Buying a game.

[PaFel]

So, impressed by a-4-year-old post I decided to make a poll that would check that with what you follow when buying new game.

Is it graphic, interesting campaign, nice engine, system requirements, popularity of title, the continuation of title, nice game modes or maybe multiplayer mode.

So vote!

[a-4-year-old]

If interesting campaign is a cool story then absolutely that would be one of the number one things I would include in figuring out what game I would buy.

System requirements seem so obvious that it is a given.

Popularity can lead to disapointment. that and the fact that stupid people buy games. I mean, just look at Halo 3.

Multiplayer is important to me, but if a game like the sims comes about and it has the mechanics, then it is still worth getting.

[LeetFidle]

campaign, system Reg, nice engine, and nice game modes. dats what i look for.

add
"Something unique"
 to the list

[bja888]

How about "challenging" or "replay value" or "game length".

The things you listed make 13 year old children buy from EA.

[Amblin]

None of the above, except for the System Requirements.

[Mangled*]

If you have a PC over 5 years old, you'd be an idiot not to check the system requirements. So I firstly chose that.

Then I chose interesting campaign... because unique and replayable games are what I like. So I'm particularly drawn to the GTA series and HL2 series for their unique and fun gameplay. I don't think I need to elaborate much on either of those.

Continuation of a title... yeah I guess so. I'm a big sucker for continuation of a storyline or plot of games I already have. But it's because I know to expect the same fantastic gameplay, just improved. (the majority of the time)

Multiplayer... Definately. Multiplayer expands the lifespan of a game by about 700% particularly if it's easy to mod.

[imacheater2k7]

I have to say, Graphics don't make a game, so NO WAY there. System Requirements and Multiplayer (And if that multiplayer doesn't have bots, the value of THAT feature drops about 50% for those with Dial-up.)

You should add Game Features (Or unique features, as previously suggested), because sometimes a game's specific features (Not modes) draw me in. Like WCIII: TFT's Map Maker, and The Sims 2's new AI system, Neighborhood editor, and new Character Creation features (I haven't played S2, but I want to XD), and I DEFINITELY loved the Trackmania series' Track Editors. These features can SKYROCKET replay value. And look at Oblivion (I love this game) and its Magic Creation and Weapon Enchantment systems.

[-Vis-]

One of my main gripes is games that add too much detail, leaving you with a rather choppy frame-rate. Obviously with PCs, you can just upgrade, but it's more about consoles. I hate choppy games. Smooth frame-rate trumps high detail, for me at least.

Interesting Campaign.
System Requirements.
Continuation of Title.
Nice Gamemodes.

[The Philanthropist]

Multiplayer makes me come back for more, along with single player campaign, and system requirements. They are the reasons I still play Warcraft III and Soldat like I just got them.

[Lord Frunkamunch]

Requirements, engine, graphics (Yes, they ARE important. When I say graphics, I don't mean flashy 3d. I consider Liero to have decent graphics. Why? Because the animations are coded well and run together smoothly, and the particles look great. I suppose this kinda works together with engine.) and nice game modes.

[PaFel]

Added new options. Personally I play mostly realistic war fps and when buying a new one I mostly follow by graphic (makes the realism), interesting campaign, nice engine, and lastly system req. too.

[xtishereb]

Engine - I assume this relates to the basic mechanics of the game, i.e., what you do, how you control what happens, does it feel like you're driving a hovercraft covered in WD-40 and not a monster truck, etc. It also relates to the stuff going on behind the screen, meaning if it's more efficient but still produces enjoyable graphics, that's pretty awesome.
System Requirements - This is why I haven't played Half-Life 2 yet. That and the fact that my mom doesn't like M-rated games.
Game Modes & Replay Value - These are pretty closely related. If I'm doing something in the same game but it's kinda different, like racing instead of gunning down rival gangs in GTA2 or "bullet eater" mode in Ikaruga, then that'll keep me playing.

I find graphics to be semi-important, but not really. As long as there was effort put into them and it doesn't hurt my eyes to play, I'll enjoy it. I do like roguelikes, which typically have no "graphics" to speak of, but the colored characters do place more emphasis on the game itself.
If by "interesting campaign" you meant immersive, then that's pretty important to me, since it's what keeps me playing. If a game keeps making me come back for more, then I'd say it's successful. But since you weren't totally clear on that, I'll assume you meant a long and involved single-player storyline. Which brings me to my next point.
Storylines mean little to nothing for me. Take for example SSX 3, one of my favorite games. You're a snowboarder dropped onto a mountain who must kick ass at events and challenges in order to advance and get loot. You then proceed to repeal the laws of gravity and common sense. Fun. While it's nice sometimes, a game with no plot but is a blast every time you play will take preference over a game which has a long plot.
Multiplayer is nice, but then again 90% of the internet is full of asshats, boring people and non-english speakers. I'll stick to NPCs. They at least can spell words like "the" and "you" and won't swear at me if I'm bad. Besides, you kinda need to "practice" at the game to be good at it. If I want a time-sink so I can be good at something, I'll learn Python.

This is all pretty moot coming from me though since I haven't bought a game in over 6 months. 256 MB of RAM and an internet connection will disconnect you pretty quickly from mainstream gaming.