I hate being poor.

[Takun]

Seriously. Ever since I could think I never once remember my parents getting me a game system. It was always a hand-me-down or a gift. I guess it doesn't help that I have two brothers. I sold my Gamecube just so I could get a DS game. And after watching E3, Im bummed that I wont be able to get most of these games. I've been told several times to just save up money to buy these systems, but I wont be able to get a job until I turn 15, which is this November. Im actually really bummed out. My parents always say that we just don't have the money. I guess Im making a big deal out of nothing.

[TP Zelda]

No, me and my bro know how you feel. We can't get anything expensive, they tell us to put it on our Christmas list.   Dude, you should be thankful for what you have. Some people in the world can't have anything you have.

[Twilight Wolf]

You know what you should do? You should shop online. Buying used games may not be totally optimal, but it's a lot cheaper. I recommend Amazon.com, Half.com, and eBay. You can find pretty much any game you like, and it's just about guaranteed to be cheap. Heck, I won a Sega Genesis game on eBay for a single penny! (Before shipping, of course, but that was only around $2.50.) Shopping online is what has helped me to get so many games, and I haven't spent a whole lot.

And with this post, I've now past the 500 posts mark, and I am now a Lone Wolf Thief.

[Fishalicious]

Omnomnom-you should get a summer job. I work at Artlink every year, which is a summer camp where kids do meaningless crafts.

I pretty much do most of the prep work and the cleaning, but I do sometimes teach the kids stuff. o: It's $6 an hour, 6 hours a day, for 16 days.

It's pretty good pay-my first paycheck was $295.

-shrug- Not sure if they have anything like that in your area.

[MasterKeyX]

I'm sorry to hear it... I know what it can be like to want something really bad, but just not have the money for it.

Shopping online, as stated before, is a great idea. Other than that, I dont wanna sound useless, but you're just gonna have to wait.

[alical]

I know how you feel, only here you can't get a job till you're 16. At least here when I start in the 6th form after next year the government will pay me £30 a week for going to school.
I guess all I can say is chin up! I know it sucks but eventually you'll be fine, but I guess getting any sort of job/ doing work is the best idea if you're desperate.

[Takun]

The only places that will hire a 15 year old down here is Publix. And even then its rare. I can get games for my birthday and Christmas, but when it comes to new systems, my parents want me to work for it. That concept used to be all fine and dandy, I used to mow lawns with my grandpa until he chopped off his finger in a idiotic lawnmower accident. After that I worked with my grandma until money became tight, even for her. So I pretty much have to wait.

I never though of online shopping. I figured people probably charged more money online than at a store.

[Rev Rabies]

When i was 13, i had a job at a bowling alley, it was under the table though, i kept score for this tournament they did.

[Twilight Wolf]

I never though of online shopping. I figured people probably charged more money online than at a store.

Nope, it's the exact opposite. A lot of the time, you can actually buy brand-new games from Amazon or Half.com for considerably less than you would at a store like Wal-Mart (or, heaven forbid, GameStop), and used ones are even cheaper. The only store I've come across that charges less than online stores for used games is Play 'N' Trade, but I've really only bought Dreamcast stuff from them. If there's a Play 'N' Trade in your area, they're definitely worth a look, but in general, buying online is the cheapest method.

[Takun]

I've been to Play N Trade. There's a nice old lady that has an obsession for Final Fantasy that works there. But she was telling me that that store is closing down to make room for a Wendy's parking lot.

And I dont have issues with getting games. I just have trouble getting the systems at a reasonable price.

[Twilight Wolf]

The consoles themselves are a different story... Your best bet would be to either buy one new from a store like Wal-Mart (not Wal-Mart's online store; they tack on a lot of unnecessary things to drive the price up, plus you have to pay for shipping), or buy one used at a locally-owned game store (not a chain like GameCrazy or GameStop, as they tend to charge more, GameStop especially so).

[Takun]

My parents are actually looking at one at Gamestop. Its used with nothing except one wireless controller. Its $199.99.

[Twilight Wolf]

It's an Xbox 360, right? Actually, that's not a terrible price...

However, one thing to consider is that Microsoft dropped the price of the Xbox 360 Pro bundle to $299. This way, you get essentially everything: The console, a wireless controller, 20GB HDD, a headset for online gaming, and possibly a three month Xbox Live trial. Plus, you're pretty much guaranteed that your Xbox won't pull a Red Ring of Doom on you.

[Takun]

Whats a Red Rind of Doom?

[Twilight Wolf]

You've never heard of it? It's probably the one thing the Xbox 360 is the most infamous for. The Red Ring Of Doom is three flashing red lights around the Xbox 360's power button, which indicates a general hardware failure. This "general hardware failure" typically means that the console has overheated, and in many cases, died. It must then be sent to Microsoft for either repair or replacement.