Pre-Order Bonus Shennanigans

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

I'm a gamer, but I'm also someone who is aware that none of those things are the end of the world. Nobody is going to whiter away and die if those things are in a game. So grow up.

End of the world? No. Publishers nickel and diming us and giving us a raw deal? Giving us "broadened appeal" garbage? Yes. Putting up too many hurdles? Yes. Making piracy more attractive? Yes. Each of these things compromises the games we end up with.

Stop accepting garbage and grow a pair.

 

[Gennadios]

Let me put it this way: Pre-Order DLC is shit.

Fallout: New Vegas is a case in point, 4 pieces of DLC that was slapped together with no effort, you got:

A grenade launcher that didn't work with any explosives perks or explosive based achievements.

A 10mm handgun that didn't qualify as a hold-out weapon like every other 10mm in the game.

A shotgun that didn't qualify as a shotgun for every shotgun perk and achievement in the game.

And some other crap I don't really remember.

So, essentially, what OP is writing about is nothing new and these "bonuses" will basically detract from the core gameplay.

These types of things usually have nonexistent upgrade paths, are overpowered to the point of faceroll in the early game, and are underpowered to the point of being useless later. Just don't pre-order.

 

[crazyrabbits]

There's a window between the game being done and the game being released where the developers have nothing to do.
It only makes sense to start work on DLC during that time.
To plan for it and to use it for marketing is pretty clever.
And to give it away for free shows that they're not dickholes.
It's win-win-win.

I agree, but it's difficult to know who's being truthful with their statements regarding when said DLC was created - some cases have seen DLC put into production months before development of the main game ended, yet it was passed off as a separate entity done altogether.

That said, pre-order bonuses are totally cool with me. I don't mind a bit of competition, as long as the component pieces are made available (either as DLC or on the inevitable GOTY edition) later on.

 

[Gone Rampant]

... Meh?

I rarely buy new (Aside form my big must-buys of the year), so I really couldn't care.

Look, I have no idea what the bonuses are. If they're in-game stuff like missions, I'm expecting Arkane to eventually release it as DLC after Dishonoured comes out.

Also, here's a brainwave- ORDER IT ONLINE FROM THE STORE WITH THE BEST PRE-ORDER TO GET WHAT YOU WANT AND AND STOP ACTING LIKE BETHESDA OR ARKANE OWE YOU PERSONALLY. THEY'RE MAKING A GAME, IT'S THEIR DECISION HOW IT'S MADE, GROW UP.

 

[Something Amyss]

Target, Best Buy, Gamestop and Walmart most likely) have completely different bonuses.

Close enough, except often Gamestop gets exclusive bonuses above and beyond what everyone else does. Like Borderlands 2, where you unlock some arena thing on top of the other pre-order stuff everyone else was offering. This pisses me off.

And to give it away for free shows that they're not dickholes.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but BLT users only get it free if they bought it as a pre-order, no? You need to be a premiere club member, which is more or less like project 10 dollar far as I can tell (or worse if it's PRE-ORDER only). The Mecromancer is like ten bucks if you don't have it.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

stuff

I love it when a gamer accepts any garbage the publisher is willing to foist! You're the worst kind of gamer, the kind that rolls over and is grateful for scraps and encourages publisher's to even more cunning ways of taking more money for less game.

Would you accept a car with 3 wheels? Or 80mins of a 90min movie? Instead of insisting on quality and fair practices you're content to be run over roughshod. I already do vote with my wallet; that's the reason for the thread. Maybe you need to grow the fuck up and get a clue. You're being sold turds and taking them gratefully.

If you aren't done with your passive-aggressive flaming, have the decency to do so via PM and say whatever you like. You can call me whatever childish names you feel the need to but kindly allow the thread to at least resembly a mature discussion.

 

[Something Amyss]

Also, here's a brainwave- ORDER IT ONLINE FROM THE STORE WITH THE BEST PRE-ORDER TO GET WHAT YOU WANT AND AND STOP ACTING LIKE BETHESDA OR ARKANE OWE YOU PERSONALLY. THEY'RE MAKING A GAME, IT'S THEIR DECISION HOW IT'S MADE, GROW UP.

The grown ups are discussing how this isn't as simple as you've just phrased it. If you would like to join them, feel free. But typing something simple and specious in caps and then telling others who are really addressing the issue to grow up is kind of funny.

 

[Something Amyss]

.... im not going to begin to go in whats wrong with that statement , im just gonna say have fun being a sheep, because you have no sense of customer standards.

Maybe if you actually learned to verbalise and communicate problems instead of consistently insisting "oh wow, that's wrong. That's so wrong I'm not even going to tell you why it's wrong."

If you can't create a formative argument, maybe you shouldn't be slinging mud at people. If you can but choose not to, maybe you shouldn't berate people for not adhering to viewpoints you seem unwilling to explain.

Captcha: Good Day.

Good Day, sir.

 

[Mr F.]

Am I alone in not giving a fuck about pre-order bonuses?

I have -Never- bought a game on preorder because of its bonus. I have only bought games on pre-order if I am already very interested. Like Torchlight 2. I mean, sure, I loved the pre-order bonus (Torchlight 1) but I do not really care about the bonus.

I buy a game in advance cause I want to play it the moment it is released. Not because I want a usually pointless shiney. Lots of pre-order bonuses actually break the game in an attempt to get more day one sales. I mean, look at the stuff from New Vegas!

"A pistol that is better than anything I will get for most of the game! Sounds awesome! And not at all game breaking!"

Or how about "A shotgun that is almost unbreakable and utterly overpowered? Sounds like this is balanced!"

Or my personal favourite "A grenade launcher? Way before you can even DREAM of getting one? Along with stupidly overpowered metal armour?"

Most of the pre-orders in New Vegas broke the game beyond belief. You couldn't even sell them cause they were worth so gorram much that the extra caps were game breaking.

So pre order bonuses are a nothing to me. They are either overpowered, in which case I will not use them, or cosmetic, in which case they are pointless. They are a good marketting tool but I personally think they should just be combined into collectors packs. Or just put into the game as unlockables after you have beaten the game.

 

[Maeshone]

stuff

I love it when a gamer accepts any garbage the publisher is willing to foist! You're the worst kind of gamer, the kind that rolls over and is grateful for scraps and encourages publisher's to even more cunning ways of taking more money for less game.

Would you accept a car with 3 wheels? Or 80mins of a 90min movie? Instead of insisting on quality and fair practices you're content to be run over roughshod. I already do vote with my wallet; that's the reason for the thread. Maybe you need to grow the fuck up and get a clue. You're being sold turds and taking them gratefully.

If you aren't done with your passive-aggressive flaming, have the decency to do so via PM and say whatever you like. You can call me whatever childish names you feel the need to but kindly allow the thread to at least resembly a mature discussion.

Dude, who's the one being passive aggressive and flaming? You haven't said one thing without some sort of underhanded remark or insult as to why Bhaalspawn is a "bad gamer" because he just "accepts any garbage a publisher is willing to foist!" So, I'm gonna go ahead and encourage Bhaal to keep insulting you as long as you do the same to him. Get off your high horse.

As for the topic at hand, it doesn't bother me in the least. Since all the unlocks are pretty much perks, it seems likely we'll be able to unlock them in the game and the preorder bonus is just for early unlocks. And if it isn't, then honestly, I'd prefer that the developers get to work on DLC after the game gets content-locked rather than let them get fired for not having anything to do.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Dude, who's the one being passive aggressive and flaming?

Bhaalspawn. Hence my post. Keep up.

So, I'm gonna go ahead and encourage Bhaal to keep insulting you as long as you do the same to him. Get off your high horse.

Clealrly all the mature folk are out tonight. You go right on ahead and do that if it makes you feel better. But kindly have the courtesy of doing so via PM, instead of airing dirty laundry in public.

 

[Maeshone]

Dude, who's the one being passive aggressive and flaming?

Bhaalspawn. Hence my post. Keep up.

So, I'm gonna go ahead and encourage Bhaal to keep insulting you as long as you do the same to him. Get off your high horse.

Clealrly all the mature folk are out tonight. You go right on ahead and do that if it makes you feel better. But kindly have the courtesy of doing so via PM, instead of airing dirty laundry in public.

Cherry-picking quotes from my post isn't exactly helping you look as mature as you hold yourself up to be. You're not better than anyone because people have different standards of what they find acceptable than you. I don't have a problem with Day One DLC or preorder bonuses, are you going to call me the "worst kind of gamer" as well?

 

[Maeshone]

And considering this is a Bethesda game, Pre Order bonuses are not much of a problem. I'm waiting to see how frighteningly long the list of glitches and "Necessary mods" gets two weeks after release.

To be fair, this isn't technically a Bethesda game. It's made by Arkane Studios, who have previously made Dark Messiah of Might & Magic, and the visuals are designed by Viktor Antonov who designed Half-Life 2, and these are my primary reasons for being hyped the fuck up for this game!

Bethesda are just publishing

 

[Denamic]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but BLT users only get it free if they bought it as a pre-order, no? You need to be a premiere club member, which is more or less like project 10 dollar far as I can tell (or worse if it's PRE-ORDER only). The Mecromancer is like ten bucks if you don't have it.

So?
It's DLC. you usually pay for DLC. They gave it away for free as a marketing tactic.

 

[Something Amyss]

So?
It's DLC. you usually pay for DLC. They gave it away for free as a marketing tactic.

So you're gonna give EA and THQ props, too, right? This is more restrictive than online passes and project ten dollar.

 

[Denamic]

So?
It's DLC. you usually pay for DLC. They gave it away for free as a marketing tactic.

So you're gonna give EA and THQ props, too, right? This is more restrictive than online passes and project ten dollar.

You don't see the difference between day 1 DLC, retailer bonuses, nickle and diming bullshit, and giving away future DLC for free for marketing? It's not chunks of the original game 'made' into DLC, it's not unique retailer bonus bullshit. It's legit, straight up (future) DLC. It's "buy now and get X for free!" How is a marketing campaign that ran for MONTHS restrictive?