Is pre ordering is a terrible idea?

[Doclector]

Well, here in the UK, most pre-orders are free, you usually only pay when you get it, and if there's a deposit it's often five pounds that you can get back if you decide not to buy it, and it gets taken off the price of the game if you do.

Honestly, there's usually little reason not to pre order something you're interested in.

Sure, if you buy a game on launch you're taking a risk, but it's not as if you haven't done some research via gameplay videos, previews, and, because america often gets things before us, some reviews. Pre order bonuses can be annoying, but unless the bonus is absolutely horrible, nobody's forcing you to buy on launch or not at all, unless the game hasn't been stocked well, and that's not usually a dick move by publishers, it's usually just incompetence. E.G; Konami.

 

[Fishyash]

I only pre-order when I am 100% sure I am not going to regret it. Obviously the pre-order bonuses are a good incentive, but I won't pre-order unless I have seen enough footage or I have already played a demo of the game.

Demos, previews, betas, news and forums etc. are enough of a basis for me. I have yet to be screwed over in regards to this.

In regards to mass effect, I've never played it, but...

It's still just an ending. I personally wouldn't regret purchasing a game just because of an unsatisfying ending.

 

[Lilani]

No other industry would ask you to spend money on a promise of a product you have never seen.

Never seen a movie, have you? Or built a house? Or ordered food from a restaurant with no pictures on the menu?

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

No other industry would ask you to spend money on a promise of a product you have never seen.

Never seen a movie, have you? Or built a house? Or ordered food from a restaurant with no pictures on the menu?

I see movies after they release. As such i have multiple sources of feedback that can tell me if a movie is good without spoiling it.

Houses when built are planned very carefully and no surprise is left to the purchaser. No surprises. No features that are unplanned. No sudden "there is no roof".

Ordering from restauarants that have been open a long time means i can ask friends and the internet if the food is good. This example would only apply if i went there on its opening night.

My entire point with the preorder thing is that you are getting a product that NO one has properly sampled 100% of yet to give real feedback. Third party feedback. All of these things can be done with your examples. The house can be 100% reviewed. An unreleased game obviously cant because it would ruin it. You can only see a little. You might miss the glaring flaws.

 

[dimensional]

very rarely preorder in fact I cant remember the last time I did sometimes I will buy the game on day one (or near to it) but this is also getting rarer mainly because most games lose value fast so all I have to do is wait 12 months tops and I can buy 3 games or even more for the price of 1 which is awesome.

That being said I dont think there is anything wrong with preordering I tend to do a fair bit of research into the games I am interested in and so am rarely disappointed although inevitably sometimes despite all your research you find yourself at odds with the product but if in the very rare situation I am determined to get a game on day one and the preorder gives me free stuff I may as well preorder as I was going to buy it anyway.

 

[Lilani]

No other industry would ask you to spend money on a promise of a product you have never seen.

Never seen a movie, have you? Or built a house? Or ordered food from a restaurant with no pictures on the menu?

I see movies after they release. As such i have multiple sources of feedback that can tell me if a movie is good without spoiling it.

Then do that with games. Here, on this very web site, they provide reviews for all major releases. If you don't want to pre-order then fine, just don't. But don't tell the rest of us we shouldn't be spending our money on what we want based on whatever information is good enough for us. Yes, things can go wrong when pre-ordering, but if you think it's the only time things can go wrong then you are mistaken. After hearing wonderful reviews about Captain America, I went to see it in my hometown theater, only to be disappointed when the sound was absolutely jacked in the only theater they were showing it in. We stayed for 20 minutes until my talked my parents into leaving, considering it sounded like the speakers were outside halfway across the parking lot. We did get a refund, but we still had already spend $30+ on snacks on top of the tickets.

Also, my dad works in the heating and air business. He's seen every kind of problem in new houses imaginable. Doors hung the wrong way, poorly planned wiring and duct work for AC, improperly spaced studs, main support beams cut straight through by the saws of careless construction workers, improperly hung sheetrock, inadequate or incorrect insulation. Sure these are unintentional, but that doesn't mean it couldn't have been prevented and didn't cost the homeowner money and time.

Shit happens. Preordering is a convenient system for people who know they want to buy things on launch day. Could it be used better? Yes. Personally I'd love to see developers make "day-one" DLC free to preorders and those who buy in the first few days of release, so those who were dedicated enough to buy on launch don't feel like they're having their wallet further assaulted. But for now it is what it is, as publishers ever so slowly get a grip on how they should be treating their customers.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

Could it be used better? Yes. Personally I'd love to see developers make "day-one" DLC free to preorders and those who buy in the first few days of release, so those who were dedicated enough to buy on launch don't feel like they're having their wallet further assaulted.

Of course thats what i do with games. Thats the entire introduction of my thread.

This is a thread discussing the pros and cons of pre ordering. I think its terrible. Im not telling you or demanding you to do anything. I pointed out why i hated it and invited you to tell me your opinion for the sake of discussion because thats what im here to do. Discuss. I am in no way telling you that you shouldnt pre order because i say so. I said i didnt understand why anyone would pre order and invited you to comment on my assessment of the system. Youre making this look far more confrentational than it was meant to be. Im telling you that investing in a product like this is a risky choice.

The "Could it be better" is exactly what we are here to discuss. I fear you have mis understood the point of me making this thread. I think it definately CAN be better. Thus i pointed out all the risks taken with pre ordering and commented that as of now there isnt always a real reason to take such a risk. The introduction of rewards might be a good idea.

 

[Lilani]

The "Could it be better" is exactly what we are here to discuss. I fear you have mis understood the point of me making this thread. I think it definately CAN be better. Thus i pointed out all the risks taken with pre ordering and commented that as of now there isnt always a real reason to take such a risk. The introduction of rewards might be a good idea.

I saw that, but your thread title is pretty polarizing and leaves little room for discussion ;-) It's like opening up a thread where people share their thoughts on faith and calling it "religion is a load of horse shit," you know?

 

[BloatedGuppy]

My entire point with the preorder thing is that you are getting a product that NO one has properly sampled 100% of yet to give real feedback. Third party feedback. All of these things can be done with your examples. The house can be 100% reviewed. An unreleased game obviously cant because it would ruin it. You can only see a little. You might miss the glaring flaws.

Well, here's the crux of your problem, though. The gaming press is unreliable and has a highly incestuous relationship with the developers. What were people who waited for ME3 to release supposed to divine from the overwhelmingly glowing press reviews of the game? That it was poor, and a pre-order would have been a bad idea? The only alternate form of feedback is from other players...who A) are notorious for not being remotely objective, and B) would've had to buy the game without the benefit of reliable feedback.

Presumably you can take the stance that the smart man waits many months for the truth of a game to float to the surface, but clearly everyone can't be doing this, or as Draech implies, there won't be a gaming industry left to complain about in fairly short order.

 

[distortedreality]

You know, just because you pre-order a game, doesn't mean you have to pay for and pick it up on day one....

Just sayin...

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Since I generally only buy things I'm pretty sure I want I think pre-ordering is alright (I still don't do it but that's because I frankly can't be arsed)

I tend not to let reviews of products change my opinion. I heard Twilight was good (back before it got really famous), I read it and thought it was shit, I have not changed my opinion since based on anyone's reviews. People say the Hunger Games is some hot property, I have to say I think they are at least comparable if not worse than Twilight, and no amount of good reviews are going to change my mind.

Similarly, LEGO Harry Potter 2 was pretty badly received, but I had more fun with it over a weekend than I ever did with titles like Gears of War or Call of Duty, so I think I'll stick with my kid's game thanks.

 

[Sexy Devil]

Never understood the point of pre-ordering. Even with the biggest releases I've never had a problem with waltzing into the store on release day and grabbing a copy. Really doesn't seem like it accomplishes anything other than wasting money on something you may realise you don't want further down the line.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

My entire point with the preorder thing is that you are getting a product that NO one has properly sampled 100% of yet to give real feedback. Third party feedback. All of these things can be done with your examples. The house can be 100% reviewed. An unreleased game obviously cant because it would ruin it. You can only see a little. You might miss the glaring flaws.

Well, here's the crux of your problem, though. The gaming press is unreliable and has a highly incestuous relationship with the developers. What were people who waited for ME3 to release supposed to divine from the overwhelmingly glowing press reviews of the game? That it was poor, and a pre-order would have been a bad idea? The only alternate form of feedback is from other players...who A) are notorious for not being remotely objective, and B) would've had to buy the game without the benefit of reliable feedback.

Presumably you can take the stance that the smart man waits many months for the truth of a game to float to the surface, but clearly everyone can't be doing this, or as Draech implies, there won't be a gaming industry left to complain about in fairly short order.

This is why i favor the escapist. The escapist provides amateur impartial reviews that are basically reviewed as if a friend wrote them. Other sites such as this also help massively. Only a few have to pre order and pay the price to do so, but are rewarded by being payed to review. This is the system by which we can still have a games industry and people can still get a good idea of what they pay for.

I think there is a line between making sure the industry stays afloat and letting it become lazy because pre order money is a certainty and it reduces the need to try at all once a fan base has been created. We saw it with dragon age, call of duty and mass effect. Its a trend.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

This is why i favor the escapist. The escapist provides amateur impartial reviews that are basically reviewed as if a friend wrote them. Other sites such as this also help massively. Only a few have to pre order and pay the price to do so, but are rewarded by being payed to review. This is the system by which we can still have a games industry and people can still get a good idea of what they pay for.

I think there is a line between making sure the industry stays afloat and letting it become lazy because pre order money is a certainty and it reduces the need to try at all once a fan base has been created. We saw it with dragon age, call of duty and mass effect. Its a trend.

While DA2 and ME3 might've made a fair whack of cash on pre-order sales alone, there's no question they're not super happy with the sustained sales of either title. A popularly embraced classic can sell at full price for YEARS and live on in GOTY editions, DLC and high priced expansions. Poorly received flops might surge out of the gate but they fall flat shortly thereafter. There is still pressure in the industry to deliver quality. What constitutes "quality", however, can be subjective, and development costs are high, so corners get cut.

 

[Namehere]

I take my money seriously. Take other people's money seriously to. In generally, I'm no big fan of pre-ordering. That changes however when I see a project that either I'm sure I'll want and have the money for one day but might not the next, or if I see a project I'm fond of that I think might be struggling financially. Yea, it borders on charity ? it isn't as though I'm being handed a pile of shares for it. You've got to ask yourself ? in that context ? how much the game's production is worth to YOU. Same applies to kick starter.

I recently picked up Sins of a Solar Empire's Rebellion on pre-order. I'm a major Stardock fan-boy ? can't help it that company and its staff are just awesome. They're also fairly small though, so I see no problem with the idea that my pre-order is being invested in either the ongoing development of Rebelion while its in beta or perhaps going to something new like a new Galactic Civilizations game. Hell for all I care they can have an office party with it. I'm just glad to help out Stardock. So I'd say pre-ordering has its place.

I find the way media covers pre-orders to be... if not disingenuous then certainly a little over the top... Of course companies love it. It's like voting with your wallet and you watch the polls climb for a game ? all those pre-orders ? and it makes people over confident in buying said game either on day one or as a pre-order. It also invests players personally in the success of a franchise release before its even out, meaning more then your marketing department is talking about the game as gamers go online at the Escapist talking about how excited they are for a download to finish or to head down to the store in a few hours. It rallies the vote/buy. I can't really say any of that's WRONG mind you.

My two cents.

 

[Dryk]

Yes its putting an investment down, but 9 times out of 10 I can watch gameplay videos before a game comes out.

It's not really an investment unless there are preorder bonuses, and even then the devs get more out of being able to use your money early.

 

[Vegosiux]

Personally I'd love to see developers make "day-one" DLC free to preorders and those who buy in the first few days of release, so those who were dedicated enough to buy on launch don't feel like they're having their wallet further assaulted. But for now it is what it is, as publishers ever so slowly get a grip on how they should be treating their customers.

I'm going to call "poor choice of words" here. Dedicated...dedicated to what? May be just that my brand loyalty is and has always been zero, so I don't get that attitude, but why should people be praised for being loyal to a name as opposed to the quality of a product?

 

[LiftYourSkinnyFists]

Ive been thinking about pre ordering. Particularly with the sem-recent mass effect debacle. It all seems to stem from people complaining after pre ordering. I dont want this to descend into an arguement about mass effect so ill summarise my conclusions about pre ordering:

1. Youre getting something based entirely off PR and advertising - two things known to exhaggerate and distort the true quality of an item.

2. You might as well be purchasing a "mystery box" from a stranger on the basis that his last mystery box contained something good.

3. If you then complain that the mystery box contains something terrible, as they tend to do at times, youre entire point is undermined by the fact your PURCHASED the mystery box despite having very limited knowlegde of what was inside it.

4. It seems like an obvious company scheme to say "Let them buy item X before its true quality can be appraised and they realise they might not want it!"

Ive realised now that, other than for those who are very impatiant, pre ordering is a system designed pretty much to screw you over. This is why they offer bonuses if you DO pre order. Because youre taking a huge risk. No other industry would ask you to spend money on a promise of a product you have never seen. Pre ordering actively hurts the industry because it asks that fans feed a company blind to the quality of the product made.

It doesnt apply a strong enough pressure to publishers who dissapoint their fans. Why SHOULD they make the third installment in any series good? At all? Pre order revinue will give them nice earnings no matter what the quality is.

Basically i see no good reason to pre order. What do you think about pre ordering? Do you think as an industry we should scrap it?

I preorder because

#1 I know I'll buy it anyway
#2 I like to have it guaranteed for day of release for me to play
#3 Because I might get bonus goodies for preorders
#4 I'm rarely disappointed
#5 I don't play EA games so I am very unlikely to be upset, ever.

 

[malestrithe]

When it's a game that I know I will like, I preorder it.

That really is the only situation when you should preorder something.