January 9th, 2009 Tengaport
Thanks to Google Docs and my sick fascination with spreadsheets I’ve kept tabs on my video game spending habits throughout 2008. Now that the year is over it’s time to dive into those stats and see just how things panned out for me. WARNING! EXTREME NERD ALERT!!!!
In 2008 I played a total 41 games. Of those 41, only 30 were 2008 releases. Out of the 41 games total 27 were new copies, while 14 were used and 16 I ended up trading/selling away.
The total price for the 41 games based on Amazon’s price at the time I got each game amounts to $1,702.00 but thanks to cheapassgamer.com, Goozex, Gift Cards, gifts & some good old fashioned wheeling & dealing I only ended up spending $227.50 for an overall savings of $1,474.50 (86.63%).
This means the average cost per game for me in 2008 was only $5.55. Subtract that from the average MSRP for the 41 games ($41.51) and I ended up saving an average of $35.96 per game.
I also racked up an extra $28 in savings over the year thanks to coupon redemptions, but this amount is most certainly higher since I didn’t do such a good job tracking these over the year.
I waited an average of 101 days after release to pick up my games, though I did buy 17 within a week of their release date. That 101 days figure is skewed way higher due to older games I picked up this year such as Daxter (665 days after release), Tomb Raider: Legend (634 days after release), and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (517 days after release) to name a few.
The most expensive game I bought this year was Little Big Planet for the PS3 which I paid full retail price for with absolutely no savings at all. Not to mention I picked up a PS3 in order to play it.
The only other games I paid full price for were XBLA & PSN games. I need to do a better job in 2009 of picking up discounted point cards to avoid repeating that trend.
My System Breakdown is as follows:
* Xbox 360: 27 (66%)
* PSP: 10 (24%)
* DS: 2 (5%)
* PS3: 2 (5%)
(I also bought one game for my phone, but I never added it to my spreadsheet so oh well. PS – it was Galaga, it was $7 and it sucked)
2008 Retailer Breakdown: (where I got my games from)
* Goozex: 13 (32%)
* Best Buy: 12 (29%)
* XBLM: 6 (15%)
* GameStop: 5 (12%)
* PSN: 2 (5%)
* Circuit City: 1 (2%)
* GoGamer: 1 (2%)
* Amazon: 1 (2%)
I’ll be keeping tabs on things once again 2009, collecting additional data as well such as Goozex points redeemed/received, money made from selling games, gift card redemption totals & more. I’ll see you all in January 2010 with the results
Next up, my obligatory 2008 awards and year in review.
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August 21st, 2008 Tengaport
Ok, it’s decision time here at the zoo. I’ve pocketed enough extra cash to throw down for some new gear. Problem is, deciding what to actually pick up. Pictured up top are:
Tokina AT-X 124 AF PRO DX 12-24mm f/4
Canon EF-S 17-85MM f4-5.6 IS USM
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Currently, I’m thinking about picking up the Tokina (love that wide range) and the 100mm (for macro shots). Still, I can’t help but think the 17-85mm might be an all-around good lens to have in the kit for those ’single lens’ days. it’s not the fastest lens in the bunch, but it does have IS.
The 24-70mm isn’t quite in the running due to it’s price, but oh how I do love it.
Oh too be rich…
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August 21st, 2008 Tengaport
From the category of “I don’t really need it” comes the latest edition of the PSP, the PSP 3000. Still only minor improvements over the previous model, but not a bad jump from my current launch system.
The biggies for me are:
Faster screen refresh
Better viewing in sunlight
Built in microphone
Those plus all the improvements they made with the PSP 2000 such as:
Lighter & thinner
Video out
Charge via USB
Additional RAM
Not quite a DS to DS Lite upgrade, but enough that I’m ready to pony up.
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June 24th, 2008 Tengaport
I have a severe case of ‘Gadget Envy’ brewing right now. While checking out the capabilities of the iPod Touch for Ev I’ve become somewhat smitten with the device myself. The iPhone is out of the question for me, but the iPod Touch sure would be a nice consolation prize. Granted the last thing in the world I need right now is another gadget in the gadget bag. Not to mention I already have a Pocket PC that can do pretty much everything the iPod touch can, just not nearly as well. As always though, it boils down to want vs. need.
Currently i have an 80GB iPod, and while it’s not full it does have more content on it than could fit on even the largest iPod touch. I would be willing to trade that space for the Touch’s extra features if only the price was a bit more ‘reasonable’.
Maybe I’ll pick one up for Ev and just use hers instead of getting one myself 
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March 12th, 2008 Tengaport
Just came across this mini surge via Engadget This handy little guy would allow me to ditch my DS and PSP chargers while on the go, even when not traveling with a laptop. For $25 you can count me in for one as soon as it’s released.
I always travel with a powerstrip anyway, but this takes the cake!
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=400738#
Will have to keep an eye out for it.
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February 13th, 2008 Tengaport
I’m not complaining about my SD900. No way, no how. It’s just… well, the SD1100 is blue! I’ve never owned a blue camera before and I’m finding it very difficult to resist.
Actually, it’s not the blue that is reeling me in. It’s the enhanced features of the SD1000 that I’ve been missing out on plus a whole extra megapixel.
Hopefully I’ll be able to pick this up alongside an underwater case for our trip to Grand Cayman in April!
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January 28th, 2008 Tengaport
I saw this pattern on Boingboing and know my mom is a ninja with knitting needles asked her if she could whip one up for me. Low and behold, only a few days later I am now the proud owner of my very own knit Goomba beanie!
Can’t wait to wear it on it’s maiden voyage tonight on the way home from work.
Thanks mom
xoxo
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January 23rd, 2008 Tengaport
Thankfully there are only a few releases in February that I’ve got my eye on. This will give me time to catch up on the mound of games that are piled up at home. Patapon at only $20 is the month’s only definite purchase. I am having a fantastic time with Assassin’s Creed on the 360, but I think Altair’s little adventure will have to wait until reviews hit. If it gets the thumbs up then I’ll be adding it to my Goozex list alongside Wipeout Pulse. As eager as I am to jump back into hyper-speed racing on the PSP I can wait a few months to do so.
Hopefully Patapon lives up to the hype this month and doesn’t end up being another Loco Roco for me.
Posted in Goozex, Video Games, wishlist | No Comments »
January 22nd, 2008 Tengaport
My current laptop woes have me contemplating making a leap to the dark side. I am a PC guy, I need a PC for work, but I can’t ignore the allure of this sleek, black Macbook. With the heard of my computer life revolving around Photoshop, Firefox, Flickr & Google there really isn’t much keeping me grounded in Windows.
Macs are entirely unknown to me, but I’m up for finally venturing in uncharted waters. There are a few PC only apps that I would need, but with the ability to run Windows XP as well I think I’ll be in good hands.
I haven’t fully committed, nor do I have to scratch to make this happen anytime soon – but I am leaning heavily towards the dark side.
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