Can we talk about preordering games - and how stupid this new trend is?

I don't get pre-ordering except in rare cases. Most developers are prone to making some bad games and there are like a couple that I have the kind of confidence in to buy sight-unseen, let alone full price. I see it as a sign of goodwill and elevated support from the fanbase. Kinda like going to see a band in concert. I actually frown on a few cheap goodies thrown in with pre-order. The risk of buying a crappy game at full price outweighs any gains from the stuff they are willing to throw in with it.
 
I've pre-ordered a few games since they were on sale.
Crysis 2 I got for $30 shipped from EA
Black Ops was $45 from D2D
I pre-ordered BF3 for $84 shipped for 2 hard copies from EA.
 
I remember pre-ordering Mortal Kombat 1 for my Sega Game Gear back in the day. :) There's something cool about getting your game @ like 7 AM b4 anyone else I knew. (It's good to know you have a copy if the store runs out, but that's almost never the case.) I bought mine at a store named Meijer which is like a super wal mart type store that's open 24/7. That makes sense to me to be able to get your game really early in the morning to play it (as long as the store is open 24/7). I also remember when Doom 3 came out I just drove over to the local Wal-Mart @ like 1 or 2 am and picked it up, but I never pre-ordered it and I don't see any games selling out on release day any more. Same with HL2 got it with the Collectors edition @ Gamestop with a Game Guide, they had plenty of copies. Steam was kinda like WTF though to me at first, but Counter Strike was cool back then so it made sense to me. I also remember when StreetF2 came out for the SNES and Kay Bee Toy store just had like a WALL of them LOL! No problem picking up games from my experience, only game that I ever found sold out, and took me to 2 stores before I could get it was Lunar The Silver Star for Sega CD. Wasn't @ EB so went to ToysRus and they had it. people should be happy with the game and stfu if they don't like it then who gives a shit don't buy it sleep in why u care?
 
Fail said:
I support this message, this will be the same way I get Skyrim, I can definitely wait. I am very patient.

I still don't own Mass Effect 2 in spite of it being on sale a few times.
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I own the vanilla Morrowind and Oblivion and the GOTY versions + a steam copy of each.

I don't have an issue buying it day one, lol.

EDIT: I also owned both on Xbox, but I sold them due to lack of wanting to play games on Xbox.
 
next-Jin said:
I understand where Fail and others are coming from about not knowing what your getting ...
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I have no real issue with feeling you want to know more about a game before you put the money down. I myself very rarely preorder games, on average I preorder maybe 1 game every 2 years. It just irritates me the way crabby old elitist gamers who have forgotten how to have fun feel the need to insult the intelligence and morale standards of people who are happy to buy a game based on prerelease info as if somehow they know what is "right" and anyone who dares to enjoy their hobby in a different way is ignorant. As if they have some imaginary morale high ground when it comes to purchasing something like games, a media designed for "entertainment".

Personally I might preorder Space Marine if I see it going for a good deal, being a Warhammer fan I expect to get some joy out of it and wouldn't mind some random collectors edition goodies. I dont expect it to be an awesome game based off what I've seen, but I know I'm gonna get enough fun out of it to make it worth preordering for a reasonable price... apparently that makes me an ignorant fool :rolleyes: Hell, I'm currently browsing this forum with a mouse and on a mouse pad I got for free when preordering the witcher 2, I must be a fucking retard or something :rolleyes:
 
Tudz said:
It just irritates me the way crabby old elitist gamers who have forgotten how to have fun feel the need to insult the intelligence and morale standards of people who are happy to buy a game based on prerelease info as if somehow they know what is "right" and anyone who dares to enjoy their hobby in a different way is ignorant. As if they have some imaginary morale high ground when it comes to purchasing something like games, a media designed for "entertainment".
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+ ∞

I rarely pre-order too. But if the "reward" for pre-order is worth it, I've no issues plunking down cash pre-release. Pre-ordering TF2 four years ago got me into the beta a month before release. Pre-ordering Portal 2 was 10% cheaper than retail, and came with a TF2 item.

Tangible rewards, subjective value. What's worthwhile for some sure isn't for others. But there's no need to berate those that do see value in a pre-order just because most don't.
 
I only do that when there's a worthy reward AND I really want that particular game... which is very rare

Most of the time I don't even day-1 a game. I'd rather sit back and see what the community thinks about it. I trust them more than I do those exclusive pre-release review
 
How can you compare waiting a year + to buy the gold edition of game to getting the game day 1 from a pre-order.

I am sure you will have tons of fun for that year not playing...
 
I'd zero day a game that interests me if I had zero backlog to clean up.
 
Dreaz said:
You do know a decade is 10 years?

Do you know decades is plural, so at the very least you're implying 20 years.

2011-0020=1991.

So re-read the OP, and tell me what pre-orderable game in 1991 or before had the issues the OP is talking about.

Good luck!
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Yes I know all of this. Im several decades old. And yes you could pre order then. Kay Bee and Babbages were popular for this. There used[/b] to be a shortage of games when first released if hyped up. When the N64 came out, you couldnt get one for Christmas, or virtually any game for it. Unless you pre-ordered, and even then they had very limited quantities.

The fact remains the same, pre-ordering is not a "new trend" like was claimed.

In fact, I pre-ordered a system before, not just games. I pre-ordered a PSX way back. It is not a new concept. I dont see why this is hard to grasp. Although back then it was called "reserving" but you still had to put at least $5 down on a game. Some people have produced their pre-order from the first time the latest Duke Nukem was available for pre-order, over a decade ago. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/new...Duke-Nukem-Forever-Preorder-Honored-With-Swag

And for the record, I dont pre-order anymore. Unless its from steam and I know I will buy it anyhow. Usually they have it 5% off, and I dont have to pay taxes, and I can pre-reload it. So I can play instantly. Even then its few and far between.
 
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Tudz said:
I have no real issue with feeling you want to know more about a game before you put the money down. I myself very rarely preorder games, on average I preorder maybe 1 game every 2 years. It just irritates me the way crabby old elitist gamers who have forgotten how to have fun feel the need to insult the intelligence and morale standards of people who are happy to buy a game based on prerelease info as if somehow they know what is "right" and anyone who dares to enjoy their hobby in a different way is ignorant. As if they have some imaginary morale high ground when it comes to purchasing something like games, a media designed for "entertainment".

Personally I might preorder Space Marine if I see it going for a good deal, being a Warhammer fan I expect to get some joy out of it and wouldn't mind some random collectors edition goodies. I dont expect it to be an awesome game based off what I've seen, but I know I'm gonna get enough fun out of it to make it worth preordering for a reasonable price... apparently that makes me an ignorant fool :rolleyes: Hell, I'm currently browsing this forum with a mouse and on a mouse pad I got for free when preordering the witcher 2, I must be a fucking retard or something :rolleyes:
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+ ∞ Hehe

I did pre-order BF3 and I am perfectly happy with that idea. I get the Back to Karkand pack which I want and would have paid for at a later time anyhow, so it's a win/win for me. I also only order a game or two every couple of years as pre-orders, so your comments are spot on for me as well.
 
I think pre-ordering served a greater purpose when there wasn't a dozen stories in 5 mile radius that all sell the same game at launch day.

When video games were sold primarily through mom and pop shops and maybe a few chain stores and during the holidays games sold out pretty fast and pre-ordering served a good purpose there.

The only place I feel pressured into pre-ordering is Gamstop and it annoys the shit out of me so I don't shop there anymore. Problem solved.
 
Only time I pre-order is on Gamestop's site when they have early demo/beta promotions. They don't charge until release so I just cancel before it gets anywhere near release date.

Previous generations pre-ordering guaranteed you a game. Now there is never really a shortage of new hyped games so it's pretty stupid unless you really needed that skin, weapon or crappy level.

Keep in mind though that I don't give a shit about cloth maps, or little trinkets. I only care about the actual game. I'd rather not line someones pocket with money until I know for sure the game is worth it.
 
pigwalk said:
I'd zero day a game that interests me if I had zero backlog to clean up.
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I can understand this, because without a backlog, you need something to play obviously, it's just a matter of finding something that interests you.
 
I always pre-order collector's edition stuff (if available). If it's just an early download or like a shirt, they can go fuck themselves. I want something I can put on display inside my man cave.
 
Pre ordering games isn't a new trend. It is so dumb when they act like they are the only place getting the game though.
 
I will only pre-order if it comes with a bonus for pre-ordering. It has to be worth it, like a beta key, soundtrack or something else besides a small poster or bumper sticker.
 
i never pre-order.

If a game is that important to me i will go to the store on release day and pick up a copy.

The last game i bought on release day was Supreme Commander 2. (im a fan of this series)


blizzard seems to be the only game developer making quality games now. The rest are just rushed out, minus duke nukem lol. So when they launch they are full of bugs and glitches. Only to be patched multiple times over the coarse of a year before all support is dropped from the game.

So now when a game is released i check it out first, read some reviews and check out the support forum to see any problems that arise with it. Unless i crave the game, which there are very few I do i just wait for it to go on sale on steam and then buy it.
 
thecrafter said:
Just give up on current games and do what I did.

Think of the time you enjoyed gaming the most.

Was in NES? Then get an NES and some games. They're really cheap.

Was in the late 90s? Then get a retro gaming PC (or just DOS Box) and some games from that era.

Stop buying new games, they're all shit - what can I say, it's the truth. Just play what you last enjoyed
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Signing this as well... 9/10 today's games suck.

Let's see... last few games I had fun with in the past 2 years, New Vegas, Call of Pripyat, Mass Effect 2, Metro 2033, Borderlands...Oh yeah and ArmA2 (and OA) as the only decent military sim. I might be missing one or two, everything else was pretty awful.

Last things I preordered were Age of Conan and Darkfall, nice burns. Not gonna preorder anything anymore, that's for sure.

PC gaming is pretty much dead for me. I keep an eye out for the odd title or two once or twice a year, but I much rather fire up DOSbox and play some classics, or some pre-2005 PC games, or take a nostalgia trip with the ol' Amiga A500. But I have some of the most fun on the PS2 (the last true gaming console as you could actually play 90% of the games with...you know, real-life friends in the same room, not frustrated online kids) when I dish out some Tekken 5, MK: Armageddon, Timesplitters 2, etc. with mates.

Don't forget, games were made to be fun and entertaining. If they're not...chuck 'em, and go back to those that are. Good games are like good music, age has no bearing on it.
 
I don't care for pc game pre-orders because the last few years it feels like we are just beta testers for games that are not really stable/complete until patch 1.x about 6 months later. Like others have stated you can get it cheaper, more stable and with bonus DLC. Don't sell me crap at AAA prices!
 
fallguy said:
Yes I know all of this. Im several decades old. And yes you could pre order then. Kay Bee and Babbages were popular for this. There used[/b] to be a shortage of games when first released if hyped up. When the N64 came out, you couldnt get one for Christmas, or virtually any game for it. Unless you pre-ordered, and even then they had very limited quantities.

The fact remains the same, pre-ordering is not a "new trend" like was claimed.

In fact, I pre-ordered a system before, not just games. I pre-ordered a PSX way back. It is not a new concept. I dont see why this is hard to grasp. Although back then it was called "reserving" but you still had to put at least $5 down on a game. Some people have produced their pre-order from the first time the latest Duke Nukem was available for pre-order, over a decade ago. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/new...Duke-Nukem-Forever-Preorder-Honored-With-Swag

And for the record, I dont pre-order anymore. Unless its from steam and I know I will buy it anyhow. Usually they have it 5% off, and I dont have to pay taxes, and I can pre-reload it. So I can play instantly. Even then its few and far between.
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Oh goodie, trivia time.

True or False. Circle one.
The N64 was released prior to 1991. [T][F]
The PSX was released prior to 1991. [T][F]
Duke Nukem was released prior to 1991. [T][F]


Okay. Time for the bonus questions!
Did any of the systems or games mentioned used pre-ordering as an artificial way to generate hype? (hint: the answer can be found in your own post!)

Thank you for playing You Don't Know Jack.
 
I pre-ordered BF3 through the D2D deal some 6-8 weeks ago at least.

Why? Because I KNOW its a game I'll be playing, I KNOW its a game I don't want to wait to play.

Same with SWToR. It might not seem like a reasonable thing to you, but these two are quite possibly my most awaited items in gaming in 20 years.

If you don't like pre-ordering, you don't have to use it. If you want to wait 6 months, then wait. I don't see the debate taking place.

Did they make pennies of interest on my pre-sale, sure did. Do I care? Hell no, I could have put that $45 in the bank and made about .00001. The "bonuses" are just that, bonuses. If its an in game item in an MMO, its generally marginally useful, and helpful to get you associated. If its the map pack in BF3, its something else to enjoy.

I'm just thankful there's a good 4-6 weeks between these two releases in particular.
 
I don't see the point, even if you are interested in the bonuses. With in-game bonuses, there is an unlimited supply, they won't run out. You can wait until an hour before release and still pre-purchase to get them. This makes the most sense, because you can wait for a much better deal.
 
No the really stupid thing is the people who spend money to preorder a game to get into a beta for another game. You know, that thing developers USED to use for play testing and bug fixing to increase quality. People treat them like a demo..
 
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wasteomind said:
No the really stupid thing is the people who spend money to preorder a game to get into a beta for another game. You know, that thing developers USED to use for play testing and bug fixing to increase quality. People treat them like a demo..
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How is that possibly stupid? If you're interested in the game you get early access to it and any beta I've been part of has had been perfectly playable with few bugs. I probably spent 10-15 hours on the BFBC2 beta and enjoyed all of it. Worst case scenario it makes you decide you dont actually want the game and cancel your preorder. Some people like to get immersed in things they're interested in, and I'm not talking about gameplay immersion, I mean watching previews, reading background story, getting collectors nick nacks, playing betas. There's been games in the past where I've gotten as much joy out of the beta as the final game itself.

I almost feel sorry for some of you guys when you can't even comprehend enjoying a game beyond the deeply analytical. If I ever reach that point with gaming I hope I have the good sense to just quit and find another hobby.
 
Tudz said:
How is that possibly stupid? If you're interested in the game you get early access to it and any beta I've been part of has had been perfectly playable with few bugs. I probably spent 10-15 hours on the BFBC2 beta and enjoyed all of it. Some people like to get immersed in things they're interested in, and I'm not talking about gameplay immersion, I mean watching previews, reading background story, getting collectors nick nacks, playing betas. There's been games in the past where I've gotten as much joy out of the beta as the final game itself.

I almost feel sorry for some of you guys when you can't even comprehend enjoying a game beyond the deeply analytical. If I ever reach that point with gaming I hope I have the good sense to just quit and find another hobby.
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I said it is stupid that people pay specifically to get into a beta for a game different from the one they preordered. They don't care about the game they preordered. They dropped money to play a beta. How is that not stupid?

Beta's for the most part used to be free with a very specific purpose to increase final build release quality. Now they are marketing tools. How is that not stupid?
 
wasteomind said:
I said it is stupid that people pay specifically to get into a beta for a game different from the one they preordered. They don't care about the game they preordered. They dropped money to play a beta. How is that not stupid?
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Who pays just to get into a beta just for the sake of getting into a beta? You're either preordering to get to the beta to try it and decide if you want the game, if you dont, you cancel your preorder. Not stupid.

Otherwise you know you want the game and the beta is just an extra chance to enjoy the game before it comes out. Not stupid.

If someone is preordering just purely for the beta and then doesn't go on to play the full game nor cancel their preorder, umm, ok, that's stupid... but who actually does that??

Beta's for the most part used to be free with a very specific purpose to increase final build release quality. Now they are marketing tools. How is that not stupid?
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They were marketing tools long before they were included as preorder bonuses. I remember playing a beta for a text based RPG yeeeaaaaaaars ago and there was no denying it was a marketing tool. Yeah, sure, it was there to iron out any final bugs and test server capability... but it was clearly a marketing tool to get in people who wanted to try it without paying or to further hype up and enthuse people who were already fans.

Devs/pubs realise that fans will more than happily play test games just to get a feel of the game before the final release, and not-so-hardcore fans will use it to see if they would like to get the final game. Its hardly a punishment for fans to participate in an open beta at their own discretion.

I see nothing stupid about including an open beta as a preorder bonus, not stupid from the publisher nor stupid for the gamers.
 
Game devs used to pay people to beta test their products. Now we're paying them :p
 
It's not so much the pre-orders that bother me but the exclusive bonuses here in the US. For example, look at Deus Ex: HR, only Gamestop has the bonus mission/weapons where as Amazon/Wal-Mart have their own special packs. Where as the rest of the world's CE's get EVERYTHING including stuff that's not even available in USA CE's...

I've been burned too many times in the past. I REFUSE to buy anything anymore without a demo or "preview build". That being said, I did preorder Deus Ex: HR for $28 from GMG after spending 2-3 hrs on the beta build. ;)
 
Preordering only really makes sense if there is a demo of the game released before the actual game and you played it and then liked what you saw. Preordering based upon hype or nostolga is bad IMHO (points to DNF)

Edit the post below me brings up another reason but I would wait to play a demo before ordering if it was not easy to get to a local retailer.
 
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Dreaz said:
Oh goodie, trivia time.

True or False. Circle one.
The N64 was released prior to 1991. [T][F]
The PSX was released prior to 1991. [T][F]
Duke Nukem was released prior to 1991. [T][F]


Okay. Time for the bonus questions!
Did any of the systems or games mentioned used pre-ordering as an artificial way to generate hype? (hint: the answer can be found in your own post!)

Thank you for playing You Don't Know Jack.
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I was giving examples. First hand knowledge. I "worked" (8 hours a month to get free magazines and game check outs) at Babbages when the N64 came out, and I saw first hand the shortage of the games and systems. You simply had to pre-order one, or you didnt get one.

The fact is I pre-ordered games more than 20 years ago. I pre-ordered SMB 3 on the NES, is that long ago enough? I had to, because I didnt live anywhere remotely close to a store that sold games. I even still have receipts from the mid 90 to late 90's of pre-orders and purchased games. Another fact is that pre-ordering is NOT a new trend like claimed in the title. If you cannot agree with this statement, you are just trolling. Or an idiot. You pick. In any event, Im done with this. Its not a new trend, end of story.
 
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fallguy said:
I was giving examples. First hand knowledge. I "worked" (8 hours a month to get free magazines and game check outs) at Babbages when the N64 came out, and I saw first hand the shortage of the games and systems. You simply had to pre-order one, or you didnt get one.

The fact is I pre-ordered games more than 20 years ago. I pre-ordered SMB 3 on the NES, is that long ago enough? I had to, because I didnt live anywhere remotely close to a store that sold games. I even still have receipts from the mid 90 to late 90's of pre-orders and purchased games. Another fact is that pre-ordering is NOT a new trend like claimed in the title. If you cannot agree with this statement, you are just trolling. Or an idiot. You pick. In any event, Im done with this. Its not a new trend, end of story.
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Okay. You're starting to get the idea of the OP, but you failed the bonus question on the test.

Did any of the systems or games mentioned used pre-ordering as an artificial way to generate hype? (hint: the answer can be found in your own post!)
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Sounds like you had to pre-order because you had to. I'm sure you'll get the answer and put it all together in your next post, and then you can finally contribute meaningfully to the thread. It's been a long road, but the end is in sight.
 
thecrafter said:
Game devs used to pay people to beta test their products. Now we're paying them :p
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I'm pretty sure they still do pay testers :p All the open betas I've been part of have been pretty polished and might as well be called demos. A rose by any other name? :p

mtbush said:
I've been burned too many times in the past. I REFUSE to buy anything anymore without a demo or "preview build". That being said, I did preorder Deus Ex: HR for $28 from GMG after spending 2-3 hrs on the beta build. ;)
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I think this is a separate issue in some ways. I totally agree there should be demos and preview builds of games, they've simply stopped making them both pre and post release. I've been burned by games that people on this forum have recommended as being the best thing since sliced bread and I found "meh" and likewise I've gotten joy out of games that people here love to bash, that's why I dont pay much heed to what other people have to say anymore, be they "professional" or "user".
 
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Oh look, I just preordered CE of SW: TOR at gamestop. But oh my, the guilt is killing me... :rolleyes:

suckit.jpg
 
thecrafter said:
Game devs used to pay people to beta test their products. Now we're paying them :p
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Pretty much this. Which is why it makes no sense to pay full price Day 1 to beta test a game when patches will more than likely be forthcoming, and you can get it cheaper, as well as you'd know if the game was worth your money or not buy reading the reports of the Day 1 beta testers.
 
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