Is it bad to be an early adopter of consoles and games? (3DS)

[DrizzyDrew]

Using the 3DS as an example. Is it bad to be an early adopter of consoles? The original 3DS and now the 3DS xl which is way better than the original 3DS. With new 3DS bundles that pack in a game and a potential Smash 3DS bundle coming soon, is it better to just wait for the best model?

Here are my thoughts!
http://youtu.be/PaESlZkyRRI

What do you think?

 

[Morbi]

It depends on the person and what they intend to do with the console. For instance, I wasn't an early supporter of the 3DS, I was waiting for a version that catered to my needs as I am not predominately a handheld gamer. The 2DS released and all was well. However, for the Wii U, I was hype and bought it before the price cut. I really wished I had just waited for the Mario Kart bundle. But what is done is done.

 

[katastrophic]

I bought my original 3DS as soon as I heard about the ambassador program. I remember thinking the price to get all 20 of those games on VC would be more than the actual price drop. I was right so in this instance it really paid off. However, being an early adopter of the Wii U has given me no such luck, so I'd say it's not really worth it unless it's a really special case like the ambassador games.

Also, shouldn't this be on the Light House board since it's unrelated to Smash 4?

 

[Greda]

It really depends on the person or the console.

The 3DS rewarded you greatly for getting the console early. Just got a Wii U this last December so I'm not sure of anything concerning the Wii U.

Still, it's not ENTIRELY a bad thing. I know I completely dropped everything and ran to the store when the 3DS arrived.

 

[ndayday]

I moved this to the Light House since it's not really related to Smash.

 

[finalark]

Yes. Chances are, the console's price will drop within a year, there's hardly anything worth while for the first few months, you end up buying games you're really not that interested in just so you can have something to play on the damn thing and before you know it your shiny new console is collecting dust in the corner while you spend your free time on your older stuff.

No company has ever made it worth my while to pick up a brand new console at launch. IMO, wait at least a year if not two for new consoles to get momentum before picking one up. Even if all of the mainstream media outlets are shoving them down your throat like crazy. Besides, new stuff will still be coming of for your old consoles for a while. I'm not planning on picking up a PS4 until FFXV is out and that's fine by me because Persona 5 is going to be out on PS3 next year.

 

[-ShadowPhoenix-]

It depends on the person.

I was not drawn into buying one since I had played around 80% of the ambassador titles and the launch titles were pretty bad imo. It wasn't until 2013 when the console lineup exploded with amazing games. I bought an XL in March and I'm glad I waited til then. I was able to get Pokemon Y for free thanks to the Nintendo promotion and picked up a few other gems that weren't available at launch.

 

[Grizzmeister]

I never buy game consoles at launch anymore. However, I like to be an early adopter of software and that's why I'm buying Mario Kart 8 at launch.

 

[DrizzyDrew]

I moved this to the Light House since it's not really related to Smash.

Thank you now I know : )

 

[Robertman2]

I've gotten the 3DS, the Wii U, the PS4, and (regrettably) the Vita at launch. I also got a Wii when they first came out.

 

[Platsy]

Regarding the consoles, it depends on if you're willing to be patient or not, really. Handheld games tend to be updated a lot, so you never really know if what you get is the best version in the long run. I'm personally impatient so I got the 3DS when the Gamestop mob died down a bit.

Regarding games, it's not really a bad thing. Some games have pre-order bonuses which are always nice. I'd say that if you research a game a lot prior to its release and you like how it looks, you'd be fine getting it on day 1. Anything else, you should give it a day or 2 and watch reviews, just to make sure.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

I buy games the day they are released if I want them, but I will NEVER buy a console at launch again

 

[Minato]

I'd say buying a console at launch means you know what you're getting into. You're risking having only a select number of games, high prices, and possible hardware problems. For me personally, I'd never get a new console on day one. There are some positive points, but I wouldn't say they outweigh the negatives for me.

Ambassador program was nice for those that got it. I didn't, but I don't feel any regret.
Plus it'd be silly to expect a repeat for every console.

 

[Grizzmeister]

It's probably best to wait until a really fantastic game like Mario Kart 8 is released before committing to a console purchase. I waited until just this month to get my Wii U Deluxe and saved $100 over the launch price by doing so. That certainly made the Wii U a much better investment.