Why You Shouldn't Play Games Right After Release
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Today I decided to draw your attention to some quite obvious facts that players often overlook. That's a shame, as it could save a lot of nerves and maybe even some money. Regarding games.

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The Game is Full of Bugs

Despite testing, modern games are released with bugs. Sometimes these bugs are non-critical and don't affect the enjoyment of the gameplay, but there are times when they prevent us from completing the game. This forces us to put it aside until a patch arrives, which may also require us to restart our progress. Sometimes, the game may not support your PC hardware, and it doesn't matter whether you bought it right away or waited a bit longer.

The Game is Expensive

For almost all games, the rule of price reduction over time is true. Of course, major and well-known games may sell at the launch price for a year or two, but ultimately, they are likely to drop in price. Thanks to Steam, there are also amazing sales, where a game of interest can cost many times less than its original price (and interestingly, in some cases, this can even happen just a couple of months after release). Considering that most games are sold "digitally," you will always be able to purchase the game.

There are also giveaways and contests. So, how many games have you won or received for free? There are plenty of free and not-so-free giveaways on the internet where you can snag a game. Plus, there are many contests with game prizes.

The Game is Cut Down

The bane of many major games is downloadable content (英語 DLC). There’s nothing wrong with selling trivial things like character costumes this way, but if something obviously gets cut from the game to be sold separately for extra cash—this is bad, and we shouldn’t encourage developers with our money; it's better to wait for the gold edition. However, there is also a third type of add-on—story-related, separate from the main game (and they originated from regular game expansions). A prime example is the “Point Lookout” expansion for [Fallout 3](/games?search=Fallout 3). It’s worth paying for, it’s truly an addition. Yet, in this case, it’s still better to wait for at least a major set of expansions—it's cheaper and more convenient.

There’s also another interesting aspect—user-created expansions and modifications. If the game has a toolkit, a decent number of “must-have” modifications and expansions (like quests, for example) will appear within six months to a year, allowing you to extend your enjoyment of the game during or right after your playthrough.

The Game Didn’t Meet Expectations

Advertising. The publisher’s PR department can spin such tales about a game that you’re astonished when you see the final result. However, that’s their job; we need to be smarter and wait for the first reviews. Moreover, player reviews are the ones to follow, although reading reviews from gaming portals isn't a bad idea either. You’ll save money on failed projects.

By the way, don’t forget about another interesting point—even with positive reviews, the game might not satisfy your personal expectations. To lower your expectations, you should be casually interested in the game and, again, not rush to buy it.

Servers Don’t Work

The game itself may be bug-free, but online services can let it down. Remember [Assassin's Creed II](/games?search=Assassin's Creed II) with its protection system? Servers go down—you can't play. The launch of Origin was fraught with numerous issues, such as being charged multiple times for the game. Even Steam had its glitches at first. So if the game comes with a fancy online service—wait for the first bugs to be fixed, which will inevitably occur.

Gaming servers also frequently encounter problems. The main issue is their inadequacy. Sometimes they miscalculate, and they'll rectify it in a week or two.

Little Information About the Game

Here, I refer to information on game guides, secrets, walkthroughs, tactics, and similar things. Starting to play some time after the game’s release, especially if it's popular, you won’t encounter issues in completing it because someone who already played it has described it. If the game has achievements tied to collecting hidden items, you’ll have no trouble finding them on your first playthrough; you just need to find the appropriate video on YouTube. And if you're seriously interested in the game, you will likely find a comprehensive wiki encyclopedia online about it.

But...

To be fair, let’s take a quick look at this issue from another perspective. Why should you play games right after release?

  • Spoilers. They can be quite negligible.
  • Leveling with everyone. In the online component of the game, there won’t be an oversaturation of "max level" players (in terms of leveling and game mastery).
  • Limited collectible edition or pre-order bonuses. However, no one forces you to play; it’s enough to just buy it.
  • Supporting developers with your cash. Sales ratings are, after all, most important at release. But again, it’s not necessary to play immediately.
  • You could write a relevant review, guide, or walkthrough for the game. ;)

Haste makes waste.