Gaming can be a costly pastime, especially when new games are increasingly beginning to command a retail price of $70. But in truth, if you know where to look, there are many ways you can get your game on for a fraction of that price, and below you’ll find three of the best of these.
OTT Services
While we’re still a few years away from a genuine “Netflix-for-games” experience, the 2020s have seen the rise of a growing number of OTT (over-the-top) media services focused on gaming.
Apple Arcade, for example, is home to a curated selection of the App Store’s greatest games as well as exclusive titles from industry leaders like Sega. In exchange for a standard monthly subscription, you get access to a huge number of titles there, which can be played across the entire Apple hardware ecosystem.
Even more exciting is the growing offering under Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription, which gives you immediate access to a rotating selection of around 200 Xbox, PC and Mobile games, with day-one releases on flagship Xbox Series X titles included. What’s more, this service’s cloud gaming functionality means you can access said titles on any internet-ready hardware, circumventing the need to even own an Xbox. You can get xbox digital codes at the best price from SmartCDKeys.
Promotional Offers
Promotional offers have been around for as long as people have had products to sell, and for good reason. Much of the challenge of inviting someone to invest in your goods or services comes from the initial friction related with parting with your hard earned money, especially if you’re being budget conscious.
Promos amount to a win-win situation for both the customer, and the retailer. This is because the retailer gains a new customer, and the customer enjoys access to the product for less than standard asking price.
This model is borne out in the games industry in a variety of ways, all of which are equally appealing to the gamer looking to access quality experiences without the corresponding price-tag.
One sub-sector that has become synonymous with welcoming promotional offers is the iGaming market, which is not unaccustomed to offering welcome bonuses, free spins and other sign-up offers to both new and returning patrons. This makes sense, as leading providers such as VegasSlotsOnline can rely on developing an ongoing relationship by consistently being shown to offer perks and discounts for their customers.
And it’s not just table games where you’ll find a good deal through promos and bonuses – the wider video games industry is, itself, keen to give back to its prospective patrons. Major releases over recent years, like EA’s 2021 hit Knockout City, launched to gamers with a month-long free trial, letting them play the title and ‘try before they buy’.
Elsewhere, games belonging to the free-to-play sector consistently bundle skins and emotes with season passes, encouraging players to continue to enjoy all the games have to offer, at great value.
June Sales
Everyone knows that there are certain points of the year where you’re likely to get good discounts on big ticket purchases. From Black Friday, to the January sales, consumers often wait for these times of year in order to buy premium items.
The same goes for the game’s industry – both console and game sales spike during their periods as people capitalize on the significant discounts offered by retailers and manufacturers.
Though not everyone realizes there is another time of year where you can get impressive deals on the latest games. This is in early June. Historically the Electronic Entertainment Expo, known better as E3, served as the core focus for the industry’s promotional efforts throughout the year. It was at E3 that developers and manufacturers would announce their biggest upcoming games and hardware, and this expo took place in early June.
While E3 continues to run year-on-year, its significance for the industry has largely been displaced by independent press releases, and the growing popularity of the Summer Game Fest. However, in keeping with this yearly rhythm, these events also take place in the early weeks of summer.
And in order to help build the hype around new releases, first party web stores like the Nintendo Store always host their biggest sale periods of the year around this time. Depending on the game you’re looking for, you may find discounts ranging from 33% all the way up to 90% – as such it’s always worth taking a look at what’s on offer during this time.
