To Keep or Trade In: A New Generation’s Toughest Question

I never owned the original Nintendo Entertainment System when I was a kid, but I spent plenty of time playing it at friend’s houses. I did, however, get a Sega Genesis as my very first home gaming console, and thinking back on it today, I sure wish I’d kept the system and all the games I’d amassed. Not because I think it would be worth a lot of money, but because being able to go back and play some of those classic games with my kids would be an absolute blast today.

With new Xbox and PlayStation systems ready to take over the world, the question is again rearing its ugly head: Do I trade in my current systems or keep them?

I own both an Xbox 360 that I got at launch and a PlayStation 3 that I’ve had for a couple of years. While most of my gaming is done on PC these days, I do love having consoles for the simplicity they offer and for the exclusives. I was originally planning on trading in my 360 (I think I’m just done) and putting it towards an Xbox One, but then they had to go and announce that the Fable Anniversary edition would be released to 360 later this year. Fable is one of my all-time favorite games, and to be able to play it again in HD would be a thrill, so I quickly decided to hold off on trading it in. But with news today that Fable has been pushed back to next year, I am now faced with the decision again.

Is it worth hanging onto a system that I’ll probably never play again once I get a new console simply to play a revised version of a ten-year-old game? I feel silly even considering it, but I do love Fable that much. If the game was coming to Xbox One I would absolutely trade in my system today. But since it’s not, I am left feeling like I have no choice but to hang on to my 360.

When it comes to trading in my PS3, I am actually more inclined to hang on to it. Not because I’m trying to say it’s a better system than the 360 (not a fan boy here), but because I have more games that I can see myself playing even once I have a new console.

The Last of Us, for example, is a game that blew me away when I first played it, but took such an emotional toll on me, that I haven’t revisited it since. However, I loved it so much I have already planned an annual play-through of the game, so I’m definitely keeping it.

Additionally, Grand Theft Auto V is about to be released, and I’ve already decided to pick that up on PS3 since I know I’m for sure keeping that system. I played GTA IV for months, maybe even years after it was released, and I expect GTA V to be a similar story.

Lastly, I am very excited for Beyond Two Souls, a game coming to PS3 from the people who made Heavy Rain. It promises to be a cinematic, enthralling, and emotional game, similar to The Last of Us in terms of emotion. I don’t know yet how good it will be or what kind of lasting appeal it will have, but it comes out next month, and is looking good enough to warrant not trading in the system.

I have a few reasons to definitely keep my PS3 and only one reason to keep the 360— though that reason isn’t going to be released until 2014. I love Fable so much, but I love money more. Should I just give it up and get $100 credit at GameStop towards the purchase of a new system? Or will I regret not only not getting to play Fable in HD, but not keeping one of the best consoles ever created for my kids and grandkids?

I really am asking. My mind is not made up and I would love your feedback. Are you keeping your current-gen systems or trading them in towards a new one? What are the games that you feel make keeping your system worth it? Share your comments below, and help me decide.