Pre-Ordering games is a waste of time

I never bother pre-ordering games unless, like mentioned, there is bonus content/incentive, then I might. I hate the idea of being tied to a certain store to get my game when it comes out...I don't know where I'm going to be come launch day, so I want to be able to go to the closest retailer and pick up a copy when it comes out.

I hate going to/pre-ordering from the little game shops like EB or GameStop because they push the pre-orders so hard, and treat you differently if you don't have a pre-order. Also, they RAPE consumers on trade-ins, or when you try to sell games to them. Bad business decisions all around, IMO.
 
i still have a pristine WOW collector edition i could sell on ebay for more than 100$...
 
jsu718 said:
But places like Gamestop depend on pre-orders, at least their employees do.
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Tough. I'm not changing my purchase habits to accommodate Gamestop. Not when there are so many alternatives.

Really, pre-ordering helps both the retailer, and the publisher. It doesn't really help the buyer, who has put his hard-earned $50-$60 on the line in the hopes that the game doesn't suck when it's finally released. So if you want my preorder, make it worth the risk I'm taking. I suggest at least one of the following:
1) Beta access (or early access). Only counts for multi-player games. If the game is an MMO, this will only count if my character's progress is carried over to the release.
2) $5 to $10 off the retail price -or- a gift card for $5 to $10.
3) For subscription-based games, an additional month's subscription.
4) Special 'collector's-edition' type stuff. For the cost of of the standard edition (Civilization IV did this).
 
WiLLiSTER said:
Like ripskin said, unless I'm getting early access or some nice extra stuff, I don't bother.

I think the only game I've preordered was Orange Box.
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Same here. I check with a friend at Gamestop and if the pre-order gives me something I'll do it. For Quake IV I got a decent T-Shirt for example. So I went ahead and did it. I really didn't lose any money buy getting it so I got a free shirt for paying $10 for a game I would have purchased anyway a little early.

As for pre-paying to get the game on the day of release, well that has never been necessary for me. I've always been able to get new games the day they came out without issue.
 
The only time I ever bothered pre-ordering a game, Best Buy screwed up several times, and I got the game two weeks late.
 
Mr. Wolf said:
The best deal of 2007 was a Black Friday sale of the Orange Box for $24.95 the weekend after Thanksgiving.
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That deal was sick. I'm glad I jumped all over that one as it was live for seriously less than an hour or two.
 
i pre order just because i can. wether or not its worth it i dont care.
 
Only games I will pre-order are the niche Atlus games that tend to disappear shortly after release, and quickly turn up on Ebay for twice the price. Even then, I go through Amazon. If I am going to put money down I'm not going to make two trips to the store.

Otherwise, yes. Pre-orders are a complete waste of time.
 
Mr. Wolf said:
I think the bigger screw-jobs are those $59 - $89 uber-mega-platinum-deluxe game packages that include these and other "I can't survive even one more day without" items:

- posters signed by the development team
- soundtrack CDs
- figurines
- "collector's edition" boxes (my personal favorite rip-off item)
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I never understood this either. If I can get these extra for free, sure, I will preorder but I am not going to spend more to get a "collector's edition" box. The soundtrack is sometimes nice but I may only listen to it once anyways. Figurines are cool but for what use? I dont have need for a geeky knickknack.

Give me fee extra stuff for preordering else, I can just wait. Im too busy to get all work-up over a game anyways.
 
I don't mind pre-ordering a game if it comes with some incentive, as has been said numerous times already. But I avoid Gamestop like the plague. I haven't bothered visiting one of those since high school (long time ago....).
 
First game I ever pre-ordered was The Burning Crusade, and it was pre-ordered the same day as Gamestop's midnite sale (basically so I could get it and start playing right away).

Once a release date for Wrath of the Lich King is set, I'll be pre-ordering that too.
 
Preordering is a waste of time and money if you live in a decent sized town. You have to go to the same store twice and are now forced to buy it there or else deal with the hassle of getting your money back. With traffic here as bad as it is, I'll pass.

With access to about 10 Gamestops, 2 (soon 3) BBs, numerous Circuit City stores and Targets, why preorder? It's pretty rare that you find some preorder Collector's Edition pack-in that's worth anything or you'll care about 2 days after buying it. I can wait a couple days if I need to if it's sold out.

If you want some rare or limited release game, just get it off someplace like Amazon when it comes out. At least then you don't have to talk to the loser behind the counter at Gamestop about how special you are to get it and then tell him no 10 times when he asks you if you want to preorder 5 other games, buy a game guide, or sign up for their card, and then tries to make you feel sad for shunning their 10% off game guide deal.

Fun.
 
Kiggles said:
Only games I will pre-order are the niche Atlus games that tend to disappear shortly after release, and quickly turn up on Ebay for twice the price. Even then, I go through Amazon. If I am going to put money down I'm not going to make two trips to the store.

Otherwise, yes. Pre-orders are a complete waste of time.
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they call it a Collectors edition for a reason, its for COLLECTORS, people that like to collect things. :) the packages arnt for everyone which is why they also have the normal game box's.

i dont usually get the collectors edition unless i know im going to like the Sound track. and if its an RPG some times you get a better cloth map vs the standerd paper maps which is a nice touch not that i ever use the maps much but it can still be nice to have.


also to other people, i dont think ive ever been asked to pre order a game when im at Gamestop. the only thing ive heard them ask me if i was interested in getting the strategy guides which i always turn down.
 
arr4ws said:
i still have a pristine WOW collector edition i could sell on ebay for more than 100$...
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WoW? or BC?

i think the original wow you could get more than $500 for it wow fans pay crazy for stuff.... just look at the card game crap.. that spectral tiger mount gets $500-1000 on ebay...

next wow xpack i plan on ordered an extra special edition to sit on and sell later down the road :p
 
I pre-ordered starcraft 2 :D . I also pre-ordered Age of conan for the early access and free killer rhino mount for pvp purposes.
 
I don't get how it is a waste of time or money.

1) I am already in the store, so its not an extra trip or anything.
2) You can cancel your pre-order at any time, even after the games comes out and you get your money back.
3) There are a lot of times you get bonus items with a pre-order
4) I don't have to track games what day games are coming out.

I started pre-ordering a lot when basically everyone decided to have rolling release dates. The most annoying ones is when the decide to move it back a couple days or a week or 2. I just put my $5 down and whenever the publisher finally decides to release the game, I get a phone call that I can pick it up. Pre-ordering a game not necessary in the least bit, but it is damn convenient. It doesn't waste me time, it saves it.

BTW, you guys must not be keeping track of Wii-fit. Everyone as basically stopped taking pre-orders for it because they won't have even close to enough to go around. Wii-fit is one of those games that you have to pre-order or wait in line if you want even a chance to get it. Funny thing is I don't even really consider it a game.
 
I pre-order some games. But then I don't have to pre-pay for them so its not a big deal if I decide I don't want it.
 
Fuck preorders.

Between, Circuit City, Best Buy, Walmart, Two different Frys in my area and two local mom and pop game stores ...... why the hell would I want to EVER preorder?

If gamestop cant get more stock than their preorders, they lose my dollar.

I go into Best Buy, pick up new games on release day ..... maybe I pick up a new Blu Ray movie, perhaps some batteries, antistatic wipes, little bit of this, little bit of that, suddenly my 60 dollar purchase has turned into a 90 or 110 dollar purchase.

If gamestop doesnt like the color of the money in my wallet, its cool. Im sure some other retailer will.

Fuck em.
 
For me It's usually not that important to me to have the title in hand at release. If I do want somehting, there's a bunch of stores )BB, CC) that'll have it when I want it. IF they;re out, game sare priced the same everywhere, so I 'll get it where it is in stock.
 
i just preordered GRID. never done a preorder before on any game. im buying this soley based on how good i thought toca race driver 3 was. i still play that game, and i figure another $30 to codemasters cant go wrong at this point....
 
Pre order? Hell, I don't buy a game till it's been out long enough to drop to a more fair price. By fair I mean less than $30. God, I just picked up HL2 this week as I was in a BB getting some Blank DVD's and saw it sitting there for $20. Call me cheap if you want, but I mainly buy RPG's so I am never in a hurry for the next game. I still play Morrowind all the time. Beat the game countless times, and still go back for more. Maybe if I was more into FPS or RTS games I would change my ways. But the majority of the games I buy end up as GOTY editions. Which means a lower price and usually a couple of expansions. Win win for me.
 
It really depends on the game that you're pre-ordering. Me and my friend pre-ordered Age of Conan Collector's Edition way back in March, and lo and behold, long a** line this morning when me and my friend went to pick it up. I even had a guy offering to buy it from me for $200, as the gamestop branch we pre-ordered from only have 5 CE for the pre-order guys. I would have made a nice profit (AoC CE is 89.99 + tax), but I was like, hell no, I aint giving up the extras for a few bucks more, lol.
 
I've only pre-ordered on Steam, because they make the game $5 OFF instead of charging you an extra 5 for a physical copy. F that in A I say. Stick with Steam to stick it to the man :D
 
If I'm a fan of the series and you throw in some free stuff then I'm pre-ordering. I did this for Resident Evil 4 on GameCube. When you pre-ordered included was a free playable demo of the game and some making-of DVD and you got this stuff when you placed your order so you could play the demo at home before the game came out.
 
I always pre-order on amazon.com, never pre-ordered from a walk in store though. Amazon you pre-order and it shows up on your door on release day, simple, easy and they don't bill you for it until it ships.
 
I pre-order, because it's like finacing for video games :)

Pay 10 one week.. 20 the next. 10 another.. then 20 to go pick it up..

Rather then go and drop 59.99 + tax all in one swing.
 
I have a book on preorder with amazon. They listed it for $64 plus a 5% pre-order discount. If the price changes before release, you get the lowest it ever had during your preorder (with some restrictions)

It's now listed at $115, so I'm calling this a pretty decent pre-order :)

I've pre-ordered a game once or twice, but a) that generally doesn't cost any extra and b) I'm doing it for convinience (you can forget about it and one day it arrives with the mail), not to have the game 'early'.
 
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Ill have to agree, I preordered AoC last week and still waiting to get a tracking #, now the stupid thing is showing I will have to wait almost a week to get my CD when I want to be able to play on launch..of course I should have opted for in-store-pickup but with past experiences I am never able to pick it up on time and end up waiting anyway..AoC also boasted gameplay prior to launch for pre-orders, but again how do you play when you have to wait for your disc with the 'special code enclosed' to PLAY EARLY..lol, oh well...will be waiting but last time I preorder-will take my chances waiting in line..
 
people in the UK get their games 2-3 days early.... by pre ordering the same kind of system should come to the usa
 
I always pre-order at the Gamestop in the next town. The guys there are really nice and always very helpful. I'm going to be buying the game there anyways so I might as well give them some stats. I usually pre-order at least 1 game when I go and pick up an existing order.
 
f1y said:
I pre-order, because it's like finacing for video games :)

Pay 10 one week.. 20 the next. 10 another.. then 20 to go pick it up..

Rather then go and drop 59.99 + tax all in one swing.
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I do this same thing :)

It's also good to preorder titles that really aren't as mainstream. Pre-order GTA4. Not necessary. Pre-order Brutal Legend. Helps.

Also truly limited edition stuff. MGS3 for example I wish I did. So I'm making sure MGS4 limited (not collectors) is pre-ordered
 
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