Once upon a time, pre-ordering was simply a means to make sure you got a game you wanted on day one. Sometimes you'd even get some cool physical stuff to take home with you for dropping some pre-order bones. Do you remember a game by the name of Viewtiful Joe? It was one of the Capcom Five that was to be exclusive to the GameCube (we all know how that business turned out) , released in 2003. Greatly looking forward to the game, I deiced to pre-order it and for doing so, I was given a Joe bobblehead. I could have gotten a Viewitiful Joe bobble, but the store was all out of those. Nevertheless, Joe is something that is still in my possesion, sitting atop one of my gaming shelves alongside a copious amount of other gaming memorabilia.
2003 also saw the release of Soul Calibur II. This was another game I pre-ordered (the GCN version because Link!) and to my surprise, when I picked up my copy, I was given an art book filled with the various weapons found in the game. Do they even give away art books with pre-orders anymore? They really should.
Getting something you can hold in your hand for pre-ordering a game is rare today, but you can still get something physical. My pre-orders of Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy and Metroid: Samus Returns netted me an Aku Aku and Samus keychain respectively. Aku Aku currently hands on the wall, protecting my desk and laptop. These things aren't anything huge, but they are something and I really do appreciate that you occasionally get a little something extra for a pre-order. More importantly, that something extra isn't something that is needed to enhance my enjoyment of a game, or rather, it isn't part of the game that I wouldn't have access to.
For many, many publishers, pre-orders are used as a means to push "bonus" content on consumers. This "bonus" content is usually in the form of character skins, missions, you know, stuff that you could have and should have been able to unlock in the game by playing. They call it "bonus" content, but in truth, it is content that was purposely withheld from the player. Unless you fork over some pre-order dough, you ain't getting the whole nine yards. It is sooooo important that publishers get your money when a game releases, that they've turned pre-ordering into one of the most despised things about modern gaming. You reward for pre-ordering is a chunk of the game given back to you.
Ubisoft revealed that the "bonus" content for the upcoming Assassin's Creed Origins is locked out to anyone that doesn't pre-order the game. They were quite blunt about it, too.
As much as this may come cross as a giant middle finger to fans, at least it is honest. Honesty, however brutal, coming from freaking Ubisoft of all companies.
Now, I could just be one of those guys that says "It doesn't affect me because I don't play Assassin's Creed," but I'd be at fault for doing so. This affects anyone that plays video games because the very same methods are being used on other games. Sonic Forces, a game I'm really looking forward to, has pre-order bonus content in the form of custom character outfits. This stuff should be in the dang game, but nope, its only for pre-ordering customers. Everyone gets the Shadow DLC regardless of whether they pre-order Sonic Forces or not so why do we have to pre-order for for more customization wear?
The cost of game development may have risen but not every game needs to have an over inflated budget. Cuphead manages to sell over 1 million copies in the first two weeks of it's release without any of the pre-order BS that is associated with many other games. Yes, the game costs $20, chump change for a game today, but Cuphead had some very high production values. Those hand drawn visuals didn't come cheap. At the same time, Cuphead serves as a reminder that your game can make bank without trying to force the player into pre-order shenanigans. StudioDHMR Entertainment put out a high quality product and people bought it. No locked out content required.
If you can wait to buy the latest chapter in the Assassin's Creed series, you should do so. Game of the Year Editions always come with all the DLC and what not and Origins will more than likely have a release down the road with everything packed in as it should have been from the get go. But humans are impatient by nature so I already know there are a host of people that just gotta have Origins when it drops. For every Cuphead that releases, there will be 10 plus Assassin's Creed Origins and gamers will just assume the position every single time.
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