In the past the global video games industry was much less diverse. People wanting to access video games had only two basic means of doing so: either through playing video games on a home games console, or going to the amusement arcade to play on one of the large Coin-op machines. While these two still choices remain today, there are a huge range of alternative means by which users in 2022 can get their gaming thrills. From smartphone gaming to browser based titles, on-demand cloud services or through a VR headset.

With such diversity, it should come as no surprise that there are many efficient means by which gamers wanting to dive into top tier experiences can do so without having to break the bank. This concern is a natural one as headline console games grow ever more expensive. Longer lead times and higher development costs are impacting gamers directly, with the average cost of a console launch title rising by around $1 a year since the millennium. In light of this, we’re taking a look at some novel and disruptive means by which savvy gamers can circumvent this issue and relive the glory days of low cost gaming.

Bargain Hunting

One of the simplest ways by which gamers can ensure they’re getting a good deal on their gameplay is to track down discount and bargain offers wherever they emerge. For example, official OTA providers often serve up enormous discounts on some of their most popular games – as such it’s a good idea to keep track of the regular sales they run on their web stores. It’s not uncommon to find games that were full price only a year ago frequently going on limited sales with discounts up to 33%.

Another good way to find a discount is to track down providers and businesses that are focused on targeting the accessible end of the market. For example, iGamers in New Zealand can make use of reputable directories that collate together the best $1 deposit casinos all in one place in order to ensure they’re getting their gaming in for the most competitive price. It’s also worth tracking the development cycles of major games, as increasingly, big games will release in an unfinished state leading to their RRP being slashed, only for the games to recover a year or two later following bug-fixes and updates. A great example of this is Cyberpunk 2077, which was the most pre-ordered game in history upon release, yet following a disastrous launch it can often now be picked up for a half price or less. Playing Cyberpunk 2077 today is a wholly different experience from that which greeted players on launch day, as all its issues have now been comprehensively worked through.

Free-2-Play

F2P games are a family of games that, as the name suggests, are completely free to play. What’s more, these are no party minigames but fully developed and supported console grade titles. These games have become a mainstay of the modern gaming market, offering a viable and precious alternative to the ‘pay up-front’ model. The most popular F2P games belong to the battle royale genre, which are arena battle games wherein players compete in a last man standing deathmatch until only one remains. The best known of these is Fortnite and PUBG. Recently, major developers from Activision to Bungie and Square Enix have developed F2P titles.

These games end up making sound financial sense for developers as they can continually afford to develop and maintain these titles thanks to the steady stream of microtransaction sales that they rely on. Simply put, microtransactions normally consist of optional extras players can buy in order to customize their character. They are generally not required in order for the game’s full feature-set to be accessible, which contrasts them strongly with freemium games. This type of business model has meant that Fortnite’s developers Epic Games have earned $9 billion in revenue from just its first 2 years, which is especially impressive when you consider that the game only cost around $200,000 to make. Of course their inclusion on this list is because F2P games are perfect for budget conscious gamers who want to play modern games without the adjoining costs. Activision’s Call of Duty: Warzone delivers much of the thrills of its mainline FPS series without any barrier to entry.