games/year growing up.

Edited on by Fight_Teza_Fight

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Aronsuil

My brothers and I saved up money we would get from birthdays and holidays and used that to buy consoles and games. Now we have jobs and all is good.

Edited on by Aronsuil

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Late

I didn't get video games from my parents until I bought a Wii when I was 12. I always wished for a Nintendo console like GBC, GBA or GC but never got one and I never wished for PC games. Once I got a Wii, my mom bought one game each Christmas if I had something in mind. I think that's how I got Kirby's Adventure Wii and Donkey Kong Country Returns. My Wii U is also a Christmas present from her. Other than those, I'm fairly certain I've not gotten any other games from my parents. I've also got some games from my brother like Wario Land: The Shake Dimension.

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Octane

Gets a console for his birthday, complains about not getting enough games...

I never got full-priced games for my birthday or for the holidays, let alone consoles. I bought the consoles myself, though it got my first GameBoy with the help of my grandparents. If I was lucky I would get an older/cheaper game for my birthday or for the holidays (these days that would be in the €10-€30 range), but I mostly got shovelware titles. That's why I asked for money instead, so I could buy them myself after having saved up enough money.

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