Pre-Order 'Bonus' My Ass

Pre-Order bonuses seem to be rife these days, tailored at each individual retail outlet their once humble origins as a method for rewarding the loyal has now become a crucial tool for reeling in the suckers. Are pre-order bonuses actually helping anybody out anymore?

[BlmThug]

DLC milking and retailer specific bonuses are a disease that needs to be erradicated

[gamingdroid]

Those are far worse than the nasty (Online) Passes that soon will restrict you from portions of your single player campaign or the ability for publishers to ban you from your game entirely for almost any reason.

Gamers better watch out for EA!

At least DLC/bonuses are often known in advance and you are given a choice. However, it has no effect on what is being offered i.e. because a DLC exist, doesn't mean the game offered isn't in worth the cost.

So to sum it up, I don't mind paying more for more content, but I do mind paying more to have people in my family play the game I already bought!!!

[rdgneoz3]

The one difference between online passes and retailer specific DLC, is that online passes come with every new copy of the game.

But overall, I hate when they have DLC planned months before a game is even released. I can see a company saying, 'yah we have plans for DLC and that we'll see about what the fans want after the game is released'. But announcing a ton of DLC and what it'll be months before the game is even released is a pain in the @$$. That or when certain companies milk the games with DLC keys for things that are already on the disk and hidden away.

[gamingdroid]

I see no problem with DLC at all as it is offered for a fee and you can optionally choose to get the content or not. You bought the original game based on the content it provided at that time.

It's no different than buying a game, just now it is in downloadable form. It's pretty straight forward.

That said, movie scripts are penned with sequels planned. Why is it wrong to plan DLC?

With Online Passes though, there are now restrictions that didn't exist prior even if you possess the pass.

I'm pretty sure, Online Passes won't stay "Online" only in the future. It will migrate to single player campaign and soon, your game disc will be a glorified demo.

Enjoy!!!

That's the day I will likely feel very compelled to pirate.... despite me being against it.

[irepbtown]

Biggest problem is the online pass. I have no problem with DLCs.

I've said this before, I can see EA charging us monthly to play online.
You heard it here first. It will happen, I sense it.

[moparful99]

I don't see a problem with online passes.. It keeps people from buying a used copy of a game just so they can play online.. Blame gamestop if you want to point fingers...

[da_2pacalypse]

@moparful99 your logic makes no sense... used sales have been in every single industry since the beginning of time... what makes you think that the game industry deserves an exception? publishers are greedy buttholes.

[AKA]

you make no point any used game in gamestop comes with a free online pass...
this is actually helping gamestop to sale more used games since their used games come with a free online pass but any smart guy will buy it used from a friend or random people and buy it used from gamestop just to get the free online pass and return it!

[ChiVoLok0]

Yeah got to agree with you. This reminds me of happy meals. Before kids used to get a cheese burger with fries and a pretty decent toy and nowadays they get apples and milk and a plastic toy that they only use while they are waiting for their parents to finish eating. Same thing with pre-orders. I remember a few years ago I got a decent action figure of the main character and now when I pre-ordered Uncharted 3 i got a creepy crawler kick back which sucks in my opinion.

[chainer3000]

I'm pretty happy with what SWOTOR did for a pre-order bonus. Week long early access plus a few in game treats? Makes it worth it to me.

I generally pre-order games I'm looking forward to so I don't have to worry about it later; amazon just sends that shiz and it shows up on release day. Bonuses are just icing.

[plmkoh]

" Are pre-order bonuses actually helping anybody out anymore?"

Yes, take your DLC code slip and sell it on Ebay, you will get an average of $8-15 for it, and that's $8-15 off the price your paid.

[megacowdung]

I thought that I was the only one who did that :P

[norman29]

If you dont like the pre-order bonuses then dont pre-order it :| i dont see a problem in getting a free gift for buying a game i want on day one.

[Man In Black]

Except the "free gift" is content cut from the game. It's a bullshit practice.

[norman29]

not always, take the Uncharted 3 bonuses, they were boosters/skins ect that you could unlock in the game at higher levels that would take some time to unlock, but i understand what your saying, things like map packs with MW3/BF3 ect that should be in the game anyway

[ShadowKingx]

my only problem with pre orders is that you pre order to get something ahead of time before anyone else so you have a slight edge for a little while or try it before anyone else that doesn’t pre order. but if you don't pre order you get the same stuff buying it on day one

ex. Battlefield 3
Pre order - get back to kirkland pack for pre ordering
Day 1 - buy it without pre ordering get the same thing

obviously people pre order to secure a copy on a big title like this but they done this with other titles as well

maybe this is not a big issue but it seems like pre order is not so much a “Got to” anymore.

[radphil]

"Pre order - get back to kirkland pack for pre ordering
Day 1 - buy it without pre ordering get the same thing "

Not everyone got the same thing on Day 1. Some places were sold out of the LE from pre-ordering. Big titles like that though 9 times out of 10 you don't have to worry about pre-ordering.

However the thing is, pre-ordering is necessary imo to even get a copy of niche games. Otherwise you'll see like 1-2 copies in stores, and then someone just waltz in, buys it, and then you get like 50+ calls about people asking if you have the game in, which you don't, but the days before they said "nah i'll walk in and get it", and then get angry for stores not having it.

[jjb1981]

Does he mean (pre-order bonus - my ass) ?

[gamingdroid]

lol

[svoulis]

I was always under the impression hardcore gamer's got the games they wanted to play on Day 1? I mean teats how I do it. Hell if I'm going to let the internet spoil stuff for me because i waited to play a game. If pre-ordering didn't exist than either would midnight launched and I love going to those.

Don't see how it's an issue you're getting something for nothing essentially. What cause you got it on day one it should be the same as if you waited until 6 months?

The answer:

NO

[FunkMcnasty]

I preordered BF3 at Gamestop and I thought we were all supposed to get something called the "Physical Warfare Pack" for the preorder at that location

Well Oct 25 2011 rolls around and I pick up my pre-ordered copy at Gamestop and the only code I find inside the box is for the EA gun club, so I can unlock a supressed M1911 pistol??? Nowhere in the game (or the in game store or XBL marketplace) was I able to locate an unlocked DAO-12, T-88, or the extra gun attatchments in the pack. Now, just last week I hear this "Physical Warfare Pack" is available to ALL players for free??

That's deceptive marketing... and THAT i do have a problem with. They basically dangle a carrot in front of you and tell you "first do this, then you get the carrot" But when you do what they want, they basically retract their offering and say "actually you can't have the carrot SUCKA!!"

What's doubly uncool about this is that The items offered in the "physical warfare pack" were all in the game already but had to be unlocked with rank and XP. The early preorder incentive was to be hable to have these higher-tier weapons unlocked on Day 1.

[Faztkiller]

Gamestop puts those codes on your receipt

[FunkMcnasty]

Ohhh... ummm.. well then. Guess my bitching has no merit! HAHAHA! lol

WEll, I suppose Gamestop coulda told me it was on the reciept, but I remember the kid at the checkout just rattling on and on about how excited he was for Skyrim to come out!

[RememberThe357]

Hahaha

[Faztkiller]

I bought a few games with bonus thinking I didn't get them then later learned about them being on the receipt

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

I can't wait to pre-order in Wendy's for the Big Bacon Deluxe character skin....

[Sidewinder-]

It's cheap money-making that works, but is ultimately exploitation.

[wildcat]

The point of pre-ordering used to be to secure a game before it sells out. But how many games these days completely sell out? I can only think of Halo. When it comes down to it, it's just another way for publishers and stores to snag your money, as if $65 is not enough. I never pre-order a single game, keep the stinking "bonus."

[Ulf]

Retailers actually demand store-specific pre-order content from the publishers.

The publishers would be more than happy to provide every copy with all the pre-order stuff. It's retail who wants you to buy at *their* store specifically, and have created the whole pre-order bonus "thing".

[kingPoS]

I think the bonuses should be primarily for collector editions.
The way it is now you feel like you have pre-order just to have full experience with some games.

[nevercloser07]

I'm kind of tired of people complaining about this.

And saying you never get anything cool depends on what you're looking for. I remember, 10 months after UC2 came out people online were still asking me how I had gold guns. It was neat, and fun to brag about. That's what I get for preordering at Best Buy. Go me I guess.

Sorry to everyone who didn't get the "whole game".

[Brownghost]

i hate rocksteady and EA for pre order bonuses and online passes. They still have great games but terrible at business

[annus]

Yes, what a terrible business strategy it is to make it so people can't buy pre owned games and play online which the developers get no money from. Oh wait...

[SITH]

Pre-order bonuses don't even work or are so pathetic they are pointless after a few hours of gameplay. Exception, mass effect 2. It had good useable bonuses.