Why Would Anyone Preorder A Console?

[BQE]

Literally this same fucking thread popped up during today at least once.
Learn how to use the bloody search feature. It's not there just to look pretty.

The other thread belongs to the OP as well.

 

[Something Amyss]

Even if he wasn't you're still right. Though I think preordering consoles in general has a different answer to preordering this gens consoles. Not even I can guess why anyone would preorder the PS4 and Xbone.

You really really want to play Titanfall, but don't want Windows 8 on your PC?

...Yeah, that's pretty much all I got.

 

[kilenem]

I would tell people not to do it but New tech helps out the economy and keeps people employed

 

[Something Amyss]

I would tell people not to do it but New tech helps out the economy and keeps people employed

Pre-orders aren't necessary for new tech to stimulate the economy, however.

I mean, hey why buy Games when they release, or watch movies when they come out, just wait a few years and it'll all be cheaper.

Of course, the analogy breaks down a bit with movies. Movies, like most media, rarely suffer crippling flaws at launch. You're not paying extra for faulty material, in short. Games seem an even worse example because if you pre-ordered a broken game until recently, there was a good chance you were stuck with a lemon.

 

[Psychobabble]

I would tell people not to do it but New tech helps out the economy and keeps people employed

Pre-orders aren't necessary for new tech to stimulate the economy, however.

I mean, hey why buy Games when they release, or watch movies when they come out, just wait a few years and it'll all be cheaper.

Of course, the analogy breaks down a bit with movies. Movies, like most media, rarely suffer crippling flaws at launch. You're not paying extra for faulty material, in short. Games seem an even worse example because if you pre-ordered a broken game until recently, there was a good chance you were stuck with a lemon.

It would almost be worth it if they were though. "Damn it! My theater got the buggy version of the Avengers where Loki wins and Black Widow was played by Jack Black."

Sigh. It unfortunately boils down to some people just have to have their new shiny cheap plastic shit. Doesn't matter if it actually works as intended.

 

[Elijin]

I dont get the 'They only have 10-20 games on launch!' point.

How much time are you dedicating to gaming? How quickly are you consuming this media? Are you playing them until you're happy with them, or playing them until the 'story end' or 'finish'?

This gen will be my first time purchasing a console on day 1. I thought about it for the months leading up, decided I would put away a bit of money frequently and see how things looked closer to release. I can afford it, and would like to own one during the holiday period, so I put down a pre-order. On the release day, I dont have to worry about getting to the store first, or them running out of stock. I can be confident that when my day allows it, I can pop by the store and pick up my product at my convenience.

And then, when time permits, I can have a look at one or two of those launch titles that caught my interest and sold me on the idea of having one now instead of later.

I really dont get the people who look down on others for buying something they dont. I mean, Im not saying they're for everyone, nor should you all have one. But the outright disdain and looking down noses at each other over the decisions we make in regards to non-essential consumer goods? Well, its a quick look into a lot of whats wrong with most internet and gaming communities.

 

[Godhead]

People want something new, or people want to try and play the market and re-sell on day one.

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

$700 is the reason why they buy consoles

Also, you tend to replace consoles every 7 years, PC upgrades happen way more frequently than that (3-4 years and hardware is classed as Legacy)

That isn't strictly true provided one makes as many future proofing decisions as possible. It's probably I'll be on the i5 3570 CPU for the foreseeable future (since it's only a year old), and my 16GB of RAM is no where near being insufficient. The major upgrade each time, is the Video Card and right now for me to upgrade would cost me half of what an X1 would cost. Nothing wrong with my case; my hard drives, my mouse or my keyboard. In fact I think the keyboard is close to a decade old.

I can see the attraction with consoles, especially if you have local friends and have built up a solid online presence and community and if your talents do not lie in the technical area then they represent a reasonably good investment to the gaming world. I just prefer my giant doom console

 

[Bat Vader]

So because I pre-ordered a PS4 that somehow brings into question my intelligence? I am judged to have a low intelligence because I wanted a PS4?

On-Topic: Why did I pre-order a PS4? Because I wanted one and I didn't want to run the risk of not being able to get one. Within the first 24 hours the stores in the small city I live in sold out of all the PS4 consoles they had in stock. Just out of curiosity I asked around and none of them had any precise dates as to when new shipments would be coming in. Yes, I am happy I pre-ordered my PS4 because it means I got one.

 

[ChorltontheDragon]

With all the marketing around, I can see why people would pre-order. Even I was tempted at a gamer expo I went to, but I was good!

I like what both consoles have to offer, but I have to say I really wouldn't know which one would be best. I like Xbox Live, the controller is great (particularly good on the PC), and I would like to carry over my gamertag and achievements but I know that PS4 is the better machine hardware wise. But the games haven't really grabbed my attention (apart from AC4 but I have that already).

So I have decided to leave it at least a year, wait for the bugs to be ironed out, see what the real reviews are from the actual users and then make my decision. Hopefully the price may have come down a little. I am quite happy to carry on with playing my games on the 360 and my PC.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

Because of the hype-machine 3000!

And because the current gen has been stagnating in the graphics department for far too long.

Also because of the shiny.

 

[Ishigami]

Odds are you'll be getting the buggiest version of the console, at the highest price (assuming it will drop in price)

Or in case of the PS3 you get the only version of the console that is 100% backwards compatible because it still featured a full set of PS2 hardware inside that got cut one by one in consecutive releases to drop the price.

But you are not asking why I imported a gen 1 PS3 from the USA are you? ? You are asking why I pre-ordered a PS4.
Because I shit money and need a region code B BR player anyway.

There you go.

Besides you greedy bastards need early adopters otherwise everything would go down the drain.

 

[Evonisia]

Because people (like me) want to play the games on the consoles at launch. They're willing to gamble on the console bugging out (blue light/red ring of death) if it means they can play the games they want. Waiting a year doesn't cause the price to drop so much, probably nothing beyond £50. If that makes me stupid then I'm proudly stupid, at least I'll be having dumb fun on Dead Rising 3 when I wanted to.

Of course, pre-ordering a console was more valid in the previous generations and I fully acknowledge that. The Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 all had backwards compatibility on launch, and the 360/Wii kept supporting the imports of old games for a few years after release.

 

[Branindain]

For me, it is a matter of brand loyalty. I'm not one of those mouth-breathing monosyllabic morons who makes a console war into a sports event and hurls invective at the other side. I don't wish failure on anybody and I wouldn't laugh at someone who had a RROD. But Sony brought me into my adult gaming life 15 years ago and they've provided fun times for me ever since. They've never done me wrong, and I want their consoles to succeed, so I cast my vote early. I'm gonna get one anyway, so why not?

Of course, no amount of loyalty will make me get a Vita. Fuck that noise.

 

[GoaThief]

This is the most annoying Escapist phase in a while, I think.

You know it is possible to choose not to buy a console on launch without heaping on a ton of condescension right? Even ignoring the people who have already pointed out that early adopters are what keep the console alive, you have to realize that when you refer to other people as peasants (and yes, that is a quote from another thread), you make yourself look like an ass.

By the way, to everyone who is waiting on buying a PS4, you're welcome. People like me who bought it now are making sure those good games you're waiting for actually happen.

Yea, this prevalent attitude has really been pissing me off on the Escapist for a while. What the hell is with the high and mighty people constantly thinking others are "Sheeple" for buying a console on day one? It also happens on a myriad of other topics regarding new systems or new games.

I'm glad it's not just me, I have been avoiding comment for the most part as I am sure it would be an exercise in futility.

As for the OP and the question posed, because I and millions of others want to. I can't help but think of this guy sat hunched over a keyboard at times

Spoiler

 

[Raikas]

I'm baffled by how condescending and snarky people are about these things. I mean, I don't buy consoles at launch myself because I'd rather wait for the bugs to be ironed out and the price to drop, but that doesn't make me any more clever than the people who preorder - it just means that they have other priorities.

If a person wants something and they can afford it, why wouldn't they buy it? And why would you want to sneer at them for doing so?

Because there aren't many games at launch? I know more people who play fewer than 6 big games a year than I do people who play the new releases every week, so I don't see why that's a deterrent in and of itself.

Because of bugs? Sure (and that's the main reason I'm not an early adopter), but for some people that's not such a big deal.

Because the price will drop? For a decent segment of the market it's not that big of an expense, so why bother waiting?

Why buy a console at all when you can buy a PC? Why not? I play on PC and a variety of consoles, and so do plenty of other people. It's not an all or nothing thing, so as long as there are system exclusives, why wouldn't you?