Avoid the frustration: Stop preordering video games

[Cycloid Torus]

Maybe pre-order is the new Beta.

 

[Guest]

Pre-ordering used to mean something, you would get exclusive content that other people didn't when you pre-ordered. Now that same content gets bundled as either as a separate DLC Pack or its combined with another DLC pack (looking at you Assassin's Creed games). I'm not gonna buy a DLC pack at $5 or $10 when over half of it is pre-order content I got for FREE when I bought the game. All these companies are doing are making me pay for a free bonus because they bundled something else in the DLC pack.

Plus with the constant stream of $5, $10, and $20 DLCs that are being released for games now, I never buy a game at release. I wait till it drops down to $30 or less and then pick it up. Then I wait for the DLCs to go on sale for 50% off or more. I refuse to pay over the $60 price tag that a game has at release. I'm not paying over $100 for game because a company wants me to pay $60 for the game itself, then another $25 for a Season Pass for DLC that isn't even released yet, and then countless other DLC packs that aren't part of the Season Pass that include maps, skins, items, bonus xp boosts, etc etc. And a lot of times the DLC is already in the game/on disc its just locked. So the companies release an incomplete game for the full retail price and then tell me to pay even more money to get the complete game. Its complete BS.

Gaming as a whole has completely fallen into the Freemium game model, regardless of whether you have to buy the game or its free. Its release a limited game, then microtransaction the hell out of it so that you can have a complete game.

 

[AlucardPR]

I've read many valid arguments here, but has anybody ever thought that this crazy pre-ordering thing is not about the bonus content or just been impatient, but about how superficial the gaming crowd has become?

Too many people pre-order just for the sake of pre-ordering, they see it as some sort of bizarre way of "proving themselves" as a gamer and "supporting the industry". Its as if they think that they will get cool gamer points if they pre-order stuff like crazy, just to whine and complain if they end up hating the game. It is sort of like when people go out of their way to get new stuff just so they can say that they got new stuff. It is a mindless ritual that can only die off with time. Sadly, there not much we can do about it and even if we try to educate people they will just scoff at us and say "It's my money so shut up".

 

[Guest]

Its strange I never felt scammed before the last gen consoles came out. now with my XBO ive been burned atleast 3 times buying shitty games. Now I will not buy a game until ive played it or have seen videos that show every aspect of the game

 

[cliffordcooley]

Why would anyone that cares for their wallet even start buying through preorder? Anyone buying through preorder will likely not listen to these warnings. Don't waste your breath!

 

[Guest]

A lot of people here learned their lesson, but what is so sad is the a new generation of gamers keep growing and pre ordering games more than ever, I see no end to this terrible practice anytime soon

 

[cliffordcooley]

I see no end to this terrible practice anytime soon

That is why there are history lessons in school. But whether or not they help, only time will tell. Be silent and there will be no end.

 

[EEatGDL]

I will pre-order XCOM 2 because I have 500+ hours in the first one, and bought it at least in two platforms. Other than that, I won't simply pre-order anything else, no matter the hype.

 

[Guest]

To hell with Preorders, Day 1 Patches, and Paid DLC. The magic and excitement I use to experience with regards to gaming has been replaced with disappointment and frustration.

I'll wait and pay up to $10 for a game on steam. Otherwise I'll be renting games on the PS4 and only buying GOTY or Complete retail copies of games that are patched up with all the DLC included.

It's not a fun hobby to get all excited about these days, it's just something to do to pass the time I think. Hobbies should never be frustrating.

 

[JetFixxxer]

If the Price is right I will purchase a "alpha" game like DayZ, ARMA3, and Dirt Rally... Which were all under 20.00.. Plus I know kind of what I'm getting myself into.

ARMA3 I was under the impression if you purchased the Alpha/Beta if you got all the DLC and was kind of upset when I couldn't get the karts. DayZ even with all the bugs and what not. I feel I got my moneys worth on that. Dirt Rally I really received my moneys worth already.. .

 

[BSim500]

It's about time people started calling "pre order bonuses" what they are - glorified bribes whose sole purpose is to habituate you into making uninformed purchase decision (pre-orders) vs informed purchase decisions (wait for reviews then decide based on the facts). And even then "reviews" increasingly means you watch gameplay footage and listen to the more honest Youtube reviewers with 45-60min long reviews, detailed page by page displays of game settings menu's, any performance issues, what kind of in-game AA it has, are the keys rebindable, does the mouse work properly or suffer from variable acceleration issues, etc, not simply a 10-paragraph, 3-5 minute read on IGN with a couple of static screencaps and a link to 6 month old E3 footage, all rushed out so their "review" can be first... The number of times "professional" web reviewers have glossed over a game-breaking bug due to an obsession with gushing over the sparkly bits defies belief people give them any credibility anymore.

You can't even say "no to big devs, but small devs are fine" as there have been so many half broken / horrendously optimized Indie's too. Stuff like Gone Home, etc, that looks like a 2000-2006 game yet runs slower than Crysis 3. That and the fact it takes 3-18 months for a dev to fully patch a modern AAA game to a relatively bug-free state, by which time you can pick up the GOTY version with all the DLC included, and you'd have to be a total mug to pay full price for the game to "volunteer" yourself for being a week one patch Beta tester (which is what pre-orderers really are), then pay for each DLC individually too whilst the game is still half broken. What's even dumber is if you missed a pre-order "bonus" (pay to win bribe) you like and it's no longer for sale post launch, there's now actually more incentive to pirate it than buy it, as the illegal version will contain more content (and less DRM). But then modern game developers never were the brightest bulb in the box...

 

[Flipmonger]

After playing Van Helsing, I opted to pre-order Van Helsing II - actually, pre-ordered 3-copies for myself & my nephews. Once it was released, it was a nightmare. Plagued with bugs, broken quests, and broken multiplayer experience. It was absolutely dreadful... I was pissed. I wrote a very poor review for it on Steam and indicated I'd give it 6-months... bought 3-copies of Diablo III instead and never went back to Van Helsing 2 - as the multiplayer servers are dead. What a waste.

 

[kuroiei]

I never preorderd a game in my life and I had various reasons for that. First - I want to play a good game, so I tend to wait for reviews a bit. Second - I want to play THE GAME, so I usually ignore all additional stuff, like game-themed fridges (unless it's some Oddworld / Fallout stuff). Third - I always hated how some developers just lock the essential / fun parts of the game (which I wanted to buy) behind an additional paywall, just a slap to the face. Going by those simple rules I never felt cheated or frustrated while paying for a game. The sad thing is - while I'm a odd exception, most of the gamers use and abuse the preorder system, thus making games much more... like the broken games of today, leaving me to play less and less...

 

[Guest]

Remember that scene in the movie 300. The one where he drops the flawed newborn child into the pit or whatever it is?
That's what they should do with people that pre order.

 

[Squigibo]

Pointless article. Wise people not pre-order, at least not from likes of Ubi, EA, Rockstar. People who got no brains will not listen and preorder anyway, if they have cash. Because they can, and they believe they will be treated specially. I don't know, should ask some psychiatrist. Anyway, I know many people can feel disapointed with Witcher 3, but of all preorder bombs, it doesn't deserve a illustration in the article. Put some EA image there. Or GTA5's, that beautifully crafted empty world is a biggest disappointment for me in a long time. Would make good example of advertising triumph over script writing. 52 million copies of overhyped boredom.

Don't think it's "pointless". I think it validates what others have thought for a while, and informs others that aren't really on the scene. I've stopped pre-ordering, I've stopped all early access purchases, all Greenlight, all Kickstarter. They have all turned into scams. - I know there are some exceptions, but the industry is full of mine fields, and for every dozen or so mines you step on, you may get a winner.

Oh and don't touch anything Peter Molyneux or one of his minions were involved with. King of the Hype and non-deliverable.

 

[robb213]

Can't remember the last game I pre-ordered, but the only one I would consider is MGS5 since, imo, Kojima and team have proven themselves reliable for the past 15+ years.

I definitely never buy "early access" games since the majority of developers that have gone that path seem to fizzle out or not finish their product.

The only ones I have are ones friends bought for me, and Prison Architect which has had massive sales, developers have a reputable and transparent history, and routine updates with meaningful fixes/additions.

 

[Guest]

"A lot of people here learned their lesson, but what is so sad is the a new generation of gamers keep growing and pre ordering games more than ever, I see no end to this terrible practice anytime soon"

And this is what gaming companies were going for. Introduce concepts to pay more money like DLC and pre-ordering so by the time the next gen of gamers comes around they won't be nearly as frustrated at it. The damage is already done. We already bought into it. Now they'll always have a younger and younger crowd who will always be ignorant even if the previous gen of gamers learned their lessons. You told them you wanted it by paying for it so now you got it.

You vote with your money, not just buy stuff with it.


"I think it validates what others have thought for a while, and informs others that aren't really on the scene."

The problem is that in the gaming market there's a fresh new generation of ignorant gamers constantly ready to throw their money away at the word "video game." It's VERY smart for big gaming companies and dirty as all hell.

 

[Guest]

There is only one sensible reason to pre-order: to support the developer of the game. When TellTale Games started working on Sam and Max I pre-ordered, because I really wanted to see another Sam and Max. I took a gamble, not because I wanted to be the first to play the game, but because I believed in their intentions, in their game. Kind of like some-one would back a kick-starter. However, pre-ordering just to be the first, or to get some stupid DLCs, is stupid and counter-productive. You only encourage the likes of EA and Ubisoft to come out with a crappy product and charge for stupid DLCs.
Remember, I said it before, and I'll say it again: The early adopter gets the bugs.