Don't Waste Your Money on the Wrong Video Games

Are you tired of spending money on video games that you'll never play again after that first disappointing time? Most people will tell you that they've crashed down from that high of buying a video game they've waited for only to find out they'd rather have kept their money in their wallets once they got it home and played it.

Video games have become a dominating favorite in today's world of entertainment. With the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, DSi, PSP and various other gaming devices, the variety of games has grown astronomically. For some, it's easy to keep up with what games are available out there, but for those of you like me, who find it hard to stay on top of the gaming world, you might find yourself wondering how to find a game that you or your family will enjoy playing.

There's nothing worse for a gamer than dropping down the money for a game, then getting it home and finding out you wouldn't have paid two cents for it if you'd known what it was like. Sure, you can trade it for something else at a fraction of what you paid for it, but now you're out that money that you paid over the trade value!

Is there a way to avoid this hassle to begin with and end up with a game that you'll love? I've found more than one way to do exactly that.

You could always pick the brain of that sales person and ask them what they or their friends think of the games you're considering. If you're in a video game store like Game Stop, this can work out great, as many of the people working there practically live in the gaming world and really know their stuff.

The downside can be that you really have no idea what that sales person's interests or standards are. They might be anti-violence (slim chance if you're at a gaming store, but possible if you're at a Walmart or Target), while you're totally into Halo or Call of Duty. Or it could be that they're into the blood, guts and gore and you're looking for something like the Mario Brothers or Guitar Hero for family night.

So the opinion you're getting is only as good as the person giving it to you--it might be way off base. This approach also isn't going to help you much if you're shopping online.

There are millions of reviews just waiting to be read online. A lot of retailers offer this forum on their websites. The largest site I've found with the most reviews on it (for just about any game I could think of, along with many more I've never even heard of) is Amazon. I'll go there to read the reviews even if I'm planning on buying from somewhere else, just because it's such a popular site so I can get most of the information I'm looking for from a wide variety of people.

Amazon's rating systems and reviews make it easy to find out what many gamers think about the latest, hottest video games available (starting from the day they first become available if it's a highly anticipated game). There can be times though that some people are so split in their opinions on certain games that you still might be torn about putting money down on a game you've never seen.

Not everyone trusts those ratings systems, standards vary from person to person. Parents want to be especially cautious these days with the realism todays games can offer. If you're buying it for you child and you're still not sure if it's appropriate for your family's standards, you can find out what other parents and children are saying about it at Common Sense Media (which is a mainstream review site for families) or Plugged In (which is a Christian based review site for families).

If I've been torn about a game after reading reviews and I just want to know what it looks like, I'll go to Youtube. I type in the game I'm looking for then pick which clip I want to watch of it. There are official game trailers, reviews and even walkthroughs (by the way, this is also a great way to find out how to navigate your way through those tough spots in some of those video games you get stuck in--No! It's not cheating! It's just sharing and utilizing helpful information! Haha).

Watching those video game clips or previews has always been successful in pushing me one way or the other on deciding on whether or not I want to buy a game.

With so much information out there, it's easy to walk away happy with your purchase. You shouldn't have to end up with a game you hate ever again. Happy hunting!