What makes a game 'worthy' of buying?

See topic.

I am constantly changing how I purchase games and budget them into my finances. I used to be a collector of sorts when it came to games. As I have gotten older, this has become less important to me.

At this point, I try to perceive a game's value in relation to what else is out and the value of those titles. I try to determine how long a game will retain its value. So, say with the recent GTA release, I determined that it will be a longer wait than for most games to see a price drop. This adds value to the title overall in my eyes as I am less likely to find it in a bargain bin a few months after release. I also compare similar titles and their value.

Obviously, how much I want it also plays a role, but not nearly as much as it did. There are games that come out that I want, but if I perceive its value to be lower than what I find acceptable, I will wait for it to drop before picking up.

Lastly, it also depends on whether I have racked up a lot of game credit at various stores or not. I am more likely to make a whim purchase if its not actual money I am spending from my account.

Anyone else put any thought into purchasing games or do you all just do what I used to: buy anything that looks interesting regardless of any other factors?

Unless I'm a fanboy of the series (like thief) I usually wait for the reviewers to sum up the game.

The most important quality in a game for me is its replay value. Definately.

Usually, when I buy a game it's either because I've been waiting for it for a while and know everything I need to know before I start playing, or because I'm bored on a wednesday afternoon and don't feel like playing any of my current games (that's how CoD4 got bought and played for a total of 3 hours so far).

I don't like "reviews" persay as in a score with ratings but like previews and articles describing the gameplay, good and bad, and all the other components of the game. What one person will think is bad, another might think is good (like, for some reason some people like My Chemical Romance).