I am completely clueless, so I ask you: where do you buy most

[Flaxbee]

of your games? Are most of them downloadable software? Or how the heck does this all work? Do most publishers of games sell through a consolidated web site, or does each game/group of games get sold on that individual publisher's site? And what about hardware - where do you buy most of that?

Thanks for any enlightenment you can offer!

[dbonds]

1. For games it varies.

I buy many through sites like amazon or ebgames. But some you can download from the publishers. It is not just one central source. For hardware I recommend newegg.com or tigerdirect.

[NewHampshireDem]

2. Depends

I agree with Dbonds on the software. I buy most of my games through Amazon or at Best Buy. I tend to avoid the game stores in the mall like EB or Gamestop, unless I'm looking for used GameCube games for my Wii.

And, FWIW, don't buy directly from the publishers. With very few exceptions, you'll pay more than if you buy from a retail outlet.

I've not ordered any hardware from Tigerdirect or Newegg; some people swear by them, others swear at them. I generally don't like to order hardware online because it takes so long to get something replaced. I once spent more than 3 weeks dealing with a hard drive enclosure. I finally gave up and bought one at CompUSA and though it was a bit more expensive, it actually worked. :shrug: My preference is research it online but to buy it in a bricks and mortar store (like BB or Circuit City) so I can spend a couple of hours getting it replaced if it doesn't work rather than a couple of days or more.

Whatcha lookin' for exactly?

[Broken_Hero]

3. The Gamestop if I'm looking for older

ps1/ps2 games, although I notice that ps1 games are pretty damn hard to get there nowadays.

For new, I usually hit a box store