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Some Developers Prove Pre-Orders Are OK

Some Developers Prove Pre-Orders Are OK

In an age where game values drop within the span of a sneeze, it’s difficult to justify spending $40 or $60 on handheld or console titles at launch. Sure, sometimes something seems that appealing, but when you know in your gut that a permanent or temporary price gut is likely only a few months away, it’s difficult to go all in.

It’s even harder to pre-order a title, knowing you’ll pay full price right away. There usually aren’t impressions online, to know if it’s worth it. Plus, you’ll be getting the game at its most expensive. As scary and precarious as it may seem, this isn’t always the worst thing. In fact, there are three particular providers whose products almost always net positive results when pre-ordered.

The most recent example being CD Projekt Red. This is a developer that can always be trusted to deliver a quality product. In addition, they’re very accommodating. Pre-orders include all sorts of bonuses. In the case of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt , this meant an impressive 10% off digital discount across all platforms, as well as early access to the game. And yes, The Witcher 3 has had some launch issues, but CD Projekt Red again proves its reliability by setting to work immediately on patches to fix the downgrade problem and hundreds of other, minor issues.

Atlus is another company where pre-ordering is usually to a player’s benefit. This may seem counter-intuitive, given how often Atlus discounts its games on the PlayStation Store and Nintendo eShop, but it makes sense when the rewards are considered. It’s all because of the Atlus Spoils program. The company makes a habit of including bonus items with first run games, the sorts of things that would normally only be included with some sort of pricier, limited edition. Except you aren’t paying more. You’re getting it for the same price as the game, and usually that extra is enough to make an initial investment more than worthwhile.

Some Developers Prove Pre-Orders Are OK

Finally, there’s Nintendo. With Nintendo, pre-order is often the best option. It’s not like first party games drop in price very often. There’s no risk of buyer’s remorse because the $60 game is suddenly $40 in a month. Also, Nintendo is guaranteed to provide good games that work at launch. There isn’t the same sense of uncertainty from other providers. Patches are uncommon, and the review score average makes any investment less risky. Plus, with a game like the forthcoming Splatoon , you’d want to be there on day one to ensure access to the best multiplayer experience.

All of the arguments against pre-ordering are strong. And normally, I’d 100% condone, even recommend, waiting to buy a game. But there are certain situations where it’s okay to be so excited that you can’t wait and need to commit immediately. Basically, if CD Projekt Red, Atlus, or Nintendo are asking for your money for something, you won’t be let down if you give it to them.

And I’m totally not saying any of this because I want people to immediately grab Splatoon at launch so I can have more people to play with. Nope, not at all.

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