Play more, Pay less

Like a lot of gamers in this country, I cannot afford every video game I want to play. It’s simply too expensive. For most of us without a fat bi-monthly paycheck (and even for some who do), video games are something you skip lunch (for the next couple of weeks) for. Thinking of buying “Call of Duty 4”? That’s pansit canton for a month. Eyeing “Assassin’s Creed”? Better stock up on those canned luncheon meat. The new “Devil May Cry” is out? Better check if that isaw stand is still open.

If you’re tired of eating crappy lunches just to play all the games you want, read on. Otherwise, enjoy your fishballs.

I stumbled upon this great service called Game Hopper while scavenging for good video game deals in several local forums on the Net. Game Hopper is the brainchild of three former college buddies who share a passion for gaming. Jake Tanseco, Paul Ramos and Karlo Sanchez, now all in their late 20s and yet still hold business meetings over an online match of “Call of Duty,” are the men behind Game Hopper, the country’s first video game trial and purchase service.

What Game Hopper provides is basically a video game trial-and-purchase service for new generation consoles (Xbox 360, Wii, PS3) where you can try and test whatever games you want for a small monthly fee. After you’ve tried the games, you may purchase the ones you like for a reasonable price. “Try before you buy,” explains Tanseco, an engineer by trade. If you end up liking a game, buy it; if you don’t, exchange it for another one and try that one out. All the games in Game Hopper’s expansive library are 100-percent original titles.

Game Hopper allows you to keep one or two games at a time per month, depending on the membership plan you choose, for you to try. Once you think you’ve played the game out or its just not your type, you may have it picked up at your doorstep and the new game of your choice will be delivered right away. “You can have (a game) delivered every day if you want,” says Karlo Sanchez, who’s a professional trader and is also in charge of the game and peripheral sales branch of Game Hopper. It’s like having your own game library without having to spend all that cash. You can sign up for Game Hopper for as low as P599 a month at http://www.gamehopper.com.ph. Game Hopper also offers good deals on consoles, accessories and almost everything video game related. 

I say this is a great service because, for one, you get to make better decisions on which games to buy since you’re able to try them out for a month first. Two, you don’t even have to leave your house. And three, it will cost you less money. Even if you choose to buy the game, the prices are still better than most retail stores out there today. “We’re trying to beat the prices of the well-established stores already,” said Sanchez.

Another benefit of this lower-cost method of playing original video games is that more people can take advantage of online gaming. Game Hopper has several pieces of games like “Call of Duty 4,” “Halo 3” and “Unreal Tournament III” in stock, so you and a group of friends can all get yourselves a copy and play online. “We want people to enjoy (video games) while spending a bit less,” says Sanchez.

The impact of a service like Game Hopper, though, far extends what it can do for the individual gamer, which by itself is already very significant. Game Hopper also provides a significant step forward in the fight against the biggest threat to the local gaming industry — piracy. As mentioned earlier, all of Game Hopper’s games are 100-percent original and may be enjoyed by the gaming community at a very reasonable price. So reasonable, in fact, that a number of people couldn’t believe that this could possibly be legit when Game Hopper first entered the scene. With all the positive reviews from customers and the support of local video gaming communities like PinoyXbox.com, PinoyPSX.com and Pinoy-N.com, all the skeptics have hopped on.

This should entice a lot more gamers to patronize original video games instead of purchasing cheap bootlegs because: 1) The quality is a hundred times better (which means you won’t have to worry about discs deteriorating or damaging your system); 2) You won’t be banned from playing online (consoles that run pirated games are banned from Xbox Live); and 3) There are no bootlegs for the PS3. Going legitimate is not only the most ethical decision, it’s also the most sensible.

Piracy is a big problem in this country and Game Hopper is doing its part to stop it by providing a cheap alternative to enjoy original titles. The owners walked me through the math of the situation. A pirated game will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of P200 for one game. A GH membership costs as low as P599 and the games are original and may be exchanged an unlimited number of times. They’re even going as far as creating an organization dedicated to the promotion of original games. “When you join Game Hopper, you become part of an advocacy,” said Ramos, a basketball coach by day. “Hopefully the noise we create will reach the right people so laws can be put in place.”

Save the gaming industry. Save your lunch money.

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For questions, comments or corrections, please e-mail me at carlfrancisramirez@gmail.com  

Sign up for a Game Hopper membership at http://www.gamehopper.com.ph.