Why is pre-ordering video games pointless and harmful to the industry and your wallet?
What’s pre-ordering?
Starting with the basics, “pre-ordering” is when you order something that hasn’t been released yet. That can include anything: hardware, software, machines, clothes, toys, and others. But, there is one specific category that we’re going to focus on today, and it’s the one that grinds my gears the most: it’s video game pre-ordering.
When I do my research on my next video game purchase, I often come across the “Pre-order/Pre-purchase” option on various titles. As exciting as it might sound, I get skeptical and hold back before I make the purchase. First, I try to find some informative material on that game. Most of the time, however, there’s no demo or part of the game that I can actually test myself beforehand. Then I look for some community feedback, but no review is available because nobody has played it yet. There’s only a promising trailer along with some free goodies with that pre-purchase, which is supposed to help me with my decision.
As a hardcore PC gamer, I put a lot of time and effort into gaming, and even more into saving my money, so just a fancy trailer with some questionable DLCs, isn’t going to be enough for me. And that’s where the “pre-order” problem begins. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing bad about pre-ordering a game that comes with a physical disc. It might be hard to find in stores, so it makes perfect sense to place your order beforehand, though, still risky. But when it comes to paying for a digital copy that’s available to everybody upon release, why would you do it?
Here are a few reasons why you should NOT pre-order any video game.
Reason 1: the game does not exist
It should come as a no-brainer that the first and most important reason for not pre-purchasing, it’s because the product does not even exist yet. It’s exactly the same as buying a ticket for a movie that hasn’t been filmed yet. What are you going to do if the end product doesn’t match your expectations? What are you going to do if the product is canceled altogether? Every new game has a fixed release date, whether you buy it beforehand or not. In the end, you’re going to receive the digital copy exactly at the same time as everybody else. There is literally no reason to take any action before that. So, why the rush?
Reason 2: bugs and technical problems
As I mentioned above, what you finally get might not even be of the expected quality. See the Cyberpunk 2077 craze to get an idea of what I am talking about. Hence, the most sensible thing a person could do, is to wait for the initial reviews of the game or at least a useful demo. Upon release, there’s a plethora of bugs that need to be ironed out. Yes, they will be eventually fixed (or not), but why should you be the one who suffers the consequences of that rushed game?
For me, it can be a huge turn-off from the start. If the developers listen to their customers and quickly fix all the issues, that’s good. However, if the devs take too long to address any issues, or if they fail to address those problems altogether, the game will be a failure and an abandoned platform, which translates to lost time and money for you.
Reason 3: it does not support the developers
I see comments and posts of certain individuals claiming that pre-purchased games support the developers. While this might be a great gesture to support an indie platform that would greatly benefit from your support due to a limited budget, on a larger scale, it’s simply not true.
The resources of any new game development are pre-allocated and there’s a fixed timetable. It’s a long and complicated process that involves multiple parties (investors, publishers, sub-contractors, marketing teams, etc.) and is well calculated down to the last cent. This means that literally nobody’s counting on you buying the game to get it finished. In fact, you might become the cause of a rushed game.
Reason 4: you give the developers the “wrong idea”
Linked to my above point, this can actually harm the relations between customers and developers. If the developers have already obtained a good sum of the community’s money before releasing the game, they won’t rush to fix the problems that plagued the game from the start. It might even give them the “green light” to keep releasing half-baked games in the future, since everybody is so willing to reach for their wallet as soon as a promising game is announced. Be patient and just wait for it. Reviews are good for your wallet.
Reason 5: The extra goods are not worth it
Another reason the gaming community is so eager to purchase games in advance is the promise of some exclusive in-game item or content. W what I’ve come to realize, though, is that the extras aren’t worth it. An extra skin can’t compensate for a malfunctioning game. Either way, most of the additional content will come as a DLC, and if you wait enough, you’ll get them cheaper.
Reason 6: discounts
Video games are not vital for your survival. Does it really matter if you get it the moment it’s released or a week later? Some titles offer discounts even within the first couple of months after their release. You could get as much as 20-40% during some weekend deal on recently released games. And if you are patient enough, then you could get even greater discounts (up to 70-90%). Patience will always work in your favor.
Conclusion
I tried to be as brief and objective as possible on this bad practice, as I find it to be detrimental to your user experience, your wallet, and the quality of the video game itself. I suggest you become less gullible, and wait for bugs to get fixed and reviews to come out. Show the developers that they should care more about their end product, and that you won’t buy the first thing they throw at you.
What do you think about pre-ordering? Please, let us know in the comments.
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