Andy Laub

At the beginning of 2009 and more recently I talked about my efforts to save money and not go crazy buying games. Looking back I would say I did a pretty decent job; I saved myself from a few titles that were definitely not worth buying but still had the opportunity to play through pretty much everything I wanted. Finding a game that you want on sale is an added bonus over just being able to go out and buy it, and practically becomes a game in and of itself. I even managed to mostly abide the “no $60 games” rule, with Forza 3 being an obvious and acceptable exception.

Title	Price	Saved
Prince of Persia (360)	$59.99 $29.99	$30.00
Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection (360)	$29.99	–
GTA IV: The Lost and Damned (360)	$20.00	–
LEGO Batman (PS3)	$49.99 $25.00	$24.99
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (DS)	$34.99 $19.99 $7.99	$27.00
The Sims 3 (PC)	$49.99 $44.99*	$5.00
Left 4 Dead (GOTY) (360)	$59.99 $37.00	$22.99
Indigo Prophecy (Xbox)	$19.99 $6.68	$13.31
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (PS3)	$59.99 $34.99	$25.00
Shadow Complex (360)	$15.00	–
Batman: Arkham Asylum (360)	$59.99 $49.99*	$10.00
Forza Motorsport 3 (Limited Collector’s Edition) (360)	$79.99	–
GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony (360)	$20.00	–
New Super Mario Brothers Wii (Wii)	$49.99**	–
	Total:	$158.29

* gift card incentive
** shared purchase

While I’ve made it clear that my love for the Xbox 360 and next generation gaming in general is nearly boundless, I’ve also harbored a resentment towards Microsoft (and Sony for following suit), for using this latest technology as an excuse to bring back $60 games. If that sounds like a lot of money, don’t worry – that’s also what it feels like as it leaves your wallet.

I can think of at least ten titles that lightened my bank account by at least $60 in 2008. Sadly, I feel that only about half of them were worth the MSRP, which means I probably could’ve saved a hundo or so by being a little more patient – money that could’ve been spent on more games/car parts/hookers/groceries. I tweeted earlier this year about my resolve not to fall into the $60 game trap again, and so far Skate 2 has been the only game to test that.

The thing is, it’s not that hard to find games for less. Half.com and Amazon are obvious places to look, but you have to give it some time before they start to reach the “worth it used” threshold (I consider this to be about $40-45, depending on how desperate I am). Skate 2 has actually reached that point, if you want it for (cringe for effect) the PS3.

I’m not NOT buying stuff.

But a place I’ve found great success in the past is our local Family Video. Since I hadn’t been in awhile, I decided to stop in and browse over the weekend – and ended up with the latest Prince of Persia. Thus far I haven’t been disappointed – it’s a fun game with good mechanics, and I’ve found that it works really well in short bursts – maybe 30 minutes or so.

This week also marked the release of some classic hotness: Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection landed, bringing with it over forty full Sega Genesis games in high-def with achievements. I have to thank Sega for realizing that nobody in their right mind would pay $60 for disc full of 15-year-old games, and instead pricing the whole thing at half that. As the owner of either two or three Genesis..es(?) (but only one while they were actually relevant), playing the original Sonic the Hedgehog series brings back a lot of memories, while making me wonder how I ever played this stuff as a child.

Finally, I know where my next $20 in gaming will be spent, and it really is probably pretty obvious. Not bad for $80 total.

2008 ended last week, I guess. I feel like I wrote a decent amount, and I had every intention of writing a sort of “year in review” type of post. But I never got to a point where I had the right tone in my head, so instead I present you with this meme I found on the internerd. INTERNERD.

Achievements & Landmarks

What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?

Lost weight on purpose. Went into debt for a car that I fell in love with.

Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I guess so, and probably not. They were always a half-hearted promise to eat better and take better care of myself. Also I’m pretty sure I was resolving about a Mac Pro heavily at this time last year.

Did anyone close to you give birth?

Uh, our neighbors? Or did you mean emotionally close? Then no.

Did anyone close to you die?

Sort of close. It would be wrong to say we weren’t close at some point.

What countries did you visit?

This one.

What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

Patience.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I don’t think there’s one big thing that stands out, but I’m really proud of the work I did on Over the River and Through the Woods and Sweeney Todd. And losing weight counts as a major thing for me.

What was your biggest failure?

I let things fall by the wayside that shouldn’t have, and got angry way more than I should have.

What was the best thing you bought?

The Mac was the most practical best thing, and the Miata was the least practical best thing.

Whose behavior merited celebration?

What? Not mine, that’s for sure.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

People I thought I could trust. Myself included.

Where did most of your money go?

Toys. Lots of toys.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Grand Theft Auto IV. Driving stick. Singing in public.

What song will always remind you of 2008?

Monsters, by Matchbook Romance. Lame, I know, but it got me stoked for rides at Nine Mile.

Compared to this time last year, are you:

Happier or sadder?

Sadder, but I shouldn’t be.

Thinner or fatter?

Way, way thinner.

Richer or poorer?

Richer.

Miscellany

What do you wish you’d done more of?

Enjoying myself. Letting things go.

What do you wish you’d done less of?

Worrying. Spending money.

How did you be spend Christmas?

With people whose company I enjoy.

Did you fall in love in 2008?

Only on stage.

How many one-night stands?

None.

What was your favorite TV program?

I enjoyed SNL, as usual. Surprise second goes to Prison Break for no reason whatsoever.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Yeah.

What was the best book you read?

I don’t know – something that was on the bookshelf.

What was your greatest musical discovery?

Stephen Sondheim. The man is a genius.

What did you want and get?

Dollars, which enabled me to get many other things that I wanted.

What did you want and not get?

Resolution. Recognition.

What were your favorite films of this year?

Iron Man, easily. Dark Knight was also enjoyable.

What did you do on your birthday?

Complain. It was a tough day for me this year. That’s what I get for being born on Christmas Eve.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

“Hey, this fits me now!”

What kept you sane?

The internerd. Driving. Acting.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Obama would be a logical answer.

What political issue stirred you the most?

Obvious also starts with an “O”.

Who did you miss?

People I could only talk to online.

Who was the best new person you met?

Somebody who helps keep me sane.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:

Let. It. Go.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

I don’t think I can. That’s pretty lame, even for this.

So, I got my tax return which means that it was finally office chair day today. We went to check out what the store had in stock, and in lieu of custom ordering (5 weeks) we bought the two remaining MIRRAs in the store. Mine is all black and Abe’s is tan on black. It is so comfortable and I may never buy another chair again. Seriously, though, I can not recommend the MIRRA enough. It is fantastic, and even better when you consider the huge discount when compared to the Aeron (my original favorite). It’s surprisingly comfortable as well. I am very happy with it, and the fact that I got it today, and the fact that it was about $100 less than what I would’ve paid at Room & Board.

We also decided to give the cat a bath. He was surprisingly tolerant of this, and doesn’t seem traumatized by the experience at all. He’s happy as he ever was, and a lot fluffier too.

We just watched Matchstick Men and I’m not sure whether I liked it. It was clever, nonetheless. We’re planning to watch Confessions of a Dangerous Mind tomorrow in what has turned out to be a Sam Rockwell (hot!) themed weekend. Last weekend we saw Pirates of the Caribbean and I’m happy to say it was awesome.

I am also excited because our housewarming party is coming up – an event I have looked forward to since October. That said, we need to focus on hanging the rest of our pictures this weekend. And maybe finding a bookshelf / room divider. And cleaning up the huge mess of LEGOs on the floor.

Ok, I think it’s due time for bed, since it is actually technically early morning on the 27th.