Pre-ordered very few, most indies (actually the rarier 'AA' - smaller indies rarely go pre-order).
The latest i did was Senua and im glad i did. Also pre-ordered Pyre if im not mistaken
I treat pre-ordering much as treat EA, the reason why the games i pre-order i do as soon as i can: to support.
Pre-ordering AAA from big geedy companies full of pre-launch dlcs, anti-consumer practices and the latest fad loot boxes? Hah no.
Nope.
And i get mad to the point of verbal heat when im face to face with someone who do.
Pre-order can be a good thing. If we had better practices with that an a culture around it more studios would launch proper instead of crunching and rushing releases and chances are less studios would sign with bad publishers (EA, activision, etc).
Same thing with EA and crowdfunding- it can support great products that really need and put to good use the support but its burnt by all the wrong use scenarios.
It goes however at odds with the issue of buying without knowing what, but the reality is we can't expect demos from most games (too costly plus other things) and... it ain't that different from going 'blind' to a movie premiere.
There is where reputation should factor (avoiding buying before reviews from bad studios/publishers) but it seens too many consumers don't pay attention to that- if they did many publishers wouldn't repeat again and again the kind of BS they throw at us.
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I very much agree with you.
But demos wouldn't be that hard to create and not a big investment if they just included a level of the game which showcases pretty much how the experience will be... but I know there's an issue with this, even though many people would like to be able to try a demo before buying, many others feel they have had enough after playing the demo and don't go on to purchase the game even if they were enjoying the experience... weird. :)
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The complexity of making a demo varies from game to game, but with most complex games and engines a demo is only feasible in the very late states of development - precisely the moment where the studios are rushing with extra hours crunch time to release the game itself - and we all know about rushed releases, day 1 patches... the deadlines barely allow the release of the game itself.
But mostly... Theres some numbers on demos across years and they're bad. With rare exceptions (generally games with really good demos and low marketing) numbers have show that demos resulted in lower sales. Its 2 factor: people playing the game in earlier stage don't being impressed and people finding out they don't like it (wich is fair). For a business perspective its all bad - its money/time spent to high risk of lower returns.
One of the biggest technical problens with demos comes from state of the game. Its no coincidence demos started disappearing somewhere when games have gone full 3d and more complex- bigger the project more stuff only reaches the final level of quality, features, design and performance on the very end (and not even that- dishonored 2 is just 1 example from recent memory). So many demos are far from the reality, from disapointing to... too good. Yep, the opposite happened- lots of effort put on the demo so you see that super cool level full of stuff... comes the final game thats the only level with that quality if the demo level is even included.
Theres nowadays a good comparison for demos: Early Access.
See how the majority of gamers react to EA titles that are clearly in beta (not the hundreds on alpha, barebones even for EA).
Asking for demos nowadays would be asking for early access like experiences of a slice of the game and expecting that slice to be fully featured, bug free...
Plus one demo full of bugs is a death penalty for sales, and bugs are the late stuff in development. Some creep for years before being finally fixed- some are never fixed even years after release.
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Hmmm, that was a rather complex and in-depth analysis on the subject. I haven't got much to say other than the fact that this was very informative to read. I haven't at all given that much thought to the issue before, looks like there are many other things that should be considered other than the few that I had in mind, huh. π
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I think the only games I've pre-ordered in the past several years were Skyrim and Fallout 4, and only because I know for sure I'd enjoy them. Outside of just being a "cheap-ass gamer", I usually have enough to keep me busy while I wait for a sale.
I don't have an issue with Steam pre-orders -- despite the fact that nothing has come along that was a "must-have!!" recently -- the refund system is great for covering people whose rigs can't run a game, random crashes, things like that. I'd probably never pre-order from elsewhere for those reasons, though.
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It's great that the refund system is there, though it would be even better f it followed certain international regulations. At the moment it's not that accessible and useful to customers. Some things that I'd change would be making the return period 30 days, not taking into account playtime and returning the money directly to the purchaser's bank account instead of Steam credit. It seems a bit sketchy as it is right now...
Pre-orders get pesky, in my opinion, when they gate off content in case you don't pre-purchase. And as I've added in the main post, it's not that good to give publishers a lot of power over consumers, because, as it can be seen a lot in the industry, they're not the most trustworthy entities out there. :)
Thanks for sharing your view. I know for sure what you mean, I also have a big backlog and don't really purchase any new games, only maybe veeery rarely. π
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I pre-ordered 2 games in total:
- XCOM: Enemy Unknown because there was a great pre-order deals and trading from Russia was still available at the time so I got my pre-order copy from a Russian trader.
- Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure because I had missed the Kickstarter and as a huge fan of the whole series I was getting the game no matter what so the pre-order discount was still better than day-1 price.
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It's great that you wish to and actually support franchises that you like. π
I didn't even know those pre-order deals were possible until hearing it from you guys here.
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I pre-order a handful(2-3) games per year and yet to feel burn. I stopped caring who the publisher is and instead I focus on the developer behind it.
I base my pre-orders depending on will I have time to play it on release(and I pull the trigger 2-3 days before release date). You never know what the future holds so just playing it safe. Also I prefer to buy 1 game and show full support to the dev than wait for sale, buy 10 games and play maybe only one until I get back in the meatgrinder called Planetside 2.
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Yes! It's very good that you do that. I was just saying to a lot of people here that waiting for sales is not helping developers when they need it most. Glad to hear someone purchases things they like immediately.
And you're right, most of the time we snatch a lot of games on low prices and barely get to play them. π
Well, not all of us, but many do, including me.
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Pre-ordering hurts users so we should all really try and stop doing it but on a few occasions I have done it cause I was so excited to play the game...
Thanks for the giveaways.
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Yeah, I understand. That pretty much sums up all the things we've talked here until now. π
You're welcome, glad you enjoy them!
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I've only pre-ordered three games in the recent years. The Technomancer, Vive La France ETS2 DLC and ELEX.
I very carefully do my research before buying and the only reason I pre-ordered was because the price was better and I knew I'd have time to play on release.
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Uh-uh, that's a good way to approach the problem.
Thanks for answering. π
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never, way to expensive
Why should I play full prize if I can just get them for 10β¬ a few later
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Well, I've edited it in my main post. In a way, if no one purchased right after release, the developers could potentially go out of business. Publishers as well, but they usually profit from multiple sources.
So even though it's not good for a particular consumer, someone has to do it so we'll have games as we do now. π
Pre-ordering, on the other hand, isn't really necessary.
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first that would be only true for indie games, second there will always people who don't care for price but want it now, and third I wouldn't mind, as there are way enough games already there
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People only buying long after launch would take even major publishers to bankruptcy, either that or force them to take measures that ensure they receive money. Weirdly enough, they already milk all the money they can out of players even if they're not put in that position. π
But yeah, there will always be people who do it. :)
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GTAV is the only game I pre-ordered, I was going to buy it anyway, so better get the preload and the preorder bonus, you can always refund the game if it's bad, so why not :p
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I guess that's fair since you said you were going to buy the game anyway. π
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Yeah... it's sad that crowdfunding has been driven to this, it could've been a great thing for developers who don't have funds but could manage to create good games.
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No. I used to somewhat regularly 10+ years ago.
I don't really /need/ to play any games day 1 (except for very rare exceptions). Because there are so many games on the market these days, prices plummet rather quickly, so it pays to be patient.
On top of that, being an early adopter is risky in this day and age. Look at games like Lawbreakers. $29.99 for an online only game, and it's already DOA. Pretty sad.
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Yes, and a lot of people do wait for discounts and sales, that's one of the reasons why major publishers re-release their games a few times, with additional extra editions, season passes and all that, so they eventually get the full price of the game back.
Well, the full price is an exaggeration... in many cases they get much more. Just take a look at Shadow of War. π
Not trying to say waiting for discounts is a bad idea, just that it affects the industry in many ways. As I've said before, from an individual's point of view, it's the best choice if you wanna save money and get better products (at launch they're often incomplete and buggy).
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I have pre-ordered only one game. I pre-ordered Fortnite with high hopes of becoming a twitch streamer. The game looked great, but after waiting for so long and actually playing it, it was a huge $60 disappointment. Artificial difficulty, pointless quests to make the game artificially longer, and a far more dubious than expected P2W system. I didn't see it as a game I would enjoy playing, watching, or streaming.
After that experience, I doubt I will again pre-order another game. I am a disabled individual on fixed income, so a $60 risk is much larger for me than it is for others.
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Yeah, that's what generally happens when you have faith in a product which you can't be sure is good... It's better to wait for launch and maybe reviews of the game, and on a limited income bundles and discounts are the best. π
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I think I never pre-ordered anything ever. Also at most a few full-price buys in 2 decades.
By now it's bundles-only for some years since constantly all stuff got in there eventually and it made buying it beforehand (despite sales) a waste in most cases.
Not even considering to buy single games at like $5 anymore, at best like 1 per year on average.
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Can't help it when you've got thousands of games. I feel the same, it's not like I'll run out of things to play and must rush to buy the first release I see. π
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congratz on the 1000 sent!
I don't pre order. period. Mostly because the game can turn out to be something you dislike. i rarely pay full price for a game too. I can wait, no hurries. if i really like a dev I buy early.
I buy bundles mostly; good games at discount prices; whats not to like? big bonus: part of your money goes to charity!
PS: I'd be happy to join your wl for a chance at Guild of Dungeoneering if you need more entries. Looks like a very nice game. If not I'm sure you've got some very nice peeps on your WL who want to play it. :)
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Thank you, and thanks for sharing your opinion on the matter. π
Sure, hop in. I would appreciate it if you played the game in case you won, but no pressure, I'm sure there are some guys already on my whitelist who wouldn't play it if they won. π
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Thank You
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No, I've never pre-ordered and I don't think I ever will.
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Yes. I will pre-order if I know I will play it on launch date. Just makes sense to do that, since I'll find the best pre-order discount that I can, and especially if there won't be any physical copies on sale shortly after launch date. Just did that for Destiny 2.
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It's fine as long as you're sure the game will be good or that you'll keep it nonetheless, I guess. π
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I guess I should have mentioned, rather than implied, that I was talking about online games, where there are usually opportunities to see if they're good by participating in betas. Just my opinion, I think onlines are best played as close to launch as possible, when the game and the game community are still fresh. Everything else can wait for a price drop as far as I am concerned.
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Oh, I understand, and I certainly agree with you. π
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I don't preorder cause I usually play AAA games a least one year after the release...
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Oh, one year isn't that much, I'm at least at 5 years behind, haha.
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I have pre-ordered 2 games ever.
The 1st was Gran Turismo 6 for PS3, which gave you some pre-order only editions of some cars. That was the only reason. I was disappointed from the game though, mostly because of some frame rate issues (stable 60 fps in racing is important) and a very annoying eye-adjust-to-the-light effect that made the game almost unplayable for me.
The 2nd was The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt. I pre-ordered it literally some hours before the release, from GOG.com. I don't remember exactly why. It was either some bonuses or a 2nd discount on the "witcher fan" discount gog had. It was 43 euros instead of the 60 at the end.
I don't think I will ever pre-order a game. again.
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Witcher was 60 at launch? I always thought it was lower, hmm..
It's fine that you won't, honestly there's not much trust to be had in publishers, better wait for day 1 if you really want it, that way you're at least not saying pre-orders are good. =)
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On PC, no I've never pre-ordered a game because there's never been a reason to.
For PS4 there's always a promotion around E3 that gives discounts (20-30% off) on pre-orders for games featured at the convention. I generally pick two or three to pre-order then. Last E3 I pre-ordered Uncharted: Lost Legacy, Spider-Man, and Red Dead Redemption 2.
In the past games I pre-ordered included The Last of Us, Far Cry 4, Dragon Age Inquisition, Alien Isolation, and Uncharted 4.
I've never had a bad experience and I plan to continue doing this as long as there's a financial incentive. I'm not at all interested in digital content as a pre-order bonus but I will pay attention to a discount. I generally only choose games that I'm very confident will be good (like anything by Rockstar or Naughty Dog) but I will take the occasional gamble (Alien Isolation). The worst that can possibly happen is I buy a bad game.
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Uh-uh, I understand. Thanks for the valuable input. π
Did you enjoy Alien: Isolation, by the way?
Edit: oh, never mind that, you said you've never had a bad experience, so I suppose you did enjoy it. π
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I never have, and probably never will. If I want to support a company making a game, I buy the game when it's out, that company won't go bankrupt because I waited a couple of weeks.
I'd consider making an exception when a game is made by a studio whose previous games I enjoyed and there is a financial incentive that is significant enough to outweigh the risk of buying crap and being butthurt about it and the publishing company is not engaging in dodgy practices towards the players. Seeing the state of the industry today, it probably won't happen anytime soon.
Would have bumped anyway, you come across as a really nice person. Thank you.
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I agree with you and I think your stance on the topic is one of the best a consumer can take.
And that's really nice, thank you for the kind words. π
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I only purchase digital copies so availability isn't really an issue, also I'm cheap so I'd rather just wait for a discount :p
Anyway, thanks for the giveaways :)
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You're welcome, I thank you too for sharing your opinion. π
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Well I'd be interested in pre-ordering one day in the future but most games are games i might not be able to run at all but I would do it because I'd like to know it might make somewhat of a difference in the gaming community to where the game devs actually stick to a game. Not saying they all don't just some like to take cash and split.
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They usually have a budget they're working on during development, so they're not actively losing money if you buy the game on day 1. On the other hand, if you pre-purchase you give them money before working, which is a bit weird. I've said a bit more in the main post. Anyway, it's your opinion and thanks for sharing it here. π
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Good day, Steamgifts!
I want to chat with you over a cup of tea, coffee or another beverage of your choice, about a topic which I don't see directly addressed here. π
Do you pre-order video games?
If you do, why do you choose to do this? Do you see any advantages in it? Is it to support some particular developer or publisher?
Talk about your experiences. And regardless of doing it or not, what's your opinion on the popular culture of pre-ordering?
I'm curious what you have to say.
I, for one, never do it because I don't see any advantage to pre-purchasing games, especially when it comes to purchasing on Steam or other digital platforms, where the acquisition of games isn't limited by number of copies available.
I'm also a bit skeptic of games until they came out and mostly like to wait for reviews of the game before purchasing.
Relevant picture below...
Update on the talk:
Many of you have answered my question and given your varied opinions on the topic. Thanks for joining.
My main curiosity was how much of our community supports the practice, but I found out much more.
Besides talking about pre-purchasing specifically, I have heard a lot of views on purchasing games in general and the particularities of certain games you guys enjoy supporting through pre-purchasing (in many of its forms, like crowdfunding or the usual pre-order through Steam).
The following thing is an opinion. Honestly in this debate no one can actually be wrong, just not as right. π
Many of you have pointed out an idea with which I agree:
Yes, it is much better from an individual buyer's standpoint to wait until a game reaches a big discount in order to purchase that game, even more so if that person already has a backlog filled with games waiting to be played in the meantime. You can't force someone not to do this, and if you want to save money it's the best choice.
But, I'm pretty sure the industry needs people to purchase games immediately after launch, otherwise it wouldn't function as it does.
With that in mind, I suggest to all of you (and I should do this myself from time to time) to invest a little more in games you pretty much know you will like, buying them early. That sort of thing keeps developers moving forward. π
About pre-ordering them, I'm not so sure I'd suggest it even in that case. It's, again, beneficial from a personal point of view, but as some of you have said as well, I believe it affects the gaming industry at large in a negative way, showing publishers that pre-ordering is endorsed by us.
It's not an intrinsically bad thing, but it leaves a lot of space for abuse, and a bit of consumer skepticism is always good.
That's it, thanks.
Also, I've reached 1000 sent games, so cheers to that! β
Here are some more giveaways, since you guys seem to be loving these things.
I haven't prepared ahead, so there's no big special giveaway this time, just bundled things I had stacked over time, most of them from Humble.
I've made a table for your convenience.
Hope you enjoy the giveaways and that the level requirements are fair.
You can bump the thread even if you don't want to talk about it, but it's not necessary to do it just because you entered a giveaway. Feel free not to bump, keep the giveaways a secret in case you want more winning chances. π
*Let me know if you want to temporarily (or not, who knows) join my whitelist, in case you are really interested in playing Guild of Dungeoneering and want a shot at it. Just leave a comment if it's the case. Some other guys from my whitelist also had the game wishlisted, and it just happened to be lying around here.
Damn, I should've made a poll.
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