Which is better? Early adoption or the waiting game?

[Salsa Party Animal]

It all depends on the price and what software there is available and how much money you got. But I like to wait for 6 months to get an better idea on support, quality and modding potential. But I do think I will get XBOX 2 out on launch providing it is not too much money and am earning.

[Robster]

Yes :P

But seriously - and this is only a question - do you not find that locking yourself in a room for 2 weeks armed with a brand new, released that day console and, say, 3 or 4 games a fresher and deeper experience? Naturally they'd have to be good games, of course.

Most definitley YES. You cant beat it - havent done it for a long time tho.


When's the next Gen out ?

[IcePak]

I think the waiting game is a better option, because at launch you only have a handful of titles to choose from, and what if none of the future releases are any good? I think waiting for 6 - 18 months is a better option, because by that time you have a good chance of seeing what the console offers in terms of software, and it's easier to make the choice of which console you want to go with.

Mind you I've never bought a console at launch (although I was close to buying a DC at launch if I'd had the money), but from talking with people around the time of the launch of a console, I've seen that it can be a very exciting experience anticipating the console and what is to come from it.

[womblingfree]

Early adoption is more exciting, waiting makes more sense financially and practically.

[jethro jazz]

i bought a saturn at launch.

i will never buy another console at launch.

[Concept]

It depends on the console for me.

I waited for the DC, which I actually regret now, because I would have loved to have seen it during the first Japanese year before it hit the big time. As it came about, I picked up my Dreamcast upon the PAL launch instead.

Although this isn't exactly 'early adoption' per se, another console I would have liked to have picked up was the Saturn during it's sun-setting period between '96-'98. As it is, I only truly started my Saturn collection a year and a half ago (roughly).

Oh, and the N64 upon Japanese launch with Super Mario 64... I remember the buzz at the time and enviously watching all the videos that were coming out of this amazing revolutionary game I couldn't get my hands on for months. If any of the next-generation consoles launch with a truly world-class piece of software, like the N64 did, then I probably won't allow myself to miss out again.

It's much easier and tempting now than it was back in the day because I'm far more in control of my own finances. Plus the net allows software and hardware to be picked up at prices which at least don't hit 'rip-off' status. That's what mostly held me back before... The import shop monopoly which so often went on in the UK.

[Family Fry]

Of this generation of consoles i have only bought ONE of them on UK launch, midnight launch i should say and that was the Dreamcast. I had to have that console for many reasons but i will never forget that midnight launch especially bagging the last Keyboard in EB in Glasgow and walking past a line of people growling at me, got outside and RAN to a taxi as i thought someone was gonna kill me, also when i got it home logging onto dreamarena before it went manic and playing Sonic Adventure and Power Stone those are the great things you feel at launch with new consoles.
I have followed all the launches through retail and mags/web BUT never had that MUST GO feeling since Dreamcast really, even with Halo and Xbox everyone was telling me how much i was missing but i wasnt prepared to shell out ?340 for that one game, i couldnt do it.

[Abhisara]

I'm yet to be an early adopter for any console. No launch-game line-up so far has inspired me enough to acually go out and buy the console. I've always waited until there are at least 3 or 4 absolute must-haves for me before splashing out.