The top 5 ways to game through the recession

After a few bank meltdowns, bailouts and seething anger from the Average Joe, we’re all ready to admit it: The economy is in rough shape. Jobs are hard to come by and many people are having trouble covering basic necessities. This leaves many gamers, myself included, struggling to scrape together enough cash to pick up new games.

With that in mind, GGL decided to list the Top 5 ways to game your way through the recession.

Follow these guidelines to soothe your aching wallet, support developers and patronize local businesses as the economy goes down the toilet!

5. Search for deep discounts online

It’s pretty rare to find box copies of games on sale in retail stores; however, the Interwebs are ripe with sites that offer discounted games. When short on cash, look to CheapAssGamer.com. The folks over at CAG compile all the current deals and promotions into an easy to navigate list.

If PC gaming is your thing, Steam is a no-brainer. There’s always some sort of discount or promotion happening and this past winter, Valve ran a 10%-75% off promotion sitewide. It’s hard to beat $5 for Bioshock, and Steam Weekend Deals are always around.

This sort of advice normally should go without saying, but it’s uninformed consumers that keep overpriced big box stores in business. If you can educate a fellow gamer to buy online, you’ll be “teaching him to fish.” And if you encourage people to buy from Steam, you’ll support a platform that gives independent developers a place to shine–and a cut of the proceeds.

4. Buy used games

Plenty of people refuse to buy used games either because they hate the risk of buying a damaged disc or hate the stores that resell them (you know who you are). When money’s tight, sometimes you have to bite the bullet and buy used.

If you happen to fall into the category of people who hate the big chain stores, look for independent resellers. Most used record shops or mom & pop game stores will sell used games at a lower price than the infamous franchises.

3. Rent (no, not the musical)

Buying new games is sometimes out of the question, but many gamers continue to overlook renting. Every gamer’s had a buyer’s remorse moment when he realizes he plunked down $59.99 for a three hour game with no replayability. In order to avoid this, do some research and see what games have replay value and which you should just rent.

The beautiful thing about renting is that pretty much everyone has a movie/game rental store nearby. In my opinion, it’s best to stay away from major chains if possible. They tend to have higher prices and nasty late fees, though some have changed policies in recent years. Small, independently owned stores are your best bet to find good deals on renting.

If you can’t find a store that really impresses you or you finish a game every other night, check out GameFly, which is a good compromise between buying and renting. Pay $15.95 a month and get games shipped to you as you request them. Keep games for as long as you want without late fees. There’s also the new GameFly kiosk, rolling out to a college campus near you…

2. Trade online or locally

There are a few websites out there that get gamers together to trade titles. Personally, I’ve only used Goozex and had good experiences.

Goozex works on a points system. Popular or new games are worth more points; older games are worth less. Users make a list of all the games they are willing to trade and a list of all the games they want. People message each other requesting games, and receive points for sending out requested games.

Earn enough points and someone will ship you a game on your request list. To sweeten the deal, Goozex fully guarantees all trades done on its site. That means if you request a game and it gets lost or damaged during shipping, you get a new copy free. The company also a has system in place to stop scammers.

The only real issue with Goozex is that the wait for new games; everyone requests new games but nobody wants to trade them. I’d suggest waiting a month or two before requesting a new game. By then some gamers will have had their fill and be willing to ship it.

If Goozex doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, why not take the matter into your own hands? I created a Facebook group for Ohio State University students to get together and trade games. This way I get to deal with people face to face, negotiate my own trades and never have to pay for shipping.

1: Play ad-supported or downloadable games

Without a doubt, ad-supported and downloadable titles represent the number one value in the gaming industry. These games are typically free or very cheap, and support themselves through advertising (duh) or the sale of virtual goods.

Hardcore gamers may scoff at the idea of playing 2D platformers or “casual” titles, but the recent trend toward FPS browser games is heartening for those of us who grew up on the genre.

Game of Quake Live, anyone? How about Fallen Empire: Legions (inspired by Starsiege: Tribes) or Starsiege: Tribes itself?

On the pay side, there are virtual good supported titles like ijji’s Gunbound and Xbox LIVE mega sellers such as Castle Crashers, with new ones coming out every day.

Best of all, free or exceedingly cheap games tend to be the most social experiences of all, as they depend on multiplayer to add freshness to game. Make a few friends, create a team or fly solo and game your heart out. It’ll cost you–at most–a fraction of the price of a traditionally marketed AAA title, which is exactly what the recession doctor ordered.

What are your recession gaming cures? Leave us your thoughts in the comments!