I use quality plus price.
I hate getting burned on a hyped title that I cannot stand.
Its like throwing money in the trash.
Reviews seem to mean less than they did in the past.
The reviewer always seems to be someone who just loves the particular genre.
I don't have a single pirated game that I play on a regular basis that I didn't pay for.
I do have lots of pirated games that I never play...
all doomed to pass into digital oblivion on a regular basis.