This is very true for me. While I'm not suffering from the economic issues as bad as most I am still wary of spending money in areas I don't feel are "productive". Of course in gaming language, "productive" means time spent playing the game and actually getting enjoyment out of it. Fallout 3 is the most recent game I've bought new and really worth the price due to its size and depth. Other than that I look at the cheaper games that have been out for 6 months or a year. Since I don't spend every available minute gaming I have a plethora of games available at bargain basement prices. Still, I look back with nostalgia to the games I played on my C64. Sid Meier's "Pirates!", and even those games that you got halfway through and crashed due to bugs. It was a time of less fluff and more interesting experiences. Or perhaps I'm just jaded.