Very strange article.
If the thing I want costs X now and I want to get it now then paying X makes sense.
You can say "well why not wait 6 weeks" and I could say "I don't want to wait 6 weeks" and the discussion is basically pointless at that point.
You can also say I'm dumb but, hey, I can fucking afford to be dumb so we are all good.
Though Polygon says "foolish" but what's the difference really?
Here's what I like. If I game I am REALLY keen on has a decent special edition then I want to jump on the pre-order for that, take the release day off, enjoy my game when I pick it up early on release day. Sit down with my headphones on, some good beers and some lovely food and enjoy my game before all the Internet discussion gets going etc. If that makes me some kind of gullible dumbass then, fair enough. I've decided that's how I want to do things.
Something like PES or MK11 etc that I know for sure I am going to play a bit online I will buy digitally once I read some reviews and I'll probably have that installed and ready to go at midnight on release. Again, I don't feel that this is foolish since I enjoy the community stuff in those early days.
OK, she has a point on subscriptions. Many of the games I own will probably get played over a limited period, even if that is a year or two, and then never played again. So why pay 60 bucks a time for them when I can pay 120 a year or whatever? Valid point. I still want to have some library of "go to" games though. So I could maybe do a bit of both. That doesn't make me "foolish" though.
Apple Arcade just feels like a TERRIBLE example here. Sure, if the games I am buying are ALL short indie games then maybe it's appealing but at this point the discussion has left the realms of 60 buck games. I think Sayonara Wild Hearts is less than 15 bucks on Switch (too lazy too look it up but I know it aint 60 bucks). PLUS when it comes to indies there should actually be more encouragement to support the developers buy paying full price, I think.
Netflix is also a poor comparison because I just don't feel like Netflix has all that much quality content compared to the amount of mindless garbage on the platform. A big part of Netflix's successful content seems to revolve around viral marketing getting people in to watch a popular thing instead of having actual good content. I would say if you love movies then spending 50 to 100 bucks a month going to the cinema would be better value than a Netflix subscription.
I'm just one of those "foolish" people who buys full-price games on release day though.
Company A: "We are selling this thing at this price, do you want it?"
Why is it that the gaming community in particular has a bit of an issue with this basic premise?
Everyone seems to go a bit nuts if they think the thing is too expensive or if they don't want it.
Even small things like Nintendo Labo. It's a toy for young kids, basically. Nintendo does the announcement and you have grown-ass adults screeching "WTF IS THIS SHIT NINTENDO". Fuck, calm down a bit.
I'm just not getting what's stupid about saying "OK, yes, I would like that thing and yes I am willing to pay that price so give it here"?
If it's 50% off in 6 weeks then fine. I either learn my lesson or I say actually I don't mind that.