Coffee Talk #1: Does Replay Value Impact Your Gaming Purchases?

Posted on October 12th, by raymond padilla in Coffee Talk, PC Gaming, Today's Specials, Videogames. 230 comments

Welcome to the first edition of Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the return of Barry Allen, Chris Jericho carrying the WWE for two years running, or how awesome the NY Yankees are, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Today I want to talk about replay value. It’s mentioned in practically every videogame review you see and many critics use it as a scoring factor, but does it really have a role in your purchasing decisions? For me, it’s not really an issue when it comes time to plop down cash on a new game. It’s more of an added bonus that I enjoy after I’ve beaten a game.

Tactics 2 Coffee Talk #1: Does Replay Value Impact Your Gaming Purchases?

Don’t get me wrong — I appreciate games that have extraordinary replay value, but that’s not why I buy (or pass) on a title. I’ll pick up every game in the Final Fantasy Tactics series because I love the world of Ivalice and the gameplay style. The fact that I’ll play it for dozens of hours after I’ve beaten it isn’t the point. That said, I completely understand that I’m not a normal customer since I get to play a ton of games for free and can be picky with the ones I buy.

My question for you on this fine Monday is whether replay value impacts your purchases. Are you more likely to buy games that you can play over and over again? Will you skip on a game because it’s not really worth playing after the initial 10 to 15 hours? Or is it a case-by-case basis? Leave a comment and let me know (please)!

Coffee Talk PC Gaming Videogames

redtailman

I usually only buy games that I know I will replay many times, no point to spend 65 dollars on something you play 5 or 6 times
N8R

Replay value is probably the driving force in my game buying decision. There are other reasons I buy a game, but without a doubt replay value holds a solid numero uno.
tokz_21

sometimes it's replay value, if it's a new game that i'm playing. you know like Uncharted.

If it's a franchise like Fight Night or Killzone or Grand Theft Auto. I already know what i'm getting and probably find various to amuse myself.
THE GREAT THUNDERCRA

i buy games which have no replay value

talkin to you shaun white!
THE GREAT THUNDERCRA

who the hell are your friends ray?
http://rpad.tv raymond padilla

@N8R You always bring up that time you trounced me in Uno, don't you?

@Thundercracker Well, you guys are! Also, I'm hoping to have some cool guest writers in the next week or so.
THE GREAT THUNDERCRA

go back to your cabana!

still have no idea what that means
Shockwave562

glad to see you back in Action Ray. This is probably going to be my morning discussion anymore.
Smartguy

No. Replay value means little to me at the time I buy a game. Whether I will enjoy it or not is what I really consider.
N8R

@ R Pad

Hey, I trounced other people as well.

Would you believe that was the first time I ever played Uno in my life? I was seriously figuring it out as I went along. I've been playing it alot since. The thing about the SF deck is that people can get loaded up pretty quickly because of that Haduken card. That pads the score for whoever wins nicely.

Besides, lots of girls play Uno with their Live cam… that's for real.
RRODisHere

If a game is great then it will have high replay value for me. I've played through Uncharted 1 at least 5 times. Well worth $60.
THE GREAT THUNDERCRA

i honestly think that co-op is the future

the addition (or lack thereof) has a lot to do with which games i purchase

thats my only problem with killzone 2
N8R

I do agree with Thundercracker. I find myself saying "that game really needed co-op" more and more often.

I also agree RROD. I still have my copy of Dead Rising and play through it regularly.
Smartguy

I think Co-op lends itself to destroying great narrative games. I like that Arkham Asylum was built for the single player experience. It is something that is really lacking these days.

That said, Demon's Souls is made for the individual but with a very interesting online aspect. I can't say enough about that game.
THE GREAT THUNDERCRA

ray, what can we do to help you and your site?
http://rpad.tv raymond padilla

@Thundercracker Don't you feel that some developers (probably by order of the publisher) are forcing co-op?

@Shockwave562 Glad to see you here!
Shockwave562

I love to play good games over and over again. replay value is huge to me. games like kotor, mass effect, oblivion and fallout are games that I have put well over 100 hours in to them. Keep in mind that those don't have MP either.

To me, multiplayer doesn't make up for a lack of SP replay value. I know people like it and it belongs in games but I don't think it can replace a good SP experience.
THE GREAT THUNDERCRA

@smartguy

i see your point with arkham asylum, but i find that to be the exception

has anyone ever played through the original contra by themselves?

what fun is that? You gotta have a friend to play with and from whom to steal lives once youve depleted yours

same concept
Smartguy

@Thundercracker

LIfe stealing is always fun. Even in Super Mario World. Uncharted was all about the single player and I had a blast with that game. I just don't care for co-op that much. Except of course if there is friendly fire…..
Smartguy

@ ray and thundercracker to an extent

I feel that RE5 was seriously hampered by Capcom forcing co-op on the player. They built the whole game around the co-op experience that you had to play with that AI. I just think it is rather short sighted. Granted the japanese developer doesn't have to worry about Japanese gamers not having internet like US gamers. I think forcing co-op definitely hurt that game.
RRODisHere

Guys, co-op is only good for shooters that are not story driven. Co-op is not productive in story driven games. In fact, co-op can ruin a good story. Smartguy said it best, it destroys narratives.

Does anyone see motion controls as the future. I think it's just a casual fad.
http://rpad.tv raymond padilla

@Thundercracker You're helping out plenty by just being here!

@Smartguy RE5 offers a great co-op time if you're playing with another person. With the dumb ass AI-controlled character…not so much.
N8R

I think co-op has to be done right. Some games where you're just floating in someone else's game can get boring or worse. Other times, the person you're playing co-op with can demolish your save file.

It's tricky, but I do crave it in alot of games. But, imagine if Fallout 3 had co-op and some dude just went genocidal through the game and saved it on you.
Shockwave562

I think for me co-op has its place. It can add replay value to an already good game better than vs multiplayer for me. I prefer to play a game with people I know rather than against people I don't. I think co-op caters more to my preferred type of MP experience. I like going back to the old days of good co-op.

@RROD. I think you could have a point with motion controls. I imagine a future where we are much more integrated in to the game than a controller but it is hard to tell how we will reach that goal IMO
THE GREAT THUNDERCRA

@ray

sure i do, i actually have no problem with games like warhawk that actually have NO campaign

Co-op should be mandatory for certain genres of games

hack and slash games, fps'

I think that if companies force the issue with co-op, that speaks more to the fact that those companies rushed an incomplete game to market as opposed to tweaking it and making it work

that new lost planet has a decent co op feature, im actually considering getting that game on the strength of that alone

what can i say raymond, im a lonely guy, i need friends to play with and to be occasionally awestruck by my gaming ineptitude
RRODisHere

Coffee Talk Trivia

What was the code to get 30 lives in Contra?
http://rpad.tv raymond padilla

@Thundercracker Ha! Playing games with friends is awesome. My Mario Kart memories alone are priceless.

@RROD I'm very happy you're here!
N8R

@ RROD

That answer is so easy… I'm not even going to attempt it.
Shockwave562

haha, so easy. I remember seeing a t-shirt with the code on it that I thought was pretty cool.
RRODisHere

@Raymond Padilla

Glad to be here. Wouldn't miss it for anything.
Smartguy

@RROD

I have never said to myself "motion controls would be great for this game!" or "I wish I could use motion controls for games!"

Maybe I'm biased…maybe I'm old school….but I cannot sit in front of my Wii and point the damn controller and nunchuk at the TV for extended periods of time. It's uncomfortable and imprecise. Don't they do some kind of arms outstretched event in those tough man competitions??
RRODisHere

@N8R

@Shockwave

Haha, you have to be over 25 to know that one.
Shockwave562

how does N8R have an avatar? I didn't see a signup section on the site
SlickyFats

It few and far between that many games have a ton of replay value with me. Fallout 3 did/does and inFAMOUS did (but not so much now that I have beaten it twice). I literally just have too many games to go back and play them very much. The only time I'll pick up an older game it to play some Co-op with friends. I wish more games had good Co-Op with a good storyline rather than what Resistance 2 did with its crappy Co-Op.
Smartguy

@Ray

Yeah that was my point. Fun with another person as long as they aren't jumping and constantly speaking to you ruining the narrative….yet a horrible experience if you want to do the narrative because of the AI.
http://rpad.tv raymond padilla

@Shockwave563 Please see this post for avatar 411.

http://rpad.tv/2009/10/12/housekeeping-custom-ava…

@Smartguy Right, but can you imagine that game with a…uh not dumb AI? Do you think you would have enjoyed it that way? I sure do.
Shockwave562

are you kidding me RROD? you know I am, I use that code every few months even today. I still own my original copy of Contra

up,up,down,down,left,right,left,right b, a, SELECT (this is a co-op discussion) Start
SlickyFats

HAHA I was helping a friend crack his palm-pre and to get into the dev mode we had to put in the contra code.
Shockwave562

I agree Slicky, I always like to play a game a second or third time on co-op after beating it on my own. but I also love a well done SP experience too.

thanks Ray
oOcornflakeOo

Damn you rpad!!

I was going to touch on that subject of publishers throwing in MP just for the hell of it. i'm sure we could all think of at least one title that was more than lacking on the MP experience.. like turok.. WTF!? the idea of it was interesting but it sucked nuts…
RRODisHere

Ray has a good point about games forcing co-op like RE5. If you play with the computer then you're stuck with a stupid partner.
Shockwave562

just so you guys know I think I'm done with the Feed. I only went there for the morning hangover and that was really only for R Pad's input. This is my new home

(I know you said to keep going to the feed ray but I only have time for one website to distract me from work)
Shockwave562

I agree RROD and Rpad. Army of 2 did the same thing. don't force co-op just include it if you can make it work
Empyu

Would RE5 had the same level of replayability if it was strictly a single player game? Although the controls were similar to RE4, the atmosphere was more like an action game – kinda like X-files meets Lost Planet.

I don't think people would've played RE5 as much as 4 if it didn't have co-op. I know I wouldn't have even played the game if it wasn't a feature. But I was disappointed in the package as a whole anyway.
Smartguy

@Ray

Definitely if the AI wasn't stupid it would have made a world of difference.
Shockwave562

@empyu

I don't think having co-op is the issue here. forcing co-op on people who would like to get a SP experience out of the game was frustrating to those who played it that way
THE GREAT THUNDERCRA

@smartguy

im with you man, this is my new home too

although i will poke my head in the feed from time to time
SlickyFats

I like Co-Op even if it doesn't work well. My friends don't like to play death match against me so I am always looking for games like Halo, Kane & Lynch, Army of Two that we can play through together. Even a crappy co-op is better than watching someone else play a game for a few hours.
THE GREAT THUNDERCRA

cant get that avatar thing to work

im a tard
THE GREAT THUNDERCRA

there it is

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Coffee Talk #1: Does Replay Value Impact Your Gaming Purchases?

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