Smart Game Shopping: Why Sales Aren’t Always a Good Time to Buy

If you read the title and ended up clicking, congratulations. You are self-aware. We’ve all been there. 

The Steam sale banners flash on your screen as soon as they go live, and the discounts look really really good to pass up. Before you know it, your cart is full of more games than you have spare time to play. For many gamers, stocking up on a library that never quite gets cleared out is an annual tradition. Let’s be honest, the thrill of snagging a deal is often more exciting than playing the game itself. But the harsh reality is, that by the time you're ready to sit down and explore that discounted gem, a new sale will have already popped up, tempting you with another shiny new title.

From Spongebob Squarepants Official GIPHY

The paradox of choice. Oooh, fancy, right? Well, the truth is the biggest trap of modern digital libraries is the illusion of choice. The more games you own, the harder it becomes to pick one to play. Remember the time before streaming services, when we’d just turn on the TV and settle for whatever show was on? Once you're faced with a sea of options, you become overwhelmed by the number of choices and default to a game you've already sunk thousands of hours into.

Impulse can get the better of us. Another reason sales can be deceptive is that they often lead to impulse buying. You see that game at a discount and think, “Yeah, why not?” But have you ever asked yourself if it’s a game you genuinely want to play, or is it something you’re just adding to your collection? I can’t begin to describe the times my buddies and I would save up for the Winter Sale just to play it for only a few hours at best. 

Buying a game because it’s cheap isn’t the same as buying it because it fits your interests. More often than not, those impulse purchases sit in the void, unplayed, until the next sale cycle.

From Benjammins Official GIPHY

So, what’s the takeaway here? Sales are great, but they shouldn’t dictate your purchasing habits. Before diving headfirst into the next Steam event, take a moment to assess what you want to play. Ask yourself: will you make time for it? If the answer is no, that 80% off isn’t much of a deal at all because the smartest purchases are the ones you don’t make.

The same can be applied to smart devices. Make sure to do your research before going out to buy. If you are having a tough time finding out what devices even to check, you can visit the Next Upgrade Shop. Here they offer the latest and greatest smart devices guaranteed to transform your living into smart living.