Is pre ordering is a terrible idea?

[Catrixa]

You know, I'm honestly not sure I see the good or bad of preordering. If the complaint is that you don't know all the exact working details of what you're buying before you buy it, then I'd imagine anything judged subjectively is simply not on the table for you. I cannot count the numerous books, movies, TV shows, foods, games, music artists, fine-arts displays, blogs, (I'm pretty sure I could go on, but I'll just leave this with a etc. I've been disappointed in, but was told I would like by friends, family, reviewers, etc. When I buy a game, yes, there's a chance the ending will stink. Or the combat will be way different than what was advertised in the demo (see: Brutal Legend). Or that I will like everything about the game, but the environment just kills it for me and I never play more than a few minutes of it (see: Fallout 3. There is no natural reason for me to not enjoy this game, other than I just didn't enjoy it. It has everything ever that I like, but I just don't get very far before wanting to play any Elder Scrolls game and go back to that).

Honestly, if you really dislike the idea of purchasing something before the community at large has had a chance to 0-bomb Metacritic or sing its praises on any gaming forum, then preordering is not for you. But honestly, I've found I'm a better judge of what I like than the gaming community, reviewers, and sometimes even my friends are. If there exists a game I know I will get regardless of how high it rates to someone else, I'll probably preorder it, unless I don't want to play it the second it comes out.

Really, I think when you preorder something, you know the risk you're taking. You also know the benefits, such as early access, DLC, and even the humble owning-it-before-it-sells-out-everywhere. I don't see how denying the ability to preorder would help anything. It would rule out an option for early adopters and be a non-issue for those who like to wait for reviews and first-hand testimonials. Frankly, I don't think cutting options for people is really the right way to go, especially if the worst-case scenario is you're out $60 and know not to preorder from the company again.

 

[kTrmnatr]

Here's a quick little checklist you can go through to determine whether or not you should pre-order a game:

1) Are you definitely, beyond all reasonable doubt, going to buy the game?

2) Are they offering any bonuses for pre-ordering which are interesting to you?

If you answered yes to both of these questions, you should probably pre-order. If you answered yes to one of these questions, you should consider pre-ordering. If you answered no to both of these questions, then you probably shouldn't pre-order.

Pre-ordering itself isn't a good or bad thing; it really depends on what is being pre-ordered. As a consumer, does pre-ordering make you more vulnerable to not getting what you expected from your investment? Definitely. But it also means that you are guaranteed a copy of the game when demand for it is likely to be highest, right when it comes out. So...it boils down to what that's worth to you and what the costs of it are.

 

[The_Waspman]

This is the event im talking about. That whole thing wouldnt have happened if customers had waited until after release to buy it. A lot of people in the thread are touting the whole "im smart enough to tell a good game from a bad game". Sometimes its literally impossible for demos or trailers to reveal the fault in a game that makes it not worth buying. Mass effect 3 is a prime example.

Ok, I'm jumping on this point right here, even though you said specifically you didn't want to turn this into a Mass Effect 3 thread. The thing is...

Mass Effect 3 is not a bad game.

By any stretch of the imagination.

Prototype is a bad game. Mass Effect 3 isn't. I loved it. it was fun, it had its moments of intensity, many of the character arcs were otustanding. Does it have flaws? yes. Everything has flaws. as loathe as I am to mention it - because tis tired and played out - the ending is one of them. I didn't have so much of a problem with the ending. But whatever.

No product anywhere is going to satify everybody. But back OT. Is pre-ordering a bad idea? No, of course not. Think of it this way, if the option to pre-order games wasn't available, there would be no way for the Publishers to gauge how much interest there was in a game. I admit that the systems in place right now (massive amounts of marketing) are broken.

The problem isn't with pre-orders, its with marketing. And fatigue. By the time a new release game comes out, I personally (and I'm sure there are others out there too) get sick of hearing about it. I'll use Arkham City as a prime example. I enjoyed Asylum. When I heard it was getting a sequel, I was looking forward to it, but then there are all the trailers, and the articles, and the developer diaries, and all the details about the game are slowly streamed out, so by the time the game is actually released, there's nothing new in it. Everything (or at least the vast majority) of the games content is known, has been analysed, and processed.

I know what the option is: Just don't take any notice. And in the case of Arkham City, I did that. I just stopped reading about it, because i'd lost interest. The massive amounts of marketing and hype had actually killed my interest in the game. I felt somewhat the same about Uncharted 3. I knew that was going to be a disappointment, and it was. Because it was overhyped.

Going back to Mass Effect 3... Jesus, the way that was marketed you'd think the game would start the fucking Rapture or something. It was inevitable that it was going to disappoint because it was over saturated in the media.

I think another problem (and this is a major one - and sort of ties into pre-orders) is the set release date. I know they occasionally drop back, and it can be irritating at times (I think about Dues Ex:HR in this case) but ultimately its better right? I think few people will disagree that we could wait an extra six months for the game to release if they... Put more time into the ending.

So yeah, while I guess pre-ordering can be... useful... from the publishers perspective, setting a release date isn't. As someone else mentioned though, I think pre-orders are really only good for the special/limited editions, and then only if they're worth it.

But then there's the whole pre-order bonus/day one dlc thing...

 

[Windcaler]

I wouldnt say its a terrible idea but I would say there are more cons then Pros to it. The thing about pre-ordering is when a game comes out your basicly garanteed to get it. Businesses fill pre-orders before anything else and they should because a pre-order is essentially a contract that says I bought the game before those other guys.

Thats really the only pro I can think of. Pretty much all the cons were already covered in the original post so obviously pros and cons say there's usually more risk then reward. Still Im not going to say pre-ordering is a bad thing.

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

If you aren't prepared to financially support a developer that's actually trying then you aren't allowed to complain when they're forced to copy successful games.

...not this again...

The developer has been paid for the the development of the game they developed before I bought it, even if I pre-order it.

Yeah, I know. It's just that people generally dislike publishers so you get a better response using developers, despite it not being correct.

Though the point still stands that if games that try aren't supported by the consumer because they were cut down because of publisher's demands then we'll still have a market populated by games that people are going to complain about all being the same. I just think we need to be spreading cash a bit more, rather than only buying games that get a Metacritic score over 80.

 

[zombieshark6666]

Halo 3: ODST--Awesome

Yeh?

I don't even understand why someone would preorder, there are probably five stores in your city that will have the game. Then there's internet sellers and stuff.

Another big turn-off I have is pre-order bonuses. I would have bought Sniper V2 this past weekend, but because I didn't want to pay the same price as the pre-orders while getting less content (bonus mission and weapons), I'll wait until it's on sale.

 

[zombieshark6666]

After ME3 I'm never pre-ordering again really.

Only game I'm ever pre-ordering is The Witcher 3 because I know CDProjekt will deliver.

You really came full circle there.

I think the lack of EA involvement alone is enough to comprehend his decision.

 

[Sonic Doctor]

Halo 3: ODST--Awesome

Yeh?

I don't even understand why someone would preorder, there are probably five stores in your city that will have the game. Then there's internet sellers and stuff.

What's wrong with ODST? The campaign was wonderful, and the voice acting was superb; I played it four or five times, and must have put several hundred hours in on the firefight mode with friends. I was also able to get in on the Reach beta because I pre-ordered ODST.

I pre-order and normally straight out buy from Amazon.com.

Reasons:

It takes gas to drive to the store to buy a copy. I actually pay about 2 dollars or less on my pre-orders online because Amazon doesn't charge taxes. Plus, I like pre-order bonuses. I racked up 50 dollars in Amazon credit from pre-ordering, which spread out, helped me get six new games.

I only get a handful of games every year, and the ones I'm usually interested in aren't out yet, and I know I will like them, so I pre-order.

As I said in my other post, I've only had one "meh" game from pre-ordering out of nine games. The two one dollar DLC's that came not long after for Star Wars: Force Unleashed 2, actually saved the game from being bad for me and made it just a "meh", because they made me laugh. The Endor Mission DLC was awesome for the sole fact that it let me punt Ewoks like a football, and the dollar costume pack I loved because it let me play as Admiral Ackbar(everything in the game was a trap from then on out).

 

[MercurySteam]

lets stick with the box. But say youre allowed a peak. At a bit or two. Then you can buy. I personally would rather have people look in the box before me and go "yeah theres a lot of good stuff in here, go for it" before i buy the box.

Screenshots, gameplay footage, trailers and demos can all help you make this decision. As for having "people look in the box before me" there's something called reviews and previews that already do this.

It's not rocket science, just common sense.

 

[Spearmaster]

Ill pre-order a game if I know Im gonna buy it and want it pre-loaded on steam, I pre-ordered fallout:NV 7 min before launch on steam to get the bonus stuff, don't know it thats really pre- ordering though, lol, ill pre-order a guaranteed buy on steam just because I have extra money some weeks more than others.

I don't pre-order in stores because the last release day game I had a hard time finding in my area was FFVII had the go to 3 stores to get a copy but I hear others in larger cities aren't so lucky.

There are pros and cons both ways, guess it mostly depends on personal preference and the game in question, only people that I don't get are the people that say they pre-order almost every game they get. IMO it sounds like a competative "I played/beat xxxx game first" complex to me.

 

[lacktheknack]

I never do, as I like sales a lot. And Steam has a ton of them.

 

[Twilight_guy]

Pre-ordering is only a good idea if you think they will run out and can't wait for the next shipment. Although per-ordering digital distributed games is a hilarious idea using that logic.

 

[Gothproxy]

I got burned badly when I pre-ordered Tron a few years ago. That stopped me pre-ordering cold. Now that I've gotten over that incident, I've actually pre-ordered a few things, Lollipop Chainsaw and Black Ops 2, though I'm still a little gun-shy about them. I guess we'll see in the following months if my fear was misplaced or if I should give up pre-ordering anything altogether.

 

[Soulfoodman]

You can get some really neat stuff from pre-ordering. Borderlands 2 and The Mechromancer is a great example. Pre-ordering Assassin's Creed III gets you a cool looking game case. From personal experience, I traded in my DSi towards a 3DS pre-order and got $75 of credit. I haven't bought the 3DS yet, but the price has dropped now so it would be easier than ever.

I really don't see a reason not to pre-order a game that you have an interest in. There's no real commitment and you could get some extra stuff just for putting $5 down early. You win some, you lose some, that's life. I decide whether or not a game was worth buying by playing it, not by relying on someone else's appraisal. If there's enough doubt, I can just rent the game.

 

[chadachada123]

Pre-ordering is stupid in most cases, but there are some cases where I think that it's warranted.

If the game studio is particularly trustworthy, or the game being particularly well-hyped, then your chances of being screwed are fairly low, and pre-ordering may be justified if you're sufficiently excited or if the pre-order bonuses are sufficiently awesome.

Otherwise, I'd say it's too big of a gamble, most of the time.

I'll be pre-ordering Halo 4, and have already pre-ordered Borderlands 2, but won't be pre-ordering anything else this year.

You could consider this analogous to seeing a midnight release of a movie. It makes little sense to do it for a series that you know nothing about, butttt if it's a series you already love...go for it, if you accept the risks.

 

[Eddie the head]

Halo 3: ODST--Awesome

Yeh?

I don't even understand why someone would preorder, there are probably five stores in your city that will have the game. Then there's internet sellers and stuff.

There is not 5 stores in my city that sells games. There is a wal mart and umm a Gamestop. That's about it. And I live 20 miles form there.

 

[xDarc]

Now I really don't like the box metaphor, it feels weak, but preorders are essentially not terrible because:
1) It lets the publisher a rough idea as to the sales.
2) It gives the store a rough idea about how many products to stack.
3) It gives the consumer a little something extra for ^.

Fuck these companies and fuck pre-orders.

Let these motherfuckers GUESS at how many copies they are going to need.

Like back in YE OLDEN DAYS.

DO YOU KNOW WHY?

Because if they shipped too many copies, guess what happened to the price? It went down a hell of a lot quicker.

Pre-orders ensure there is only just enough to go around, keep the supply artificially low and the price as high for as long as possible.

It's a crock a shit. Anything they didn't do 20 years ago is not your friend, it's something some asshole came up with to fuck you.

 

[Treblaine]

I don't pre order because NOTHING is a sure bet in this industry:

-Bulletstorm:
From developers People Can Fly, the guys who made painkiller. Oh god, what the hell happened. Their parody game looked like they are goign to destroy all the evils of modern FPS gaming but it instead followed all the worst tropes.

-Too Human:
Silicone Knights used to be my favourite developers, of Blood Omen and Eternal Darkness, yet this seems to get everythign wrong.

-Bodycount: from developers of Black, yet it turned out shit.

-Dead Island: That trailer and the developer's dreaming WAY oversold the game

-Haunted: Hell's Reach = best mod for unreal mutated into the worst game using the Unreal 3 Engine.

-Dragon Age 2: enough has been said about this

-Metal Gear Solid 2: most underhanded bait and switch and this, THIS is the ultimate "fuck you" ending, I don't care what Mass Effect fans say

-Metal Gear Solid 4: oh no, this is worse than a bad ending, this is HALF a game, it's full of pointless complexity yet no depth to gameplay, it's an utter mess that promised to be good but falls flat

-Duke Nukem Forever
-Castlevania: Lords of Shaodow
-Resident Evil 5 (should have known after they fired their lead creative director)
-Almost every Sonic game

And so on.

And even when the game is good, buying on launch you pay he highest price to get it in usually it's buggiest and most unbalanced state. Yes, Steam tends to offer 10% off by standard for pre-order but it's still not worth the risk. I ALWAYS wait for the reviews and opinions of people who have ACTUALLY played the game.

Demos are not enough. Metal Gear Solid 2 lied with it's demo, the demo advertised a VERY different game from what was sold

 

[Grey Day for Elcia]

I only purchase games through digital distribution and usually only directly from the developers. I've no reason to support retailers and I do my part to hasten their demise. As such, there's no reason to ever pre-order--unless there's some really, really. really good game content that comes with it.

 

[Strain42]

I'm honestly just gonna wait for games now, turns out so much cheaper and better value in the long term.

Good for you. I've been saying this for years, but most people seem to think that's some sort of gamer blasphemy or something.

This isn't sarcasm, I do really wish more people would realize stuff like this.