Game prices crash so quickly, it's really not hard to wait until a game meets the price point that matches the value you place on it. You pay almost as much for a used game as a new copy. It's really not worth it to go that route.
Although, it is a stickier situation with a game like BF3 that is MP-focused. The novice and intermediate rungs of the playerbase quickly slough off and you're left with an impenetrable experience facing grim death in every direction.