Why Would Anyone Preorder A Console?

[Kaimax]

I have nothing against people who choose not to pre-order, but it's quite frankly pretty silly to try to insult or villify those who do decide to pre-order.

And there's that guy in Canada, who managed to buy one PS4 at launch to just smash it into bits in front of the whole line.

 

[StriderShinryu]

I have nothing against people who choose not to pre-order, but it's quite frankly pretty silly to try to insult or villify those who do decide to pre-order.

And there's that guy in Canada, who managed to buy one PS4 at launch to just smash it into bits in front of the whole line.

Hehe Yeah, or the ones who've shot or microwaved theirs. I may have some some disposable income, but I certainly don't have enough to do any of that. Besides, I'd like to think that I'm too invested in gaming as a whole to do that sort of thing even to a console I didn't like. Better to have it sit in storage or sell it to someone who does want it than damage/destroy it.

 

[loc978]

There was good reason with the PS3... at the time it was the cheapest blu-ray player on the market, it played PS1 and PS2 games, and it was the most powerful media streaming device you could get.

Now, though... can't think of one.

 

[Korolev]

Well.... there really isn't that good of a reason with these new consoles. Keep in mind that it wasn't always this way - back in the 1990s, when the new consoles came out they offered a SIGNIFICANT difference in graphics and gameplay. You can imagine the leap between going from the Megadrive to the N64, which is what happened in my household. Suddenly we were playing in 3D, which we had never done before. My 9 year old self was ecstatic. The change from the PS2 to the PS3 and the Xbox to the Xbox 360 offered a significant upgrade as well.

We're not going to get that with the Xbox One and the PS4 - sure, we know that games will look better.... but it won't be a generational leap, giving us graphics that we have never seen before. The consoles also barely offer anything new in terms of features. The launch line up is not looking great either and the new games are very similar to the last generation of games... except that they look better (and not even THAT much better - I mean, a high end PC released a year ago outperforms these machines).

So why preorder? To ensure that you can get it on day one. Why get it on day one? In the old days, it made sense. The new consoles offered a huge leap in terms of graphics and gameplay. Customers who went through those previous launches still have the urge to go out and by the new consoles because we still think that we'll get a huge improvement in games with the new consoles. That's not the case this time around.... but good luck trying to convince people of that.

I'm not going to get a PS4 or an Xbox One until they release a game that I want to play on them which I can't get for the PC - and the only game that fits that description is Watch Dogs.

EDIT: Oh. WatchDogs IS coming to the PC. Guess I'll have to find a different game to justify purchasing these consoles.

 

[TehCookie]

Unless you mean the online/overheating problems, then yeah...

He would have been better off pointing out the Xbone, where you need to download a patch just to play the games. The odds of playing the games day one are pretty slim. The PS3 and PS4 at least let you have the core functionality of playing your games (offline, at least) on day one.

But I think that's what he was getting at. I could be wrong, though.

Even if he wasn't you're still right. Though I think preordering consoles in general has a different answer to preordering this gens consoles. Not even I can guess why anyone would preorder the PS4 and Xbone.

 

[The_Echo]

What benefit or reason is there to it? Odds are you'll be getting the buggiest version of the console, at the highest price (assuming it will drop in price), with about 10-20 games at launch that'll more than likely be on par with that you are playing on a current system.

People preorder so they guarantee themselves a unit on launch day.

Why do people buy things on launch?

... Because they... want to. It's really not that complicated. Yeah, historically we've seen console revisions, but that's implying everyone has the patience to wait for that. Also implying that it'll actually happen (frankly, the PS4's already pretty small). And it's not like a launch console is a guaranteed brick or something; my launch PS3 hasn't had an issue since day one. I don't recall a console ever being so buggy at launch that it was actually a concern.

There's also the thing about having the console in preparation for the games you want that haven't come out yet. I mean, I would have gotten a PS4 if I could've afforded it, simply so I wouldn't have to bother with getting one when inFAMOUS: Second Son releases.

And if nobody buys a console at or around launch, then no games get made for it. See the PSP, Vita, 3DS and Wii U. So as much as you don't understand why someone would do something you wouldn't do, it's kind of necessary for the product to thrive.

 

[Madman123456]

Last console i pre ordered was a sega saturn, wasn't worth it because everyone wanted to have 3d games and so sega hastily modified their console which resulted in the 3d games looking even shittier then they looked already.

So i pre ordered the thing and then found out that the company that made it made some mistakes and then they continued to make astounding mistakes later on. Which hampered the flow of new games for my machine.

With quite a lot of good games coming out for the other consoles and some more questionable business decisions made by sega it dawned on me that it might have been more prudent to no pre order.

Nowadays that decision is rather easy...

 

[Megacherv]

When you can get a gaming PC capable of 1440 p for as little as $700 I don't understand why anyone would even buy a console to begin with.

One reason I can see is the price but with everything so much more expensive on console, and with the way you have to replace consoles more often than you have to upgrade PCs, and with all the great PC exclusives that are coming out and the way so many console games just get ported anyway, the only reason I can see to buy a console is brand loyalty or to get a particular exclusive you just have to play.

$700 is the reason why they buy consoles

Also, you tend to replace consoles every 7 years, PC upgrades happen way more frequently than that (3-4 years and hardware is classed as Legacy)

Also, not everyone really likes the PC exclusives. The majority of exclusives are Strategy games or indie games, and the big 3 are really wanting to drag the indies to the consoles now (writing this after just being at PlatformExpo in the UK and have seen the Sony and Microsoft people showing this attitude first hand)

 

[Compatriot Block]

This is the most annoying Escapist phase in a while, I think.

You know it is possible to choose not to buy a console on launch without heaping on a ton of condescension right? Even ignoring the people who have already pointed out that early adopters are what keep the console alive, you have to realize that when you refer to other people as peasants (and yes, that is a quote from another thread), you make yourself look like an ass.

By the way, to everyone who is waiting on buying a PS4, you're welcome. People like me who bought it now are making sure those good games you're waiting for actually happen.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

So you can get it immediately.

There might be something to say for the first wave being defective, though I can only really remember that being an issue with the 360. The price drop won't come for a long ass time, so unless you really have patience you can throw that idea out of the window.

It's a completely subjective thing, a judgement call that everyone makes. Personally, NBA 2k14 alone makes me want a PS4. Unfortunately I went and bought a car, so I have no money and massive 1st world problems. Otherwise, I would put an order down.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

I get asked these types of questions a LOT and the answers always the same....Well why the hell not?

Why do want to buy a PS4? Why did you spend £700 on a new gaming rig? Why do you want to buy that car? Why did you spend all that money going to Japan? Why did you buy that phone? Why do you eat there when its expensive? Why are you going out with that girl when shes a bit odd? Why do you work there when you dont like it? Why do you keep picking your nose?

I give the same answer always, "Because I want to, why not?"

Very well answered. Are you sure you don't want to have a crack at some amateur psychology though?

Personally, I would love a ps4, especially after having seen NBA 2k14 running on one. Unfortunately, I bought a car and insist on eating.

 

[Flutterguy]

If people don't adopt consoles early, said console won't get support from developers. The console will struggle and flop around for a year or two, before dying out and fading away.

One second let me have a swig from my care cup, oh no its empty. Well I'm sorry I tried caring.

I've gone over a year now without a console, the only drag is when friends come over we have to get stoned and watch movies. Which is preferable to playing MvC3 and yelling about cheap strategies, although I do miss giving my friends the old Frank Best beatdown.

 

[sth1729]

It kinda makes sense with consoles because retailers can't keep extremely large numbers of consoles in stock simply due to them taking up too much room, thus space limits supply and makes it a reasonable idea to pre-order to help ensure that limited supply doesn't run out before they can get one.

As for issues at launch I usually see it one of three different lights. One is the person who didn't care about or expect launch issues enough to stop them from getting a hold of the console[die-hard fans or those interested in seeing what games on the console look like]. Second are those who are interested in seeing the console itself and picking it apart and finding out how all the little thingies and such work[Hardware tech people and such]. Last is just wanting to see what kind of problems are common on a launch and how a company prioritizes which problems to fix first[probably people interested in working in the gaming industry].
A vast majority are gonna be in the first category but the other two might make up a noticeable portion of pre-orders as well.

 

[Olas]

Because some people would actually be satisfied with their purchase? I mean, hey why buy Games when they release, or watch movies when they come out, just wait a few years and it'll all be cheaper.

Couldn't agree more, not only do you save tons of money, but you also get the benefit of games actually working properly from the start, plus GOTY packages and things of that nature.

But of course who would want that when we could wait for hours in lines to buy everything when it's expensive and broken.

 

[unindexedsearchengine]

EDIT: *ahem*

What I mean to say is, in the most polite way possible, is that at least one other thread with an identical question was posted in the past 24 hours. Please educate yourself in the proper use of this website's search function, as it serves a purpose, and is not indented as merely a cosmetic feature.
Have a nice day.