There is a thin line between love and hate and no other season identifies how thin that line actually is, as well as Christmas. It is a love hate relationship based on these 2 reasons.

1. Love: Gamers love this time of year because games that were teased 18 months ago during the E3 expo are finally being released. There is a plethora of gaming goodness awaiting all of us after a long boring summer of gaming emptiness.

2. Hate: The cost. Add the sums together and on average we need £300 – £400 at this time of year to get the titles we actually want.

I have touched on this briefly before in a previous post, http://pser.me/9Z, but this time I have found an answer to your possible financial woes.

That answer is simple in theory but almost impossible in practice. It is ‘Patience’. Any gamer old enough to have their own income will you tell you that waiting for a game to be released is bad enough and that to ask them to wait further once it has been released is against their human rights.

Take Batman: Arkham City as an example. Back in August 2009 my PlayStation wasn’t switched off. I was so immersed in Batmans universe that when Arkham Asylum had come to an end I didn’t want to leave. I tried everything to find out more about Batmans history, from completing the riddlers quests to trying to reach almost impossible areas.

I have waited 26 months for a follow up. That’s roughly 792 days or 19,008 hours. If you asked me to wait one more day than I already have, I would probably cry.

So I am not going to be patient regarding Batman, but I am regarding Need for Speed: The Run and Tekken: Hybrid. I am not unhappy about having to wait longer either. Why? Sales. I don’t just mean the seasonal sales. I mean the ridiculous sales that take place all the time.

Just 6 weeks ago Deus Ex: Human Revolution was released at around £40. Now if you do a bit of online comparison shopping you can pick it up for £17 brand new.

It will be hard, I know, but if you apply the patience you will eventually reap the benefits. Make sure you prioritize and above all else do not give your Grandma a ‘list’. She will inevitably pick up last years FIFA or Call of Duty if you do.  Just tell her a £40 gift voucher will do just fine.

How have you prioritized? Are you lucky enough to be able to afford all of the games you want this season. As always speak up in the comments box below.