I rarely pre-order these days, as pretty much any game I want there will be plenty of copies of it at any retailer. There's even the occasional game that does not show up at a retailer at all, so I have to order it online, but copies are always available.
That being said, I do pre-order some games, usually games in a series which I know I will enjoy. For instance, while I have not done it yet, I fully intend to pre-order both Batman: Arkham Knight and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. I will do this for two reasons: I am fully confident in the quality of both games, and Best Buy will likely have a pre-order bonus which will give me $5-10 worth of Best Buy rewards. Since I grandfathered into their Gamers Club Unlocked program, I get 20% off new games anyway, so adding $5-10 more that I can use on a future visit only makes sense. It'd be throwing money away not to pre-order these games which I know I am going to purchase no matter what. I will probably do the same for Uncharted 4 once a release date and more info are available.
Then there are games like Assassin's Creed: Unity or Shadow of Mordor where, while I am optimistic about enjoying these games, I am not willing to shell out the money ahead of time. I would rather wait, read some reviews, view some LP's and then decide if I want to purchase them. My gaming time is limited, so I don't want to waste time or money on something I am not going to enjoy.
I think too many people have been burned by a bad pre-order than many just don't want to do it anymore. Especially if they are working with a limited budget and can't afford to just purchase every game that catches their fancy.
That being said, I do pre-order some games, usually games in a series which I know I will enjoy. For instance, while I have not done it yet, I fully intend to pre-order both Batman: Arkham Knight and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. I will do this for two reasons: I am fully confident in the quality of both games, and Best Buy will likely have a pre-order bonus which will give me $5-10 worth of Best Buy rewards. Since I grandfathered into their Gamers Club Unlocked program, I get 20% off new games anyway, so adding $5-10 more that I can use on a future visit only makes sense. It'd be throwing money away not to pre-order these games which I know I am going to purchase no matter what. I will probably do the same for Uncharted 4 once a release date and more info are available.
Then there are games like Assassin's Creed: Unity or Shadow of Mordor where, while I am optimistic about enjoying these games, I am not willing to shell out the money ahead of time. I would rather wait, read some reviews, view some LP's and then decide if I want to purchase them. My gaming time is limited, so I don't want to waste time or money on something I am not going to enjoy.
I think too many people have been burned by a bad pre-order than many just don't want to do it anymore. Especially if they are working with a limited budget and can't afford to just purchase every game that catches their fancy.