Getting more game for your hard-earned dollar

Winda Benedetti Citizen Gamer • E-mail

Recessions stink for a lot of reasons. But today we’re going to discuss reason No. 124 why an economic meltdown is, like, a major killjoy.

Reason No. 124: A bad economy could mean less money to spend on games.

As someone who cobbles together a living playing video games, I don’t want to suggest that games are completely superfluous during hard times. In fact, many have argued that video games are something the dejected masses will turn to when the going gets tough.

But as much as I love video games, even I have to admit that when the cash flow starts to dry up, the smart move in the game of life is to cut back on the fun and games in favor of spending that money on stuff like food and clothes and medical insurance.

At the very least, if times are tight (or you’re worried you may soon feel the squeeze) you probably want to think very carefully about how you spend the money you’ve set aside for video games. With that in mind, here are a few strategies for making your gaming dollar go as far as it can ... and a look at some of the games that give you the biggest bang for your hard-earned buck.

Tip No. 1: Go back in time
This year has ushered in a bumper crop of great games. Problem is, buying the latest and greatest hits is going to cost you.

Say goodbye to $60 if you want “Gears of War 2” or “Resistance 2” and, cha-ching, that’ll be $90 for “Wii Fit.”

When you’re a dollar (or two) short, it’s a good time to start looking to the past. That is, consider picking up some of the stellar games you didn’t get around to playing in years gone by. Good titles from as recently as last year can be had at deep discounts.

For example, one of the biggest values from last year is “The Orange Box.” Not only is this a compilation of five excellent games (including the critically acclaimed “Portal”), it’s now on sale for half of what it originally cost — $15 to $30, depending on your game machine. When it launched in October last year, it cost $50 to $60.

Tip No. 2: Go indie
Video games made by small, independently operated companies — comprised sometimes of no more than a single person or a team of two — are some of the most intriguing and inspiring games you’ll find out there. And best of all, they frequently cost a fraction of what a mainstream title will run you.

Number None "Braid," one of the great games of 2008, can be downloaded through Xbox Live for just $15.

That’s because indie game developers are making their games with skeleton crews and on minimalist budgets. And, frequently, they’re cutting out the costs of creating a disc and selling it at retail and, instead, delivering games directly to your machine of choice via the Web.

Xbox 360 owners can buy not only a great indie game but one of the great games of 2008 for a mere $15. It’s called “Braid,” and it can be downloaded through Xbox Live. Meanwhile, PS3 owners will not regret spending $10 on the beautiful platforming game “PixelJunk Eden.” And one of the must-play Wii games of the year is also an indie game. It’s called “World of Goo,” and you can download it to your Wii for $15 through Nintendo’s WiiWare service, or for $20 you can download it directly to your PC/Mac.

(For more suggestions, check out our list of the Top 5 indie games.)

Tip No. 3: Go big
If you do want to spend your cash on the latest and greatest games from the biggest, best-known game makers, a good way to get mega gaming for the money is to purchase the most epic game you can get your mitts on.

Bethesda Softworks Searching for a good gaming value? Try the action RPG game "Fallout 3." With an epic world to explore and a multitude of quests to keep you busy, it provides more than 50 hours of gameplay for the price of $60.

How about a sand-box style game that allows you to explore every nook and cranny of a vast digital world for hours on end? How about a role-playing game with a myriad of side-quests to keep you entertained for weeks, if not months?

My fellow game reviewer Scott Taves tells me he’s logged 50 hours and counting on the epic action role-playing game “Fallout 3.” The game costs $60, so that’s $1.20 per hour of play. Not bad.

If you missed last year’s “Mass Effect,” you now can get one enormous game for the discount price of $25. It clocks in with some 60 hours of play — costing you a mere 42 cents an hour. And yet another epic game sure to keep you occupied for a long time to come is the evolution simulation game “Spore,” which plays much like five games in one and costs $50.

While you’re at it, don’t just go big … go massive. That is massively multiplayer online. Bad pun aside, “World of Warcraft” players will tell you that you get a vast amount of gameplay for the money here in this alternate world of orcs and elves. Yes, you have to pay both the price of the game plus a monthly subscription, but if you’re looking to log lots of hours, play time is, literally, limitless.

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