Why do people pre-order games?
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Sometimes the preorder bonuses are good enough to justify it. Of course, one extra weapon or an optional character who doesn't add anything to the experience are annoyingly common, but some games really go out of their way. I preordered both Witcher games for the collector editions. Lorebooks, artbooks, full scale maps - all that is just a fun way to enhance your experience.
Twice, I preordered games I anticipated very much to take advantage of the preorder discounts.
So there you go, there are reasons. I don't preorder much anymore though. I'll prolly do it for The Witcher 3 CE, but with the shrinking amount of time I can spend playing and more additional money concerns that tend to accumulate the older you get, my general strategy is to buy less and wait until price drops.
Twice, I preordered games I anticipated very much to take advantage of the preorder discounts.
So there you go, there are reasons. I don't preorder much anymore though. I'll prolly do it for The Witcher 3 CE, but with the shrinking amount of time I can spend playing and more additional money concerns that tend to accumulate the older you get, my general strategy is to buy less and wait until price drops.
Then explain his views to me, because I don't want to waste 20 minutes listening to it. It would be like wasting 20 minutes watching Fox News to try and figure out what happened with that car wreck last night. But, then again, you probably won't. I'm not going to waste time listening to your beloved idol, either.Urh said:
Oh! Thought of an even better example. Going to him for an opinion on preordering games is like going to metacritic to see if a game is good or not. I don't care at all what they think, so it won't change my opinion anyway.
Despite the advantages to preordering a game, I will rarely do so. Generally speaking if im preordering a game, it's because I support ______ franchise and assume its going to be a decent game at worst. Right now I'm looking at castlevania LOS2 as I'm in need of a decent hack and slasher.
All I did was call you out for a blatant logical fallacy and for being close-minded, and suddenly TB is "my beloved idol"??? So, you're presumptuous as well (and beginning to sound a little arrogant in my opinion). Fine, here's my summary (seeing as paying attention for 20 minutes is such a fucking chore for you):Assassin Xaero said:
TB basically questions the entire logic of pre-ordering. He sees it as carrying a high risk and providing little to no benefit to the consumer, while also encouraging what he considers bad business practices by studios and publishers (he specifically mentions pre-order bonuses, day 1 DLC and review embargoes). He argues that for most titles these days people are putting their money down "sight unseen" - I think he should have worded this better, although I think I know what he's getting at, i.e. that consumers are making pre-orders based on next to no information except marketing hype/crap pumped out by studios, which has the potential to be misleading (as we've seen with Colonial Marines, and previously with Dead Island). And that the benefits of such pre-orders are usually not worth such a risk. TB reckons that if so many people are willing to pre-order "sight unseen" then this is encouraging studios and publishers to keep consumers in the dark (i.e. by not releasing demos and enforcing review embargoes). He does point out there are those who pre-order based on brand/franchise loyalty, and he doesn't seem to have too much of an issue with such pre-orders. He ends his video by simply asking for some common sense - don't just throw your money down, wait and see, and try before you buy whenever you can.
I preorder games I am want to do well and trust will be good. I also preorder games when I doubt they will be for sale cheaper in the near future. I preordered Battlfield 3 for PC and aside from having to run it through Origin I had a damn good time and it was worth the money for the preorder.
I am going to preorder Heart of the Swarm for two reasons, one is I love the Starcraft franchise despite being horrible at it, and two because Blizzard takes forever to knock down their prices. At 40 bucks Heart of the Swarm sound fair, I don't play online because I am terrible so I prefer the storylines.
One game I am not going to preorder but would under normal circumstances is Bioshock: Infinite. It is coming to steam and wont have that crappy GFWL DRM but I don't really want to pay the full price. I might buy it at something as little as 5 dollars off but I just don't want it that bad.
I am going to preorder Heart of the Swarm for two reasons, one is I love the Starcraft franchise despite being horrible at it, and two because Blizzard takes forever to knock down their prices. At 40 bucks Heart of the Swarm sound fair, I don't play online because I am terrible so I prefer the storylines.
One game I am not going to preorder but would under normal circumstances is Bioshock: Infinite. It is coming to steam and wont have that crappy GFWL DRM but I don't really want to pay the full price. I might buy it at something as little as 5 dollars off but I just don't want it that bad.
I can't give you a "general" reason, as there are many to choose from, but I pre-order games for 3 reasons.
1) It sets in stone that I have purchase a game, so I know the money was "available" and I can budget early if I want to get multiple games.
2) Pre-orders (though its becoming more and more of them) have intensives to pre-order, whether it be character/weapon skins, exclusive maps, or singleplayer/multiplayer perks. Some of these are worth while to pick up (imo), for me its more about the character/weapon skins and maps
3) Limited edition/collector editions. I like to pick up collector editions when I Feel they have something worth while in them, and pre-order helps me guarantee that I get it
1) It sets in stone that I have purchase a game, so I know the money was "available" and I can budget early if I want to get multiple games.
2) Pre-orders (though its becoming more and more of them) have intensives to pre-order, whether it be character/weapon skins, exclusive maps, or singleplayer/multiplayer perks. Some of these are worth while to pick up (imo), for me its more about the character/weapon skins and maps
3) Limited edition/collector editions. I like to pick up collector editions when I Feel they have something worth while in them, and pre-order helps me guarantee that I get it
Yep, you got me there. I'm closed minded because I dislike ONE GUY and really don't give a shit what that ONE GUY has to say. He is just some guy with a fucking youtube account, why should I give a shit? And you wonder why I call him your idol? Because you and a ton of other people on this site get on my case for not listening to him or caring what he says. Do you listen to and care about Fox News? What about NPR? Or boogie2988? Can I call you close minded if you don't care for what he has to say at all? So, yes, taking 20 minutes to watch some video by a guy I don't like, on something I don't care about, to please someone I don't even know (or like [that appears to have some anger issues]) is a chore.Urh said:
I, mostly playing games on PC, don't get to do the "try before I buy". As I've said a million times (or at least it seems like it), I preorder games if I'm going to buy them anyway, or if I can get them cheaper. Random games I can remember preordering off the top of my head and why:
Brink - Got it cheaper, plus loved the first two Enemy Territory games.
Rage - I had been waiting for it for 4 years (ever since it was announced), and got it cheaper.
Borderlands 2 - Wanted the ultimate loot chest, was going to buy it day one no matter what.
BL2 Season Pass - Was going to buy all the DLC anyway, why not get it cheaper?
BioShock Infinite - Same as above.
Call of Duty Black Ops 2 - Got it cheaper.
All of this "sight unseen" stuff is meaningless to me. If I'm interested in a game, I'll generally buy it and try it. I can't think of a single game I was interested in before it was released, heard it was bad after it was out, then decided not to get it and see for myself. Only game I've ever preordered that was a disappointment was Zombie Driver, and it was a $7 indie title, can't expect them all to be good. On the other hand, I did learn that lesson with Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect. DA:O had an awesome (and extremely misleading) trailer, everyone said it was great, and the game was bland and boring as hell. It was a chore to finish, and I pretty much had to force myself to suffer through 20 HOURS more of it to see the end once I couldn't stand it anymore. People said the same about Mass Effect, and it was just as bad.
Because the Escapist did a news story about how Amazon was offering a free $20 gift card if you preordered Dead Space 3 from them. A $20 gift card that I immediately used to purchasing Heaven's Lost Property.
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I don't really preorder games because I know I'll just buy them when they come out. The only time I do is when I know that I'll get something really worth while (see above) and not some silly in-game weapon or skin.
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I don't really preorder games because I know I'll just buy them when they come out. The only time I do is when I know that I'll get something really worth while (see above) and not some silly in-game weapon or skin.
I preorder when two conditions are met
1. It is a sequel to a game(s) that I like.
2. Has a special edition or has preorder bonuses I like.
So far, that policy has treated me pretty well. The closest I've gotten to being ripped off was Halo 4 and that was more of a "meh" then me cursing at the heavens.
1. It is a sequel to a game(s) that I like.
2. Has a special edition or has preorder bonuses I like.
So far, that policy has treated me pretty well. The closest I've gotten to being ripped off was Halo 4 and that was more of a "meh" then me cursing at the heavens.
You young whippersnapper! In my day when a game came out it would be sold out for days or weeks, you had to pre-order if you wanted a copy on the first day. You young kids now-a-days and your availability of new games, it makes me sick.
Aside from pre-order promotional items and if you think the game will sell out, I don't know why someone would pre-order and never have. I used to pre-order games when they really did sell out but recently that never seems to happen.
Aside from pre-order promotional items and if you think the game will sell out, I don't know why someone would pre-order and never have. I used to pre-order games when they really did sell out but recently that never seems to happen.
I don't particularly give a shit about totalbiscuit either - I can count with my fingers the number of his videos that I've watched. Like you said, he's just one of many voices on youtube (I find him a little long-winded at times to be honest). But if I'm going to discuss something a person has said, I will actually go to the trouble of listening to what that person said first. Not doing so is just fucking stupid. If you're just going to lash out at somebody because they happen to agree with a person you refuse to listen to, then you are contributing NOTHING to the discussion. If doing a little homework before responding to somebody's comment is too much of a hassle for you, then you should probably just shut the fuck up.Assassin Xaero said:
I'm not annoyed at you for being dismissive of totalbiscuit, I'm annoyed at you for being dismissive altogether - it's a classic hallmark of a bad debater.
It annoys me when, well, anything comes up, I say my opinion on it (why I preorder games), and then some guy comes along to tell me (and multiple other people) that we are wrong because of a video he watched. If you can't even post your view on it and all you can do it post a link to youtube, then you shouldn't have a right to say anything in the discussion. Those are other peoples views, not your own, and by just posting a video you are saying that you are a sheep and can't think for yourself. So, if the guy can't think for himself and just listens to some guy with a youtube account, why should I even bother wasting the time to watch a video and discuss it with this guy who won't change his opinion anyway, because he never had an opinion to begin with?Urh said:
To have the game the moment it comes out.
And so it's not sold out when I have time to go to the store.
As for reviews... I never really cared for them...
Mostly when I preorder something, it's a sequel to a game I already lost.
Like a Pokemon game for example.
Who needs reviews for those anyway? By now we know what to expect.
And so it's not sold out when I have time to go to the store.
As for reviews... I never really cared for them...
Mostly when I preorder something, it's a sequel to a game I already lost.
Like a Pokemon game for example.
Who needs reviews for those anyway? By now we know what to expect.
For a start...because its my money and why the hell do I have to justify how I spend it to you, whether it makes sense or not?
But moving on from being a snarky jerk, these are my most common reasons:
Free stuff (Pre-order incentives, digital only - I hate clutter.)
Discount/Financial incentive (Such as certain retailers offering credit at their store for pre-ordering certain titles)
On rare occasion, to make sure I get a collectors editions (Games that actually end up having stock issues with the collectors editions, ie Halo games, Diablo 3, etc.)
Pre-loading (digital copies)
Timely arrival. Now this one needs explanation...its not a 'I need it on day 1' its more of a 'I'd like this as close to release as possible.' Since as an Australian I often purchase from grey importers, and they can be anywhere from 2 or 3 days to 2 weeks in the mail, so a pre-order is cheaper than my retail stores AND actually sent out the soonest possible from that distributor.
But moving on from being a snarky jerk, these are my most common reasons:
Free stuff (Pre-order incentives, digital only - I hate clutter.)
Discount/Financial incentive (Such as certain retailers offering credit at their store for pre-ordering certain titles)
On rare occasion, to make sure I get a collectors editions (Games that actually end up having stock issues with the collectors editions, ie Halo games, Diablo 3, etc.)
Pre-loading (digital copies)
Timely arrival. Now this one needs explanation...its not a 'I need it on day 1' its more of a 'I'd like this as close to release as possible.' Since as an Australian I often purchase from grey importers, and they can be anywhere from 2 or 3 days to 2 weeks in the mail, so a pre-order is cheaper than my retail stores AND actually sent out the soonest possible from that distributor.
I personally preorder only when I'm completely and utterly sure I'll play no matter what to guarantee I can have my copy as early as possible. I've only preordered two games: Skyrim, because I'm a huge Elder Scrolls fan and would have picked it up even if it was unplayable just to see where the lore went from Oblivion, and Mass Effect 3, because I'd gotten so emotionally invested in the series by that point that even if it sucked I needed more of these characters, and a proper conclusion (Even if the ending is as horrible as it is, I can't help but feel it's better to have an ending that not have one).
However, as pre-order bonuses seem to be getting better and better those seem to be rather encouraging. I'm thinking about pre-ordering BioShock Infinite, because you seem to get quite a bit of the DLC for free that way, and if I had been interested enough in Borderlands 2 to pay full price for it (Currently waiting for a Steam sale on it to happen, or to find a good deal for it on amazon), I would've surely picked that up in a preorder for the season pass.
That said, most bonuses seem pretty ridiculous. C'mon, BioWare, I gave you my money before you gave me Mass Effect 3 and you give me basically cheat-code guns? You used to give out Zaeed Massani and a bunch of other DLC just for buying first hand!
However, as pre-order bonuses seem to be getting better and better those seem to be rather encouraging. I'm thinking about pre-ordering BioShock Infinite, because you seem to get quite a bit of the DLC for free that way, and if I had been interested enough in Borderlands 2 to pay full price for it (Currently waiting for a Steam sale on it to happen, or to find a good deal for it on amazon), I would've surely picked that up in a preorder for the season pass.
That said, most bonuses seem pretty ridiculous. C'mon, BioWare, I gave you my money before you gave me Mass Effect 3 and you give me basically cheat-code guns? You used to give out Zaeed Massani and a bunch of other DLC just for buying first hand!
For fuck's sake, agreeing with somebody doesn't automatically mean you can't think for yourself. It is acceptance without any critical thought which is the mark of the sheep. While it is lazy to just dump a youtube link on somebody with no added, but it is not necessarily a sign that somebody is a mindless sheep (it's possible, but by no means 100% true). Furthermore, laziness on the other person's part doesn't give you a free ride to be equally lazy.Assassin Xaero said:
I use preorder the way my mom used layaway when I was a kid. I preorder the games I think I'll want a good ways in advance and pay them off a little at a time. This way, I get a lot more games new than if I had to cough up the full amount when it comes out.
