Topic: Day 1 Games

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@Vipor007 Sometimes, it really depends on the game and my interest in them, Often those would have been gamess I'd have bought Day 1 back in the 360/PS3 era but now with the prices risen so much and of course the state of some releases at launch - I pre-ordered Cyberpunk on XB1X and that was not a fun experience and since then, I've been a LOT more reluctant to buy Games Day 1.

But thankfully, with Game Pass Ultimate, there are games that I don't need to pay 'up-front' for to play Day 1. If a game appeals and I have vacant space in my storage, I've probably pre-downloaded it via Game Pass so that I can jump in Day 1. I played Doom, Indiana, Starfield, Atomfall, B4B and various others Day1. I've also played a few 'indies' Day 1 too via Cloud as I can't be bothered to wait an hour to play a 2hr game or have space to download them. I played Keeper recently 'Day 1' on my RoG Xbox Ally X as the first test of gaming ergonomics/fee; on my handheld before I downloaded anything.

I must admit, a lot of games I don't play Day 1 - either because the game ittself doesn't appeal enough to make me want to play or because something else appeals more (like the Current game I am engaged with or other games in my backlog appeal more). So these become either games I intend or plan to get round to playing one day (but perhaps unlikely as more games release pushing them further down my list), or just don't appeal so wouldn't play anyway.

For me, there are perhaps only 3 categories, Games I really want to play so will play at the earliest opportunity, Games that interest me, but not as much as some others so will be in my backlog or list of games I'd play (certainly if money and time weren't limited) and the rest are games I have no interest in.

In a 'sales' only structure, the first Category, Games I really want to play, they would have been the games I'd have bought Day 1 or certainly within the Launch week/month at most. The next Category of Games that interest me, ould be the games I'd wait and look for in the sales - pick up at a 'Price' that appeals, and the rest I wouldn't buy or even play if given 'free' on a Sub service (Like Games with Gold or PS+ when they were 'required' for Social gaming).

Therefore I tend to use Game Pass in a Similar way, pre-download the few games I really want to play, wait until the time is right for 'others' to try, jump in, and the rest just don't matter to me because I don't have the time or inclination to play...

At the end of the day, I play the games I really want to play at that moment - if an older game is what I want to play 'most' at that moment, despite having access to some day 1 releases at NO extra cost to me, I'm playing the game I want to play 'most' regardless. Its up to the Day 1 game to offer something that excites or interests me more than all the other games I could play.

I also think that a LOT of games are not that interesting or exciting as they 'continue' offering more of the 'same' basic game-play loops wrapped in maybe prettier aesthetics, new Story and some 'minor' refinements/tweaks to the mechanics but overall familiar and similar to its predecessors and other games in that genre. Most AC or Far Cry games in recent years feel very 'formulaic' and similar to to each other despite the different settings, stories, lead characters etc. So the 'appeal' to grind another Open World with all the side content and activities for a 'new' story/setting loses some of its appeal to me - coupled with the Price rises.

I'd buy 'Day 1' games back in the 360 (and older gen days) just because I liked the name or box art. I used to go and buy every 'budget' new release back in the 80's so owned every Codemaster game for example regardless of whether I actually wanted to play or enjoyed it. I bought games like Mass Effect, BioShock or AC or Dead Space Day 1 just because the cost and the uniqueness of them at the time. As costs rose during the XB1 era, I'd buy some games Day 1, but that's when I also consciously decided to add in the 'Games to wait for sales' category - beforehand, I'd buy games day 1 and pick up games I'd missed in sales or just never buy.

Now with games as expensive as they are, I rarely buy Day 1 - unless its a Game/IP I know extremely well and play 100's (if not 1000's) of hours a year - like Call of Duty. I know its not a GotY contender and won't ever be my GotY, but it works out as the 'best' value in Cost per Hour. Doom: TDA is perhaps my GotY this year, but I completed everything in less than 70hrs so that's over £1 per hour (not overly expensive) but CoD can work out to be less than 10p an hour). Also a LOT of games don't release complete an/or in a 'polished/finished' state - so its often better to wait for updates and whatever missing features/content gets added. Its also better to wait for sales as you know within a year it will be less than half price and better performance.

But with GPU, It doesn't 'hurt' to try Day 1 and you don't feel like you've wasted £70 on something you can't 'play' yet if it is broken and nothing stopping you from picking it up in a Sale months later if you want to 'own' your licence to play.

Its a very individual choice - whether you have the time or inclination to play whatever Day 1 games release, whether your Backlog or financial situation impacts that decision to play Day 1, whether the game itself is ready to play Day 1 or not - too many factors and individual preferences/circumstances that each Day 1 release itself would have a 'diiferent' answer response based on those individual preferences and circumstances. Some may have more time or that game appeals more to them for example so more likely to play Day 1 than others...