On the fence about pre-ordering Dark Souls

[figday]

So yeah, Dark Souls (DS), us available on Steam as we know it. (as preorder)
Why am I on the fence about it :

- I've never preordered any games before
- Are preordered games cheaper than the the price at launch?
- I've yet to understand the perks on preordering DS
- I'm kinda hoping that when the game releases, there will be discounts for it

Do note that

- I will def buy the game
- the part where From Software stated that the PC port will not be optimized for PC doesn't bug me at all, I mean, they actually got DS out for the PC and I totally respect them for that

So fellow Escs, how many of you have preordered it?
And maybe pitch me some inputs that will make me preorder it.

Thank you in advance

 

[TrevHead]

I've no idea if you get any extras in content for pre-ordering the game but it doesn't seem to have any discount on the game, if it did it will a % off sale sign like Hitman does atm.

If you plan on getting the game regardless you might aswell pre-order it, because from what I understand is that you should be able to download the game to your HD early but can't play it till the deadline.

I don't pre-order from steam so there is a chance i'm mistaken in this

 

[Smertnik]

Are there actually any preorder boni? If being able to play on day 1 isn't important to you you can always just wait a few months until the inevitable discount on Steam.

 

[Arkley]

Honestly, if you are going to buy it anyway and have already settled on that, you might as well pre-order it. You might not understand the pre-order bonuses, but whatever they are, you'll get them regardless.

On the other hand, From Software have openly admitted to their trouble with converting the game to PC, since they've never done so before, and have also admitted that the game will not be optimized for the PC. It might be better to wait for some reviews so you can get an idea of how it will perform.

I'd also recommend giving it a test-drive on a console first. If you have a friend who will let you play it or a console for which you can rent it, do that. Dark Souls has received countless great reviews and for good reason, but it would be an understatement to call it a polarizing game. Its difficulty and unforgiving nature are something to be celebrated, for sure, but be aware that much of its difficulty stems from setting you back significantly in progress every time you die - and you'll die a lot. This means you'll be forced to repeat certain areas dozens and dozens of times, whether it's because you died or because you have to backtrack. Even those who adore difficult games and have a high tolerance for frustration may find that Dark Souls isn't for them, simply because of the huge degree of repetition involved. It's also worth noting that the lion's share of the game's length comes from its difficulty - if you were to complete the game without ever dying, you'd find it's about three hours long, so don't expect to encounter something new all that often.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well sometimes you get preorder bonuses or discounts (in the early retails days this was more of a reservation thing), in this case you get nothing extra.
So you might as well wait to see how the game actually comes out.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

Unfortunately, the decision to use Games for Windows Live turned me entirely off the game. Sorry, Namco, but if you're going to be using a service that nobody likes and that has been on life support for years now, you might as well just stick to the console arena.

 

[DarkishFriend]

While the decision is entirely up to you and I personally love both the Souls games there are many problems with the PC version, as others have pointed out.

-Games For Windows Live, if that doesn't shake horror into you, you are too lucky.
-Poorly optimized for the PC, From Software has admitted they have been having problems.
-Steam DRM (for what it's worth) and like someone else said no lawsuits.

and the last one is speculation on my part but if you want to take part in the online pvp you're going to be having a tough time because the always online/drop in drop out way the pvp and coop works in the Souls games because of Windows Live connectivity issues with dropping people from playing the game at random times and the fact that with these problems total many people may not be playing it.
(Also, I can't remember for certain but I think that the connection do online in Dark Souls is peer to peer, so it can cause terrible lag.)

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I would NEVER recommend pre-ordering a game, EVER.

 

[Ryank1908]

I'm in a similar position, but seeing as there are no bonuses or discounts to be gained from pre-ordering it, I would recommend waiting. Again, it could be completely broken on launch - it might not even be worth owning. I loved it on 360 but if the PC version ends up being even worse in terms of graphical performance and technical issues, I think I'll give it a miss. Give it some time.

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

It uses Games For Windows Live... so it's going to have to be a no from me.
Besides, I have way too many other games to get through first.

 

[ResonanceSD]

If there are any extras, maybe. If not, there's literally no benefit to it.

 

[dancinginfernal]

It uses Games For Windows Live... so it's going to have to be a no from me.
Besides, I have way too many other games to get through first.

I recall hearing something about them not using GFWL anymore. Was this false?

Don't ask for sauce, I don't remember where I heard.

 

[Waaghpowa]

I'm another person who was instantly turned off buying the game the moment I noticed that GFWL was a requirement. It's stupid that I would have to log into steam AND GFWL to play the game (this is based on the assumption that I would get it from steam).

Also

 

[Waaghpowa]

I recall hearing something about them not using GFWL anymore. Was this false?

Just go the steam page for it and look at the requirements at the bottom.

 

[Vrach]

Just note one other thing.

The Games for Windows Live TOS has changed to be exactly like the Xbox live TOS. So you will waive your right to class action lawsuits and will agree that the only form of any sort or complaint will be done through arbitration.

So you should factor that into your decision.

Also consider the fact that you will now also waive your right to class action lawsuits with Valve as well.

Honestly as a side note it is a good fucking time to be a lawyer now. You don't even have to represent people anymore, you just have to get your degree in law and sign up to be an arbiter because the business is booming. Arbiters are making freaking bank now thanks to the recent Supreme Court decision.

EDIT: I was going to buy it but not anymore. I like to preserve my rights and just the way the trend goes makes it impossible for me to actually enjoy the game because now there is a legal barrier of entry for what should be something as simple as purchasing a game.

So you have a habit of filing class action lawsuits cause you don't like a game?

Also, your rights > TOS. Any decent court will throw out the "oh, but they signed off their rights when they pressed a button during the install procedure!" argument. And if you wanna argue there are courts without sense, consider the fact you're fucked with those going up against Microsoft/Valve in the first place anyway, class action lawsuit or no.

So hurray for your principles... but they don't make a damn bit of difference on anyone, not even yourself in a highly unlikely hypothetical situation.

edit: quoted the wrong person initially, apologies

OT: If you're buying the game on release, you might as well buy it now. There are pretty much always perks for pre-ordering, sometimes it's a slight discount (Steam usually gives 10% off), sometimes it's in game stuff. It's rarely worth it by itself, but if you're absolutely sure you'll buy it on release, you don't really lose anything by pre-ordering it.