Here's hopefully both an interesting topic, and one that won't erupt into flames: When do you get your game soundtracks?

01) Do you get the soundtrack before the game comes out, as a sort of sneak-peek (or for another reason),

02) Do you get it sometime while you're playing the game (as in, "Oh man, I just heard this awesome track, and I absolutely need to get the soundtrack now!),

or

03) Do you finally decide the spring on the soundtrack AFTER you've completed the game, after you've heard every single piece that the game's soundtrack has to offer?

Obviously, your answer will probably consist of one or more of these answers, and with differing degrees for each.

For me,

(03) Getting a soundtrack AFTER the game was something I did when I was catching up on collecting soundtracks for games I'd played previously, before I'd found out that they actually released soundtracks for the stuff.

(02) These days, when I hear music I like, I usually definitely spring for the album, but I usually have to have heard of the game, or played it, to know whether the soundtrack's good.

(01) I don't usually get soundtracks in anticipation of the game so much anymore, unless I'm somewhat conscious of what the soundtrack's going to be like; I don't make a whole lot of blind purchases these days, though I HAVE made a few (very few) recently that I DID NOT come to regret, but I still don't do it as much as I used to; when I make purchases like these, it's because I'm familiar with the series or composer(s).

Honestly, truthfully, #2's and #3's are extremely rare nowadays. To some degree, playing Guitar Hero/Rock Band has helped branch out to different artists, but since my playing is limited outside of those (and mostly games I'm well familiar with), it doesn't seem to work out that way too much. When it does though, the soundtracks do seem to have more meaning. It's not much of a coincidence the ones that fall into #2 and #3 are mostly some of my all time favorites. Tatsunoko vs Capcom is a recent one that would be #2 (played it for about 5 hours tonight with some friends and absolutely loved both the game and the music), but guess what...No soundtrack announced yet. DAMMIT!!! Also for #2, Kirby's Squeak Squad (again, no soundtrack). The ending jingle is simply the greatest piece of VGM ever, but it helps having three dancing Kirby's going along with it.

So #1's for me. In most cases, the game is being released later on, so I have the soundtrack scouted ahead of time and the game is a consideration (as well the composer and company that the game is coming from). BlazBlue would certainly fit in here, as would pretty much anything from Falcom (not that their stuff is ever in a great HURRY to come here!)

01) Do you get the soundtrack before the game comes out, as a sort of sneak-peek (or for another reason)

I myself cannot justify such a gamble, not even with a well respected series because even they have their occasional bad apples. Very few (if any) series or composers who's entire body of work I can say I love without reservation.

02) Do you get it sometime while you're playing the game (as in, "Oh man, I just heard this awesome track, and I absolutely need to get the soundtrack now!)

I usually wait until the end because there has to be a sizeable portion of attractive material to make a purchase; buying a soundtrack for one or two tracks isn't an option.

03) Do you finally decide the spring on the soundtrack AFTER you've completed the game, after you've heard every single piece that the game's soundtrack has to offer?

Yes, but I don't play nearly as many games as I use to so I can't say I hear much "new music" in game and "in context." Personally, while one doesn't really need to hear something in context to appreciate it, I can't deny that there are many scores that seem more attractive once you've experienced them in context and what the composer had in mind when they wrote it.

My method is madness and I recommend being ignorant of it. However, I no longer play video games, so I use long term memory spurred by hippocampal influences to determine what to buy. It (the subjective brain) is finally coming into control and madness is waning. Times are good indeed for my subjective experiences. (We all have at least two minds - the one you [subjective] experience and the one other people [objective] experience.)

As an example of using long term memories, I will probably buy mostly anything by Motoi Sakuraba. As an example of controlling my mind, I will not buy something unrelated to a long term memory. I have to stick with what I know (or think) is good, of which, there will no doubt be plenty. This is why I would buy Dracula Battle III but not The Adventures of the Scumfiddler, unless Yuzo Koshiro composed it (which is related to a long term memory).

I buy game soundtracks based on what's released.  I simply look through lists of upcoming releases and select the ones I think might be interesting to listen to based on my prior experiences with the brands and composers or feedback from people here.  I also try to incluide one or two albums per order that I have no prior experience with so that I can expand my horizons.  I have a rough idea of what I will allow myself to spend, and I just pick a bunch out until I get close to my spending limit.  Then, I divide the orders into quarters so that I receieve four shipments of game music per year.  I would say that 60-70% of the game music I buy these days is from games I haven't played.

I want that game and I want it NOW, long term memory be damned!

Also, OT:

01) Do you get the soundtrack before the game comes out, as a sort of sneak-peek (or for another reason): I never do that unless I am absolutely sure that what I'm getting is going to be good (which is hardly ever, but Silent Hill is a good example of a safe bet)

02) Do you get it sometime while you're playing the game (as in, "Oh man, I just heard this awesome track, and I absolutely need to get the soundtrack now!): I'd say this is probably what happens most. If there's even only 1 track I REALLY like, I'll get the soundtrack, just for that track alone. I have to REALLY like it though.

03) Do you finally decide the spring on the soundtrack AFTER you've completed the game, after you've heard every single piece that the game's soundtrack has to offer?: If it's good enough overall, yes, but there has to be something outstanding to warrant a purchase though.

I don't play new games anymore. I'm only in it for the music.

I'm none of those methods. If I like what I hear and can loop it for a week, I'm game and the soundtrack will soon be in my hands. It's all about how well I enjoy the music out of context now as opposed to playing to game to understand the context it's used in. However, some exceptions will be made (i.e. Shadow of the Colossus), in which playing the game first made the music even better.

At its peak, my VGM collection was numbering 90 units. I don't think a single of those albums were from games that I had actually played. Right now I have "GRAND FINALE", which is an arrange album for a game I have played. But I bought after I had completed the game. Completed it many times.

We're only in it for the music. Hehe. Not much game-playing on my part, oh no! Not recently.

Well, my system is kinda' strange I think.  Firstly, I need to hear a song that I like and be able to identify what album it came from... it only takes one song.  After I find the album I put it on my list (complete with proper catalog number).  Now, if I ever witness someone from this forum (or a couple others I keep an eye on) selling a CD that is on that list I call dibs on it.

Upon which time I scour that persons listing for anything that I might have the remotest interest in and then I buy that at the same time.  I won't buy a CD that I haven't heard any music from unless the artwork really speaks to me and says "Hey, hey you with the face.  You know there is something here that you would like.  There just has to be given this picture."

So I usually buy used copies (assuming they are very well taken care of) in great clumps.  In the event I have to go retail for something the same rule applies though... boy does that ever get expensive.  I pretty much enter VGM buying phases and recovery phases.