Preorder Bonus

[Taustin Powers]

Did anyone else notice that pretty much EVERY GAME is doing this now? Examples: Red Dead Redemption (golden gun), ModNationRacers (characters), Transformers (character), Alpha Protocol (weapons pack), Naughty Bear (costumes), Lost PLanet 2 (multi maps), Prince of Persia (game mode), SPiderman Shattered Dimensions (costumes), it never ends... Just like the DLC is starting to get out of hand. It just doesn't feel like I am getting a complete game anymore when I go out and just buy it at the store. Immediately after release, they already have the first weapons/vehicles/whatnot as DLC (e.g. Just Cause 2). The preorder stuff is gone if you miss the timeframe or also turns into paid DLC.

If they decide to make some extra maps for a multiplayer game after release, that's one thing, cool beans. But just taking things out of a game so they can charge you extra for it is annoying. I guess I'm not a fan of micro-transactions in general...

 

[Zepaw]

Totally. It is smart for many reason. One thing is an exclusive preorder bonus can bring you to one store or the other. It is not uncommon for Walmart, Gamestop, Amazon, etc to all have their own bonuses. Also gives you a reason to buy a game rather than rent it or more importantly buy it used.

I don't mind small bonuses, like the Baseball Bat in L4D2, but making bigger things like game modes only for preorders is kinda ridiculous.

 

[0098386]

I'm not for this kind of system so I'll go out of my way to avoid games with pre-order bonuses. I don't like where its going.
Could the reason be to get people en masse buying games at full price? I know many games wait until for price drops.

L4D2's isn't that exclusive though - if you play a game with just 1 person with the baseball bat DLC then all players can use it.

 

[SevenInchScrew]

But just taking things out of a game so they can charge you extra for it is annoying.

Like Assassin's Creed II?? You play through the main story and, oh, they just happen to not have Sequence 12 and 13 in the game. Hmmm, that is weird. Why aren't they in there? Then lo and behold, the first 2 DLC packs are announced and they are Sequence 12 and 13. Jerks.

I feel the same way about DLC as I do with Preorder bonus items. As long as they ADD to the game, that is fine. A golden Hammerburst in Gears of War 2? Fine. The Sgt Johnson skin for Firefight in Halo 3: ODST? Fine. Extra cars in Forza 3? Fine. All of those things are just adding more stuff to the game, and in many cases, not even affecting gameplay. They just let you customize your character differently. I'm cool with all that.

But, when the preorder items or DLC add-ons start removing stuff from the normal game, just so they can add it back in later at an extra price, that is not cool. Assassin's Creed II and Resident Evil 5 instantly come to mind there. Don't make me pay extra for something that should have been, or already was, included on the shipping disc. That is just stupid.

 

[Zepaw]

The price of DLC is only going to rise. The Modern Warfare Map Pack was $15! for 3 news maps and 2 rehashed maps.

 

[0098386]

The price of DLC is only going to rise. The Modern Warfare Map Pack was $15! for 3 news maps and 2 rehashed maps.

It's an exception, not the rule. For example Valve release free DLC for all their games (provided you're playing them as they should be - on a PC ). Out of my ~120 Steam games only 1 has paid DLC; Madballs. Everyone else seems to hover around semi-reasonable prices.
If you don't want Activision to charge so much for DLC then don't buy it. The buyers own the market after all.