The Perks of Being A Latecomer in Console Gaming

Not all of us buy the newest gaming consoles as soon as they are out. I got my Xbox 360 around 2012, when the platform was well into its twilight years with the release of its next gen successor right around the corner. While many are looking ahead, there are quite a few keenly flocking to stores to get newest (and cheapest) versions of current gen consoles. Did they miss anything over the years? Not at all. In fact, they may have ended up with the better end of the deal, especially at this point.

A Lot of Games to Choose From
The best thing about being the latecomer here is that you will not run out of games to play, at least for the next few years. You don't even have to play every release, good or bad. You can simply select the highest rated games or game series. There are game reviews on the internet to help you pick, as well as recommendations from friends. You don't even have to wait for certain releases or sequels over a period of years like the many of us did. Whether it be the whole Metal Gear Solid collection or Bioshock, you could spend months playing an entire series of games back to back. Some might argue that it is a part of the whole enjoyment to be waiting for the games over a long period of time, witnessing the internet go abuzz with trailers, teasers, speculations over a period of time, building hype and momentum. But that is a matter of personal choice.

Cheaper and Better Consoles
Current gen consoles are a lot cheaper and functionally improved. Xbox 360s back in the day would have lens issues much too often. After all these years, new and improved versions of the consoles have arrived. Even the prices has decreased. Where a Play Station 3 cost around 60,000 taka back in 2008, now you can get better functioning PS3s for almost less than half the price.

Thriving Secondary Market for Consoles and Games
Buying and selling of second hand games (or consoles) has been nothing short of crucial to the gaming companies and their business. Especially in areas where they are all so much more expensive. In Bangladesh, many people sell off their games as soon as they finish. You'll find Facebook pages littered with people looking to sell their games often at half the store price. People usually sell older games for much less, sometimes around 1500 as opposed to 4000 taka (which is the market price).Some Facebook pages or communities even have people renting games for around 500 taka per month, or lending games on proxy. People usually sell their consoles for around less than half the original price. With next gen consoles penetrating the market, many are offloading current gen consoles. That too with pretty low prices along with extra controllers and free games to sweeten the deal. There are some possible drawbacks of the consoles being faulty from over usage or poor maintenance, so it is the best to check them out personally before buying.
While there are endless opportunities to purchase second hand games, you can always stick to the age old tradition of borrowing games from friends. Nothing beats the free stuff.
Being the latecomer in gaming gains a lot more and saves a lot more than it would for the early adopters. So if you are sad about not getting a next gen console anytime soon, don't be.