Whats with Pre-Purchase?

[Prester John]

I saw an advert on steam "Last chance to Pre-Purchase"

Hmm i don't know, maybe i'll just purchase it instead, you know when its released and some reviews have come out.

I've been burned enough times buying crap before reading the reviews. People really should take better care of their money. What does the paying customer gain? The company gains your money and the interest derived from it for the days/weeks/months before you actually recieve the game. The customer gets the game several whole hours early before the shops open for those still buying physical copies. Maybe they get to pay for being a beta tester too.


I really am mystified as to what customers gain of substance!!

[jnx]

I've really toned down my prepurchases too after making some genuinely shitty investments. I've also toned down my fullprice purchases for the same reasons. Steam warning about last chance to prepurchase is especially funny when there still is five days or so to European release.

[Bankrotas]

The issue I see with AAA title prepurchase, it's same cost as is purchase.

[Oshada]

Quite apart from that, the preorder bonuses are getting ridiculous. Retailer specific DLC is but the worst.

[Nalano]

They usually advertise an in-game bauble. RPGs tend to give you pre-order-only items. MMOs tend to give you beta access and a headstart on launch. Other things can be unique skins or favorable pricing schemes or free DLC. Multiplayer games tend to offer the best enticements.

As for whether it's worth it, and whether it's being over-marketed, dear lord, how angry you will get when you realize that all marketing is like that, forever.

[Prester John]

They usually advertise an in-game bauble. RPGs tend to give you pre-order-only items. MMOs tend to give you beta access and a headstart on launch. Other things can be unique skins or favorable pricing schemes or free DLC. Multiplayer games tend to offer the best enticements.

As for whether it's worth it, and whether it's being over-marketed, dear lord, how angry you will get when you realize that all marketing is like that, forever.

Yes, baubles, non consequential vanity items. No better than you can find in game.

The antidote to marketing is education and awareness. Anger is reserved for those who swindle my hard earned cash from my wallet - and people who park in disabled parking spaces without proper need.

[Prester John]

I've really toned down my prepurchases too after making some genuinely shitty investments. I've also toned down my fullprice purchases for the same reasons. Steam warning about last chance to prepurchase is especially funny when there still is five days or so to European release.

I went through that pain in the early noughties (obviously not pre purchases as they didn't happen).

[soldant]

The antidote to marketing is education and awareness.

That may be the case when something is harmful or unjust (which some specific DLC may be) but for some people pre-order bonuses are of value to them, thus they pre-order, just the same as collector's editions. You can't go "Oh we need to educate the people" when it's an entirely subjective assessment of value that each person conducts. If it has value to them, they'll buy it. If it doesn't, they won't.

I don't go around saying "Man, The Witcher sucks, we need to educate people not to buy it" because it's forcing my subjective value of TW on other people. Which is ridiculous.

[Nalano]

Yes, baubles, non consequential vanity items. No better than you can find in game.

The antidote to marketing is education and awareness. Anger is reserved for those who swindle my hard earned cash from my wallet - and people who park in disabled parking spaces without proper need.

You started this rant disguised as a discussion thread, Prestor John, and if the only point is "marketing sometimes overstates the case," then consider the point well taken and let's shutter up the shop.

[DzX]

I really am mystified as to what customers gain of substance!!

I assume you're referring to the Max Payne 3 advertisement?

In the case of that pre-purchase you also receive a copy of LA Noire [previously early purchases received copies of the original two Max Payne games]. Whatever your thoughts on the game it's hardly little of substance or a mere bauble; hence the reason Steam are pushing the promotion.

[jnx]

I assume you're referring to the Max Payne 3 advertisement?

In the case of that pre-purchase you also receive a copy of LA Noire [previously early purchases received copies of the original two Max Payne games]. Whatever your thoughts on the game it's hardly little of substance or a mere bauble; hence the reason Steam are pushing the promotion.

L.A. Noire for free you say? Didn't notice that. Tempting, since I'm rather sure I won't wait long with MP3. Though Noire will probably be something like 5 euros for the complete pack on summer sale, so I'll just be better off waiting for PC reviews of Max. Bad port is a slap on the face of a pre-orderer.

[archonsod]

If you're pre-ordering in the first place, then presumably it's a game you were definitely going to buy anyway, in which case pre-ordering is quite a useful thing for those of us with proper jobs and an employer who refuses to align the monthly pay cycle with the monthly game release cycle.
If you're pre-ordering games which you're not particularly concerned about having on the day of release for some reason then one can only conclude you have some form of mental deficit. Similarly, if you're the type to start baawing like a fanny if a game has a couple of bugs pre-order is probably not for you. Mind you, I'd question why the hell you're playing on a PC in the first place, given you're always going to have bugs to contend with.

[jnx]

If you're pre-ordering in the first place, then presumably it's a game you were definitely going to buy anyway, in which case pre-ordering is quite a useful thing for those of us with proper jobs and an employer who refuses to align the monthly pay cycle with the monthly game release cycle.
If you're pre-ordering games which you're not particularly concerned about having on the day of release for some reason then one can only conclude you have some form of mental deficit. Similarly, if you're the type to start baawing like a fanny if a game has a couple of bugs pre-order is probably not for you. Mind you, I'd question why the hell you're playing on a PC in the first place, given you're always going to have bugs to contend with.

[NathanH]

Most retailers make pre-order a little bit cheaper than the release price, so if you know you are going to buy something you may as well preorder. I did this for Warlock and Crusader Kings 2. They also gave me a couple of pointless DLCs, but mainly it was just about getting the 10% discount or whatever it was.

[Althea]

Most retailers make pre-order a little bit cheaper than the release price, so if you know you are going to buy something you may as well preorder. I did this for Warlock and Crusader Kings 2. They also gave me a couple of pointless DLCs, but mainly it was just about getting the 10% discount or whatever it was.

This, basically. Most pre-orders or pre-purchases have a discount associated and/or some sort of promotional gift. Whether it's Oh Fucking Hell More TF2 Hats or Look A Game What You Already Have (Torchlight 2 w/ Torchlight, for example), it's about getting your money in.

Pre-purchases are kinda great in that you can forget about it. You can pay and then just wait (it's why I tend to pre-order books through The Book Depository rather than Amazon), but you can miss out on lower prices or deals that way. If you just pre-order, then generally you have this unpaid debt hanging over you until it's released.

The reason these discounts and/or gifts happen is because they want your money and as much of it as possible in order to at least break even. Rockstar can afford to give away games with releases like MP3 because they'll use the tactic of making less per sale across a broader range (it's partially the reason why indies tend to be so profitable; low prices can mean a broader sale base). If they sell a game for £35, most people will go "eh". But if they do it for £35 with a free game, it becomes a more attractive deal - same if they sell for £28 with 20% knocked off - it looks like a better deal, ergo it's more attractive to the buyer, ergo more sales are made.

[Prester John]

That may be the case when something is harmful or unjust (which some specific DLC may be) but for some people pre-order bonuses are of value to them, thus they pre-order, just the same as collector's editions. You can't go "Oh we need to educate the people" when it's an entirely subjective assessment of value that each person conducts. If it has value to them, they'll buy it. If it doesn't, they won't.

I don't go around saying "Man, The Witcher sucks, we need to educate people not to buy it" because it's forcing my subjective value of TW on other people. Which is ridiculous.

Sort of, i think that being aware that you are being manipulated by marketing can help you make better decisions. I think that generally pre purchase is daft.. thats my subjective opinion.. i see very little value and much risk in making a decision to pre purchase. Seeing the rather odd "last chance to pre-purchase advert" i was curious as to other peoples views and what if anything people objectively gain from making a pre purchase.

Caveat Emptor

[Prester John]

Most retailers make pre-order a little bit cheaper than the release price, so if you know you are going to buy something you may as well preorder. I did this for Warlock and Crusader Kings 2. They also gave me a couple of pointless DLCs, but mainly it was just about getting the 10% discount or whatever it was.

The big shopping retailers usually carry AAA games (eg ASDA/WALMART) and they are usually cheaper than digital (well Steam anyway). Fair point tho.

[verticuous]

Preorder bonuses, personal pride for ordering playing something early, ...

I never preorder (Prefer Steam sales), but the only one thing that I really regret not preordering is Diablo 3 Collector's Edition.

Can't manage to find one in England. :|

[jnx]

Preorder bonuses, personal pride for ordering playing something early, ...

I never preorder (Prefer Steam sales), but the only one thing that I really regret not preordering is Diablo 3 Collector's Edition.

Can't manage to find one in England. :|

Kind'a same here. Would love to get that artbook.

[Rii]

Pre-order bonuses reflect the knowledge that some of those who can be induced to pay now may not be willing to do so later when they have a better understanding (via reviews and so forth) of what they are actually buying. Indeed, as discounts are often amongst the pre-order bonuses offered, one can even note the minimum proportion of additional, soon-to-be-regretted sales they anticipate on making via the scheme. Pre-order schemes are an attempt to profit from the misery of others by trading on their irrationality.