Pre Ordering games, is it worth it?

sohrob101 · Apr 7, 2015

We see them all the time. Pre order now, and you can get a free costume in your game when it's released. Pre order now for an extra 20 minutes in your game. Pre order now to get free stuff. It's all over the place from ads to people working at the register always persisting your pre order a game that isn't out yet. Back in the day Pre Ordering made sense. Games would in fact run out of stock, even consoles too. There were no bonuses or anything like that (maybe a few but nothing game changing) all you did was place 5$ and your game is now reserved for release date. Now, pre ordering is almost pointless as stock for games tends to be high enough to meet demand. Since this fact obviously became present, stores like gamestop and walmart try to convince a way for you to spend an extra 5$ just so they can make an extra buck off you. Companies go as far as asking companies to cut out content from the games and make it a pre order exclusive, and sometimes it can hurt or damage the reputation of a game. What is your opinion on Pre ordering games, do you think it's worth it? Why do you Pre order if you do?

Wiso Altred · Apr 7, 2015

Pre ordering Has many reasons , maybe you did that to get head of your friends in a special game or update of sort , Maybe You donot want to go to the store If it far away from you To buy a game in the crowd And just cut the line and buy it , There are many more reasons If i had the choice I wouldnt Because it seems Even tho 5$ its too much Where As i can just go down and buy it , But some games do tend to run out of stock , That case I would Consider Pre ordering

Sachi-Shimazu · Apr 7, 2015

I will often pre-order a game that I really want, because I know there will be other things I'm going to want to spend my money on in the lead-up and I want to get it first day. If I put money to a pre-order, then I know that I have the money to buy the game because I have practically bought it already. And sometimes I think that paying for a Limited Edition pre-order is worth it if there is something that you get from it that you really want (Like the scarf for Hyrule Warriors) is a bit pointless. And pre-order DLC is quite annoying, the only reason I'm pre-ordering the new Arkham game is because my sister is desperate to play as Harley Quinn.

Cay · Apr 7, 2015

I love pre-ordering. I'll spend an extra buck to get a game and not worrying about it selling out. I also love the experience of walking in and getting a game, and pre-orders have helped me skip lines before. I'd love to go to a midnight release one day.

Prosecutor · Apr 7, 2015

I will probably pre-order in the future when I actually have more money, but for now, I have never pre-ordered a game. I will probably pre-order the next Pokémon game and Fire Emblem game, but I'm not huge on pre-ordering.

Eclipse · Apr 7, 2015

For me, money is the main object. I do not care when, where, or how I will get a game, but I will go for the cheapest method possible.

There are some exceptions, such as if I really like a particular series and am anticipating getting a future title, and/or if I won't be able to find it cheaper or used very easily. Those games I will pre-order.

Today, for example, I picked up my pre-ordered copy of Etrian Mystery Dungeon, and was told that the game came with a promotional art book and CD - which explained why the packaging was a bit larger. Though I was unaware of that when I made the pre-order (I simply liked the mystery dungeon genre, and Etrian Odyssey), I considered it to be a nice little perk.

Though rarely will any pre-order perks truly be worth it. The Sticker Star poster is still resting leaning against a wall somewhere, collecting dust. (Sticker Star was an awful game, but that's another story.)

Nator · Apr 7, 2015

I haven't pre-ordered a game for about 4 years now. I just go to Walmart and wait for the midnight release pretty much. In some cases, they offer some of the content you would've got in the pre-order anyway. In this day & age, we rarely have to worry about a video game running out of stock. It never happens, except maybe if you live in an extremely populated area like NYC. Not in my case.

LostSpirit · Apr 7, 2015

I think it's worth it. Preorders pretty much ensure you get the game so they don't run out, as well as can get you exclusive items that you probably couldn't get other wise. You get things like posters or toys, but they're unique, and I think that's just grand.

DIO · Apr 7, 2015

For a lot of games that have basically a cult following or tons of hype upon release, pre-ordering can be great to get your hands on a physical copy of the game soon after release. As an example, I went to three different stores including GameStop before I found a physical copy of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate.

Now the added trend of digitizing games creates less of a demand for the physical copies since they can be bought anytime anywhere and simply saved into the system instead of having to switch game cartridges around. This is more simplistic for getting the game quickly than waiting for the store(s) to restock.

TAPQI · Apr 10, 2015

I wouldn't say that it's worth it, since after the release it's going to be cheaper and sales might come along and give a lot better deal from it than pre-ordering!