I personally don't see what the big deal is. I pre-ordered games long before DLC incentives were a thing and I will continue to do so if it's a game I really want to play anyway (in which case putting my money down early gets me something that I wouldn't get if I waited a week and bought the same game at the same price anyway)

I think, if anything, pre-order bonuses need to be a little more robust (I like physical things) and DLC needs to be curbed in general. By all means keep selling in-game currency and whatnot to those who want to speed up their experience (why?) but cool it on the costumes. Unlockables like Strider (the modern one) is the way to go

For me it depends on what game I want to preorder. Preorder doesn't have to die just don't shove it down my throat like gamestop. I get a bit annoyed when I'm making a purchase and they tell me okay what games are you going to preorder. I dislike gamestop, but there are times I don't have a choice. Usually Walmart and Target are out of games or just over priced i.e. Alien Isolation is still priced at $59. I saw it brand new at gamestop for $37. I would order from Amazon but the purpose of buying a game is to play it right now not 5-6 days.

Pre-order bonuses need to die. Pre-ordering is fine. Pre-ordering is a good way to pay off a game slowly. And pre-ordering online is logical, so it arrives on the release date.

Pre-order bonuses will just get more and more when we keep preordering them.

Stop it, and that stuff will either cease to exist, or be in the game itself.

I'm not going to preorder an other game again. Even if you are told you will get a bonus only if you pre-order their game there will still be copies that are Still the pre-order edition. I got the first day addition of SO and COD about a month from the release date.

Short answer: YES!!

Preorder bonuses seem to me more like something that could just as easily be unlocked in game for doing stuff. I think it's especially stupid when they're store specific. Or you could buy them for a price in the store! That's really thanking your fans

Nah, only pre order bonuses should.

theres nothing wrong in pre-ordering stuff
the problem lies most within bad publisher/dev that is abusing it same with dlc

Yeah who needs to pre order just camp outside the shop for 3 weeks like a retard for an Iphone or an original Wii as they were like gold dust when they launched.... No thanks, that's why I pre order so that it turns up when it's due out, like the smash bros with the gamecube adapater that costs £60 yet everyone is now paying £100... Pre orders all the way. Unless it's something that's not gonna sell out and be half the price within a day's if not a week or 3 tops. Just use a bit of common sense, the new GTA is never gonna go down to £20-25 weeks after launch. Other games will do within days. Why all this hate for pre orders tho I don't understand it's not like it's a life or death situation why do pre orders need to die when did they become a threat to anybody?!

I have 5 games preordered on the PSN. I didn't have to preorder any of them, but I did because I chose to. If YOU don't want to, then don't. With that said, retailer exclusive preorder bonuses are really stupid.

Best preorder bonus I ever got was a free download of the Puppeteer Soundtrack. Half my Top 25 most listened to songs on my Ipod are from that soundtrack.

preorders will never die, regardless of how anyone feels about them

pointless article

Yes, I hate pre orders and the whole bonus content bs

Unfortunately, Sean makes no perception on why "shady deals surrounding" pre-orders are financial demerits for publishers. As long as publishers makes more money in this manner, there is no financial incentive for anything to change.

The only problem is for the consumer(s) who were going to that make a purchase anyway, yet now they're enticed into purchasing as soon as possible.

This opinion becomes fruitless and just a reason to bellyache for Sean after he makes the justification for the existence of pre-orders in the middle and towards his closing by stating:

"Pre-orders have became so important to publishers that games can been classed as a success even before the game has shipped...The chances are 2015 wont see any changes for the better. As ‘Triple A’ title cost more to make, the risks are natural increased, thus making finical success even more of a requirement."

*Spelling error with "finical" which should be "financial".

Sean never provides an alternative solution, for publishers or anyone else, towards pre-ordering other than an ineffectual "There’s still hopes...". This is a pretty feeble opinion piece that likely succeeds in convincing other consumers into bellyache along while accomplishing nothing else.

There are times in life when, instead of complaining, you do something about your complaints. - Rita Dove

When the pre-orders started, it was a great idea. I remember that it was a way for me to guarantee that I got a copy of a game I was looking forward to after multiple times where my local EB Games (now defunct) ran out of a game I wanted to buy. Now, pre-orders are a grotesque animal all of its own, filled with incentives and anti-consumer deals. Pre-orders are almost as important as total games sold now, since the pre-orders are guaranteed money; so the hype machine has to get going early.