Recourse for bad, expensive PC games

Question

PC gaming seems to be a little bit different than many other forms of entertainment. Going to the movies cost you $10. A book is similar. Console games can be sold or traded. As a PC gamer, is there any recourse for making a "bad buy", when you're out $50?

I try to be careful before buying new (expensive) games, but even highly reviewed games won't appeal to everybody.

Edit: Recourse could be anything. Does throwing the CDs in the microwave really make you feel better? I'd like to know.

Answer 1

This doesn't help for games you've already bought, but:

I think research before buying is the best answer (as many other answers have already said - especially demos, videos of actual gameplay and reputable reviews sites).

But I'd like to add: wait. The game will still be there in 6-12 months, but:

• Less $ wasted: you can buy it on sale on steam (often for as low as $5-10 at some point in the first year or two after release)
• More honest reviews: the reviewers will get over their initial excitement. If the game was really good (once they look back, with the benefit of hindsight) they'll put it in a "best games of the year" list.
• Fewer bugs: Some games get patches after release that fix bugs (some even add features or fix bad DRM)
• Maybe even better visuals: you may have upgraded to a faster PC by then

It may seem hard to wait, but there are a million other things to do while you wait (sports, social life, novels, movies, study, family, travel, learning... and if that doesn't appeal to you: have you really played through all of the best games of all time already?)

PS: Doesn't work as well for internet multiplayer games, of course - you may have trouble finding fellow players if you wait too long!

PPS: Not just saying this. Just finished Braid ($10), I'm playing Portal right now (Orange Box $10) and will probably play Mass Effect ($10) or Psychonauts ($2) next

PPPS: Further example: Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands. At release: $50, only 6 months later: $5 (steam sale).

Answer 2

Official return policies differ from store to store, but one thing remains constant. At places like Gamestop, the managers and sales clerks have the final say on your return. It's really hard to return a PC game for a lot of reasons, but if you develop a relationship with the people that work at your local game store, you'll find making returns a MUCH easier proposition.

If you're worried about a particular game, don't buy it digitally, don't buy it from an online store such as Amazon.com, and don't buy it from a mega store such as Target or WalMart. Your best bet is to buy it from a dedicated gaming store with which you have an established relationship.

Finally, don't expect to get cash back. Sometimes you can, but it'll be MUCH easier to convince them to give you a refund if you accept store credit.

Answer 3

By recourse do you mean getting your money back?

It really depends where you buy it.
For example, a retail store might give you the possibility to change it for other game (depending how the activation works of course, because it may become useless to other person if you activated it), but if you buy it online through Steam, you won't get a refund under any circumstance.

You also have demos you can try before buying, this is pretty much the best option you have (try before you buy)

Answer 4

Once a PC game is opened or downloaded digitally, don't ever expect to get your money back. Instead, you need to be a well educated consumer so that you know what you're buying before you buy it.

• Try out a demo if there's one available.
• If it's a new game that's not released yet, try and get into the beta for early access to see if it's a game you will enjoy (and help the developers at the same time).
• Hold off on your purchase until you can read several reviews of the game (don't just trust one source).
• See if you can get your friends to buy a copy first and let you play it!

In the end, gaming is the same as any other entertainment medium. I don't think the iTunes store or AmazonMP3 will let you return music. I doubt you can get your money back from a movie theater for a bad movie.

Caveat emptor.

Answer 5

Sell it on eBay as soon as possible - you'll get something back.

Use the "completed listings" search option to see what it's going for, it might be more than you'd expect.

Answer 6

If you just don't like the game, you're not likely to have much luck. If the game is actually buggy, so that it's impossible or very unpleasant to play as a result, you're a bit more likely to get your money back. To improve your chances:

• Be excruciatingly polite. People in service-type jobs get yelled at a lot, so politeness goes a long way. If they initially refuse, don't raise your voice; just make your case calmly and clearly.
• Rehearse your points. If the box says (for example) "Multiplayer action!" but the multiplayer feature is buggy and doesn't work, point it out and explain the problem.
• If the copy-protection is such that you can't play the game without the box contents, e.g. the CD, explain that clearly as well so that it's clear the return means you can't play the game anymore. But I'd only bring this up if they raise objections to the return.

In the US, the Uniform Commercial Code says you're within your rights to get your money back if a product doesn't do what it claims to do. It also says EULAs (e.g. "THIS GAME SOLD WITHOUT WARRANTY blah blah blah") are not likely to be binding, since the warranty disclaimer and/or EULA isn't visible at the time of sale.

Unfortunately, there's been at least one prominent case where a court sided with Blizzard on a EULA, so the law may be becoming unsettled on this matter.

And IANAL, of course. But you can read a book called Bad Software by Cem Kaner to get an idea of what rights you have with poorly-performing programs. You have more rights than you'd think.

EDIT:

While it wasn't a game, I have gotten my money back on bad software before. I bought a personal finance program for my Palm handheld some years ago. It was buggy. It would often show wrong amounts, and when an account had an even amount (like $50.00), it would crash. I worked with the company to try patches, hoping they'd fix the problem, but two or three patches later, the bugs remained. Finally I'd had enough; what use was a personal finance program that couldn't even add correctly? So I politely informed the company that while I'd tried troubleshooting and patching, the problems weren't getting fixed, and I asked for my money back.

Their response? They gave me my money back right away (credited back to my credit card), without any argument. And I went and bought a different program that worked, and that I use to this day.