Matrix Games Forums

As the year draws to a close and in regard to all these price threads I thought it would be a good idea to consider my own gaming budget. Here is what I acquired in 2010, in no particular order.

Worthwhile titles with long time retention:
- Arma2 CO: Despite the faulty vehicle AI a pretty immersible tactical simulation with tons of content. Price: €40,-
- A 10-C Warthog: Currently in beta and still bug-ridden - going to become the best modern combat flight sim. Price: €45,-
- WitE: New standard for East Front games and will put my TOAW finally to rest. Price: €75,-
- BftB: Best Bulge title so far. Like WitP AE I play it every now and then. Price: free for writing game review

Worthwhile titles without replay value:
- AtD II: Loved it at first run, but didn't look into anymore after victory. Price: €35,-
- Fallout New Vegas: Shelved it after about 100h playtime: Price: €40,-

Mispurchases:
- Achtung Panzer: Looked like a CM redux at first glance. Turned out that strategic layer was useless and interface downright horrible. Price: €20,-
- Arsenal of Democracy: Bought out of boredom, waste of money: Price: €20,-

In summary: €275,- or about $310,-. That's not even a buck per day. Will try to avoid mispurchases next year though.

Couldn't begin to do a budget but at least $700. I'm an addict.

Worthwhile titles with long time retention

GGWBTS
Civ 5
Rise of Flight iron cross
Age of Wonders II {rebought it on ebay}
Defence Grid. {I know..but it is fun}
Panzer general {xbox live version.. pretty good for an xbox}
Battle of Britain II - its only just arrived, but benefit of the doubt.

Worthwhile titles without replay value:
Dead rising II
Fallout
Red or Dead {abandoned after about 100h also}
Bombing the Reich. {easily replayable for many, but I just want to defeat the huns, end this long,long war and then delete it .}

Waste of space, money and effort
- Armada 2526 . Apparently its all fixed now, but its long gone on ebay to become someone else's problem
- F1 -[utter dross - 10 years waited for that and its dire.]
- operation Barbarrosa - yawn. - must get the Pzn Gen remake instead.
Elemental magic - car crash of a game. Devs trying hard but its a disaster.

What I should have bought instead
- Distant Worlds
- Field of Glory
- Harpoon
-

Games that I bought this year:


Elemental: War of Magic (Collectors Edition)
Distant Worlds
Gary Grigsby's World at War: A World Divided
Europa Universalis 3 Complete + HttT expansion


When you factor in sale prices and then throw in shipping & handling, I'd estimate I've spent around $250.00 on PC games this year. (And if I weren't broke at the moment, I'd be purchasing both the Distant Worlds expansion Return of the Shakturi plus the Divine Wind expansion for EU3, which probably would've put me over $300.00 for the year.)

I hate you [:'(] for bringing up this topic while I am thinking about getting WiTE...

I'm not even going to say how much I spent on PC games..And I surely will never divulge what went into board games...Just in case the wife reads what I write here.....I prefer to keep the body parts attached

Ho hum. Expensive year, I think. Best not to top up prices, even if I could remember them. Will give marks out of 10 instead.

At release price,

BftB (9)
Distant Worlds (10) My GotY runner up
WitE (9)
Harpoon Ultimate (7)
ArmA 2 Operation Arrowhead plus both expansions (8)
Evochron Mercenaries (9)
Elemental (4) - lemon of the year
Worms Reloaded (7)
All the FoG add-ons


Significantly discounted, or otherwise fairly cheap

Batman: Arkham Asylum GotY (8)
Railworks 2 (8)
Amnesia: The Dark Descent (10) My GOTY. Scared me absolutely sh*tless. [X(]
FEAR and FEAR 2 plus add-ons (8)
Metro 2033 (8)
Mount & Blade Warband (7)
Elven Legacy collection (7)
Archon Classic (8)
Blur (7)
Minecraft (9)


Dirt cheap

Altitude (9)
Bloody Good Time (8) - sadly already dead online, actually a bloody good game
Clive Barker's Jericho (7)
Cryostasis (7)
Overlord 2 (5)
VVVVVV (8)
Flight Control HD (8)
Larva Mortis (7)
Sanitarium (8)

In what's left of the year I'll get the Distant Worlds expansion if it's released, and maybe one or two from the Steam, Gamersgate etc sales.

Too darned much maybe

Close Combat 2, 3, 4, 5 reworked here at Matrix Games. great deal on 3 and 4 ok deal on 5.
Command Ops
BBC Battlefield Academy
War in the East
Civ V

My Nintendo DSi XL was also bought this year.
Plus I think I bought my last 3 DS games this year as well

Too much on ASL (don't want to think about it too much) 3 action packs, spare set of boards, new format boards. Or put another way, almost as much as most of the above PC games added together eh.

Lost count of how many models I have bought this year, but the local hobby store owner really likes me So my gaming is really the lesser of my expenses (believe it or not).

Now you know why I find it comical that some so called hard core wargamers will take a pass on a clearly established great game all because it was 20 extra bucks past a magical line in the sand? Your not half as hard core as you think

And technically my son's gaming is coming out of my pocket, so I can add WoW and related costs, expansions plus his need to replace a keyboard every 4 months it seems.
He's asked for Starcraft 2 from that red suited wallet molester too

Damn I'm glad I don't have a car to maintain.
I actually want nothing, not a damned thing I might want, released next year.
I need to go on the wagon

Lets see this year I purchased

War in the East - 79.99
COD: Black Ops - 49.99
Civilization 4 Complete - 11.39
Baldurs Gate Complete - 15.98

I wish I didn't buy Civilization 4 I know its considered a great game but every time I played it I just couldn't get into it no matter how hard I tried. I have enough stuff to keep me busy for awhile.

For me, an orgy of gaming expenditures in 2010:

$150 HPS American Civil War (rounding out my collection)
$30 HPS Squad Battles Pacific War
$60 HPS Naval Campaigns (Guadalcanal, Midway)
$80 Matrix WITP:AE
~$90 Slitherine Field of Glory & expansions (a mistake)

So, over $400 in total.

Projected gaming expenditures in 2011, and quite possibly beyond:

$0

Nothing on the horizon really interests me.

Plus I've got more than enough games to play, especially my favorites (HPS ACW, WITP:AE), and including old dependables (TOAW, JTBGS, JTCS, others).

I won't be buying any more strong-DRM JTS (nee HPS) games either, or at least until I've exhausted my current collection, which is to say probably never.

Going cold turkey. Kicking the habit. I hope ... [8|]

Not much on the horizon for me as well. Gave up on Paradox, since all their latest games felt lacking and thus I don't expect much from CK2. WiF would be interesting, but it's still written in the stars whether it get released and even if so, it could be broken as EiA was. Regarding GoG I'd like to see remastered versions of Thief 2 and Wizardry 8. I used to enjoy RPG's for distraction, but unfortunately the genre shifted toward scripted action movies.

With that said, I expect a pretty low budget for 2011.

ORIGINAL: berto

For me, an orgy of gaming expenditures in 2010:

$150 HPS American Civil War (rounding out my collection)
$30 HPS Squad Battles Pacific War
$60 HPS Naval Campaigns (Guadalcanal, Midway)
$80 Matrix WITP:AE
~$90 Slitherine Field of Glory & expansions (a mistake)

So, over $400 in total.

Projected gaming expenditures in 2011, and quite possibly beyond:

$0

Nothing on the horizon really interests me.

Plus I've got more than enough games to play, especially my favorites (HPS ACW, WITP:AE), and including old dependables (TOAW, JTBGS, JTCS, others).

I won't be buying any more strong-DRM JTS (nee HPS) games either, or at least until I've exhausted my current collection, which is to say probably never.

Going cold turkey. Kicking the habit. I hope ... [8|]

You will be hittin' the game crack-pipe before you know it

ORIGINAL: Lützow

Gave up on Paradox...

Yup, me too. Even Magna Mundi.

Good god, what a concept. Roll up the years game purchases. Hrrmmm.

Defcon - Snagged a copy off ebay for about 1/2 full retail. Got my friends going on it too. Fun, but not addicting.

Le Harve - A board game, (gasp) and a very good one. Multiplayer "Euro" game. Loads of replay value and complexity. Wife plays it too !

Swerpunkt games, Russo German War. Bought it loaded it, ran it. Played AT WWII instead. Collecting dust.

Not a purchase technically but I loaded up an old copy of Alpha Centauri that I scooped out of the bargain bin years ago. Played it a little, pinned the tech tree on the wall for inspiration.

Sins of a Solar Empire. Same deal as RGW. Played AT WWII instead.

All of GMT's Combat Commander Series, ALL of them. Still in shrinkwrap. Great game system and I love playing it but finding opponents is tough. The one regular I play with always brings his own.

That's about it. I played AT WWII constantly and will probably do so again next year.

This year I bought:

Napoleon Total War - a fun game that I will play from time to time (although not quite as good as Rome Total War) [:)]
Civ V - a total and utter disappointment - went back to CIV IV as a result and I very much doubt I will bother with it ever again [:@]
WITE - am still trying to get into it so unable to give a firm view; however it looks and "feels" great and I have very high hopes [:)][:)]

2011? I am silently preying to the god of sad old war gamers that 2011 is the date that World In Flames finally gets released. I do not think there is anything else - certainly that I know of - that is of interest for next year, so that's a nice cheap year coming up [:)]. Given the tenuous job situation, that's no bad thing......[:(]

Matrix Games purchases

World War One Gold - Still haven't played it much, but it's only a matter of time.

AGEOD's American Civil War - Fabulous game. Took me a long time to figure out the engine, but it was worth it. And instant classic.

Battlefield Academy - Perfect for a little lite wargaming. One of the only games I can play well while drinking. [:D] Also, this is the game that has turned my 11 yr old son into a wargamer. He went from Lego to BA!

AGEOD's Revolution Under Siege - Outstanding game, and perfect for the AGE engine. This game is starting to consume me!

There's still some time left in 2010. I'm going to finally pickup WitP:AE after many years of procrastination. At that sale price, I can't say no this year. [8D]

And if the Battlefield Academy expansion pack gets released before the end of the year, that will be added to my cart as well.




Non-Matrix Games Purchases

Achtung Panzer: Karkhov 1943 - Haven't played it much, hope it's not as bad as Lutzow says it is.

Bioshock - Hadn't played a FPS in years, so picked it up for something different. It's an excellent shooter. Creepy as hell, too.

Commander: Conquest of the Americas - What a disappointment. Great concept, ho-hum implementation. Maybe it'll get better with a patch or ten.

King's Bounty: The Legend & Armored Princess - Very good RPG series. Will be spending even more time with these in the future!

Theatre of War 2: Africa 1943 - Dunno yet, can't get the download from GamersGate to work. Nothing like paying for a digital download and not being able to get it downloaded completely, d'oh! [X(]

Far Cry 2 - Another shooter that I'm having lots of fun with. Perfect for when my bloodlust is up.

Scourge of War: Gettysburg - Best game of the year! Outstanding tactical warfare in the American Civil War.

Napoleon: Total War - Another one that I need to spend more time with. I haven't tried the strategic part of the game yet, but am looking forward to it.

Ufda, did I really buy that many games this year? I don't even want to add up the money, but even so, I know it's a heck of a lot cheaper than most other hobbies out there.

Matrix Games purchases

Close Combat - Cross of Iron (Sale)
Close Combat - Modern Tactics (Sale)
Close Combat - Wacht am Rhein (Sale)
Close Combat - The Longest Day (Sale)
I've enjoyed the original versions of these games for years. Picked them up in the sale.

Distant Worlds - Full Price
I enjoyed the initial experience but found it to be both stale and shallow the longer I played it. It became my biggest disappointment this year, probably because I had such high hopes. The combat it a complete let-down for me.

Gary Grigby's War Between the States (Sale)
Fantastic game that I haven't spent enough time with.

Gary Grigby's War in the East: The German-Soviet War 1941-1945 - Full Price

Steel Panther's: World at War - General's Edition (Sale)
Looking forward to the Mega Campaigns.


Non-Matrix Games Purchases

AI War: Fleet Command & all expansions
This series is a big winner in my book. I buy the expansions simply to support the designer, who is an example for all game designers in terms of his support and commitment to the game.

Elemental: War of Magic
Slowly becoming the game I hoped it would be. I think they have averaged a new beta release each day for the last two weeks.

Empires of Steel
A good game, with great support and one slick editor.

Hearts of Iron 3 & Semper Fi (Gamersgate Sale)
Just picked it up; I hope it won't disappoint.

HPS Sims - Total War in Europe (First Blitzkrieg & Southern Front)
Great series.

King's Bounty: Crossworlds & Armored Princess (Steam Sale)
Good, clean fun.

Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale (Steam Sale)
This one is a gem!

Theater of War (Complete series - Steam Sale)
Disappointed in this one; glad I bought it for next to nothing.

Games from Matrix:
War in the East: 64.99(NWS)

Games on Steam:
Theatre of War Collection: $12
Tidalis: $10
Killing Floor: $12
Men of War: $7
Men of War - Red Tide: N/A
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2: $18(eBay)

Games from HPS($30 bucks each)
Squad Battles: Pacific War
First World War Campaigns: France '14
Naval Campaigns: Midway
Civil War Battles: Campaign Peninsula
Civil War Battles: Campaign Atlanta

Games in General:
AI War - Children Niezul Expansion: $4
WinSPWW2 CD edition: $40
WinSPMBT CD Edition: $40

Money set aside for 2011:
Modern Wars: Vol 1(Modern Warfare carnation of JTCS)
AI War: Light of the Spire expansion
World in Flame if it shows signs of being released.

I may be purchasing one more Matrix game before the end of the year because of the sale. Probably Crown of Glory:EE(I may just give in for the lack of widescreen support, as I'm desperate for Napoleonic Wargame that's NOT Napoleon Total War.)

 I do not want to count!

In a truly abrupt turnaround from past behavior in this regard, the only computer game that I purchased this year was BftB.

IMHO, the quality simply isn't there.

In the unlikely event that the situation rights itself, I'll re-enter the market.

I'm not holding my breath, however.

Prince...you really are a texan?  I know quite a few REAL Texans.  Just saying?  Ok?