I have to say WOW to the amount of stuff coming out this year, particularly now.  I have put nickles and dimes together to do Game Room, and also was able to get Super Street Fighter IV.  As of now, my unemployment ran out over a month ago, and I am operating on handouts from family to keep my car on the road.  I now go into Game Stop or Best Buy and see that Red Dead is out, along with Alan Wake, and I realize I can't afford to buy any of those.  Those days are gone for me.  So, I tip my hat to people who can buy here.  What you see regarding purchases from me this year, if any, were due to myself having unemployment, and getting a tax refund.

In the case of myself, I have a Masters degree in Information Systems, and got laid off from IBM in 2004.  I was able to land some helpdesk stuff that ended February 2007.  Since then, I had a total of 20-30 hours total working the IT field (in 2009).  I have had a bunch of financial set backs.  Now it is happening to think long and hard about what to spend, and realizing that ModNation Racer, 3D Dot Hero, Alan Wake, and Red Dead... and who knows what else, is just out of my reach.  I guess that is ok, because I do have a backlog.  But it does pain me to think the good old days aren't around and I have to be very focused.  I am still set, somehow on getting LittleBigPlanet 2 (and stuff for Game Room), but nothing else major.  Oh, I have some non-profit work I am doing, that I need to fund with pennies, and also the retro and casual game group.  Beyond that?  Well nothing.  I need to save money.

Anyhow, I wish everyone the best with what you are doing.  Please have fun, and enjoy what you have.  And don't be blasted fanboys if you can help it.

Here in the UK games hold their price for about a month, if they're lucky. FFXIII was reduced to £18 from a RRP of £40 a month after release.

I've now got a 'backlogue' of games such that I never need to pay full price again - currently playing through Uncharted 2, got Darksiders next up which I bought for £15... and will probs then move on to Batman:AA or ACII for under a tenner :D.

I just can't fathom why people buy games at full price here, it's not even questionable anymore whether it'll be over 50% off in a month.

So u dont have new job on the horizon richard?

By family do u mean your wife, or u mean mom and dad?

I am over 40 getting handouts from parents.  It sucks beyond belief, but tell me what else I can do?  As far as a new job, nope.  There is always the "maybe this will pan or our that will pan out", but so many things are still in the pans, I might as well open up a restaurant.

Partly, and also an income tax return.  The issue with the money is that you need ongoing income to be able to keep things running, which is why buying them is a problem.  I was able to set aside around 10% of money from unemployment and be able to buy games with it.   What hit me up was the sales they ran last year on the games.