Pre-ordering video games is a practice that was needed more so in the past, but is now not as necessary.
I feel like one of the biggest discussions about video games lately is the topic of pre-orders. In the past, they weren’t as common and more of a necessity — pre-ordering would literally allow you to ensure that you had a copy of the game on the release day. Now, however, they’re more of a way to create more hype over soon-to-be-released games and sell highly priced “collectors’ items.”
The one benefit I find from pre-orders is being able to quickly get your game and leave from the store. If you go at midnight, you know you have your reserved game and don’t have to worry about whether or not there will be enough in stock.
However, this really isn’t a large benefit anymore. An article from Kotaku said, “Most games are available digitally. As for retail, there are vastly improved metrics for determining the popularity of a game at the time of release, so your chances of missing out on a copy at launch are slim. And even if you do miss out, it’s not the end of the world: take the day or two that you’re on the sideline to see if the game you thought looked cool in a trailer actually looks cool on YouTube or Twitch. See of your friend who bought it says it’s fun; see what your favorite video game website thinks of it.”
By pre-ordering, you’re essentially just giving the video game company a heads up that you’re guaranteed (or almost guaranteed) to buy its game. You’re basing your purchasing decision off of the marketing and hype around the game, but often don’t really know how it will be. Frequently, games will get delayed more and more.
The other big reason that people pre-order is for exclusive collectors’ items. These include physical items like toys, action figures, art books and trinkets, or digital downloads like exclusive missions, special outfits, weapons and new abilities. Though some of these can be kind of cool, they’re generally overpriced for what you’re getting. If the game is big enough, you can find similar items that are made better someone else online for a cheaper price.
There isn’t really an alternative option for this one, but is it really worth it?
For example, Fallout 4 was released Tuesday. The game, which has been incredibly hyped (I’m sure for good reasons), had a number of special pre-orders: the Pip-Boy Edition is ultra-rare, offers the game a wearable Pip-Boy and costs $120; the Gold Edition offers the game, a DLC pass and a pair of Vault Boy socks for $85; and the Digital Deluxe edition features the game and the DLC for $90.
Some of the pre-order bonuses included a poster, free copy of the previous game, Fallout 3, a PS4 theme and a free announcer pack.
There’s a very slim chance that I will pre-order a video game in the future. Wait until the game is out a day or two to see how it’s actually performing, read a few reviews or check out some demos. Odds are, the exclusive items and “ensured copy” aren’t worth it.
Sophie Kruse is a senior majoring in journalism. What do you think about pre-ordering games? Email her at sk139011@ohio.edu.
