DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
GamerDads
HTML https://gamerdads.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: General Gaming + News
*****************************************************
#Post#: 13415--------------------------------------------------
Game Pre-Orders
DIR By: ECHO
Date: August 21, 2011, 6:28 am
---------------------------------------------------------
The following is a post from my Wordpress site
HTML http://GJDE.wordpress.com
Just a heads up, any (cosntructive)
responses will be copy & pasted onto the blog.
Cheers
"There’s a question I’ve been asking for the longest time and
have never, as of yet, received an answer. Or at least an answer
more satisfactory than “Cos I wanna” (and no I’ve never asked
Billie Piper). So I thought I’d give it one more try before I
declare that there is no answer.
Here’s the question.
What are the tangible benefits of pre-ordering a video game?
To my eyes there are, literally none. With a pre-order you tie
yourself to a specific retailer and whatever price they deem to
charge, thus eliminating the opportunity to hunt around for
bargains. And some actually charge for the privilege. For
example, I recently saw a sign in the window of GAME which read
“It’s That Time Again. MW3 is coming. Pre-order your copy here
for only a £5 deposit”
Now, if that pre-order secured me a specific price, much lower
than the expected retail price, I could understand locking
myself in to that one store. Along the same lines as when you
lock yourself into British Gas for 3 years at the promise of 0
price hikes. That makes sense. But why would I do it if there is
nothing in it for me? Does anyone truly believe that there will
ever be a shortage of a video game? That you’ll be hunting
around for a copy of MW3 in November? Can anyone remember the
last time that happened? I’ve never heard gaming veterans
discuss the “Great Disc Famine of ‘09”, have you?
Black Ops, Modern Warfare 2, World at War, Call of Duty 4. Each
of these I bought on Day 1 from a different shop/supermarket.
And I based my descision on “who is selling it the cheapest”.
What other criteria could I possibly use? And how would I have
known months in advance what those prices would have been.
So that’s the price of the game, but what about the game itself?
In recent memory there have been 2 notable examples of a
“mega-hyped” game failing to live up to expectations. Those
would be BRINK and DUKE NUKEM FOREVER. Trailers,
behind-the-scenes, blogs and magazine articles with
strategically chosen screenshots all convinced us that these 2
games were going to be the shit. But with 48 hours of release
the general consensus was that they were both “just plain shit”.
How many gamers were stung by these titles and have been quietly
kicking themselves for it. At last count BRINK was available
(new) for £15, DNF for £12.99 and a lot of people who paid £40
for each and even both still think that’s too much.
Now, how much time and money could have been saved, or more
specifically “not wasted” if people had waited week for the
reviews to come in? Both from the professional sites and more
importantly other gamers. Why didn’t they? Why have many of them
not learned from this mistake and continued to pre-order.
Again, what are the tangible benefits or pre-ordering a video
game?
The gaming industry is fully aware of the precarious position it
finds itself in with regards to games. At least 3 are released
each week. Obviously not all are AAA titles (which by the way is
a stupid rating system. The top-tier games aren’t any better
because you keep adding A’s. They’re still at the top of the
pyramid. Making the pyramid higher doesn’t change their position
in regards to other, lesser games) but each takes time to play.
And a decision-tree has to implemented to decide which will get
your time and money and as with any market, price is conditional
upon demand. As the demand of each game lessens with time and
other additions to the market so the price has to drop.
With at least 3 games released each week , those prices drop
fast. From what I can see only games in the Call of Duty series
manage to hold their price for an extended period of time.
Modern Warfare 2 remained over £30 until the day Black Ops was
released. In some places it still does, especially new. It’s
biggest rival in the world of FPS’s, Battlefields: Bad Company 2
was £17.99 on Play.com within a few short months. EA’s desire to
combat the pre-owned market with online/VIP passes is somewhat
redundant when a bit of patience will net you the game new for a
third of it’s original retail price. So, they’ve learned to
entice with “Pre-Order Bonuses”. DLC only available for those
who are willing to commit to buying the game in advance.
Ah, a tangible benefit. Finally.
Battlefields 3’s Special Edition will come with extra maps and
weapons and upgrades for those that pre-order. These will not be
available to anyone else. Not those who buy standard and not
those that buy after release………
Actually, yes they will.
An internet outcry and an electronic petition from those gamers
who felt that their unwillingness to commit in advance shouldn’t
be penalised by being at a disadvantage, in-game, to those that
were managed to get EA to alter their exclusive extra’s and make
them timed instead. Which, in all honesty, they were probably
planning to do anyway. There’s nothing EA like more than a good
bit of DLC. You can see that with BFBC2’s “SPECACT” upgrades and
MoH’s “Short-Cut” pack.
Square 1 again. What are the tangible benefits of pre-ordering a
video game?
I say, wait. Show the developers that hype is not enough to sell
a game. That you’re there to buy a complete product and not the
promise of a 2-minute trailer. That you want your reviews from
someone who didn’t receive their copy for free and doesn’t want
to rock the boat and thereby jeopardise future free games. That
you can’t be sold by questionable ammo-upgrades or useless
character skins that you’ll never see in an FPS-game
Wait.
Or at least answer my question. From what I regularly read,
there should be enough of you who pre-order that at least one
can clue me in.
What are the tangible benefits of pre-ordering a video game?"
#Post#: 13426--------------------------------------------------
Re: Game Pre-Orders
DIR By: GamerDad
Date: August 21, 2011, 6:55 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Im not sure if its the case with all retailers but I know if you
pre order with Game you can cancel at any time. The benefits are
usually something like double reward points (as long as you go
through with purchase) or maps that you would have to pay for on
the stores etc...
I personnally still dont pre order though ???
#Post#: 13428--------------------------------------------------
Re: Game Pre-Orders
DIR By: Drastic74
Date: August 21, 2011, 7:16 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Personnally i stopped pre-ordering from high street shops a fair
while ago as there were not really any disernable benefits to
doing so,on the very odd occasion that i have pre ordered a game
it has tended to be from an internet retailer only because in my
case the games in question have arrived a few day before the
official release date.
Apart from this,the only reason (i suspect tho i maybe wrong)
most retail shops offer pre-orders is so the retail companies
have a ballpark figure of how many units to order,and as for
game chargeing a £5 fee for your pre-order in my experiance
(after being told by an employee) its just to cover there costs
if you dont collect.
#Post#: 13433--------------------------------------------------
Re: Game Pre-Orders
DIR By: guest12
Date: August 21, 2011, 7:33 am
---------------------------------------------------------
It depends on the game. FIFA for example always sells out on
release day here, in Tesco, Asda, GAME etc, they are ALL sold
out on release day, and have been for the last 3 FIFA's.
So I like to pre-order that to make sure I actually get a copy
on release.
The other main benefit I find is if you pre-order you usually
receive it a day or 2 before release in the post.
#Post#: 13444--------------------------------------------------
Re: Game Pre-Orders
DIR By: fairview
Date: August 21, 2011, 10:21 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I agree it depends on the game. There are some games that you
just want on day 1 (and yes, it probably is the hype), and I
would pre-order just to make sure I get it ASAP, and the
pre-order bonuses then come in to play regarding the retailer
decision.
At the end of the day if we all waited for gamer reviews no-one
would ever buy anything - someone has to be the impulsive one !
Even though I'm old enough to know better I still like the
excitement and anticipation that comes with getting that new
game on release day.
And yes, I have been burned by some real turkeys (brink and
homefront to name just 2).
#Post#: 13470--------------------------------------------------
Re: Game Pre-Orders
DIR By: rejaan
Date: August 21, 2011, 3:59 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Preordering has moved into mmos too let's see when everquest 2
released the last one they made preorder things available in
their game they took away from the game after the release date
so if u didn't preorder u didn't get it .they have also been
even more savvy offering you a benefit every month if u stayed
subbed for Dec,Jan,Feb and then bought the expansion
Lord of the rings offers u early access chance to be in beta
some armor and a ring that adds to xp gained
And last the biggest mmo to supposedly land this year old
republic offers some clothes early access chance of the beta and
a stone to change your lightsaber colour
So they all jumping on that wagon
And yes I have preorder old republic amd will preorder new eq2
as well but no more console games ever
I have prepurchased deus ex as well but only cause I've played
it and know it rocks
#Post#: 13482--------------------------------------------------
Re: Game Pre-Orders
DIR By: macappin
Date: August 21, 2011, 6:31 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Since the fiasco that was Homefront I`ve not pre-ordered one
game but have bought, Dirt3, marvel Vs capcom 3,Flashpoint RR,
Hunted DF,Dungeon Siege, Virtua tennis 4, Bulletstorm and Brink
(thats it I think) all for under £20 just a few weeks after
release. Granted none of them I was that fussed about playing on
day one but holding off a few weeks the price had droped by 50%
or more.
I`m not saying I`ll never buy a game on day one again but I
don`t mind waiting a few weeks to get one half the original
price.
#Post#: 13499--------------------------------------------------
Re: Game Pre-Orders
DIR By: BazTardo-UK
Date: August 22, 2011, 4:57 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I've never pre-ordered in store before and never would due to no
good prices.
I do however often pre-order online. For example I have
Resistance 3 on order for £31, BF3 for £31 and MW3 for £35. The
saving on each makes it worth pre-ordering in my opinion,
specially as I'll be surprised if any of these have a quick
price reduction.
Like mac says, I've also been caught out by bad games like
Homefront, but then again, I bought that for £31 and traded it
in for £35 so not all bad really.
#Post#: 13508--------------------------------------------------
Re: Game Pre-Orders
DIR By: yt__
Date: August 22, 2011, 5:29 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I just use shopto and shopto only. They used to have great
preorder prices when they first started out, but now they aren't
the cheapest any more, they have a very small back catalogue but
their delivery is second to none! Preorders come
Wednesday/Thursday, games are next day delivery :o I wont use
anyone else who are still stuck in the stone age regarding
delivery times.
I only ever preorder my favourite, appealing games (BF3,
Uncharted 3, Twisted Metal, Team ICO Colection, MGS Collection,
F1 2011, Resistance 3 to name a few) as I tend to miss a lot of
new releases to play older cheaper games and then pick them up
for a later date, older and cheaper ;)
There aren't many launch titles I feel are worth full asking
price so I wisely chose what appeals to me more placing them in
day one, or pick it up next year for a third of the price..
#Post#: 13512--------------------------------------------------
Re: Game Pre-Orders
DIR By: MarcG84
Date: August 22, 2011, 5:51 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I preorder in some stores for the midnight launches they do.
Some of the games I have been to the launch have given out free
goods like posters and other stuff. Also I like the experience
of being around other gamers on release day to get involved in
the hype.
I have preordered both mw3 and bf3 limited editions from
gamestation and also payed £10 for the deposit. Why you may ask?
Well the store in my town are doing a fun night for both games
with a small gaming tournament and also a free raffle. Also they
will be serving free food and drinks and I also get points added
to my elite card.
I know these perks are nothing to brag about compared to how
much I could buy the game a few weeks later but I dont mind
paying the full price. MW3 comes out on my birthday so it will
be fun to go to the launch.
*****************************************************
Page 1 of 1