OK, pre-order bonuses are an essential part of retailers marketing strategies for new releases, they’re designed not just to entice you to buy from one particular retailer over another – but importantly to get you to place the pre-order in the first place. Pre-orders are extremely important for the industry because this is a commitment to buy at full price, rather than a week or two down the line when there’s invariably a special offer on or something.
Because of my financial position most pre-orders have passed me by for over a year now as rely on LoveFilm or heavy retailer discounting to get my gaming fix, but something I’ve just seen has really pissed me off! I was just watching an APB trailer, but before it started was an Amazon.co.uk ad for the forthcoming Rockstar release Red Dead Redemption.
During the ad it listed the pre-order bonuses to entice you to buy from them, these were some rather nifty looking in-game Golden Guns – and nothing wrong with that, you might say. However, this unlockable exclusive bonus receives more Fame for each kill and the more Fame you get, the more in-game side missions become available: more opportunities to duel, more kidnapped townsfolk to rescue and bribe the lawmen for less.
In-game golden weapons I’m fine with, hell even a super special rifle with a bright pink handle, but as pre-order bonuses go this sounds like a bit of a game changer to me, this weapon bonus gives you a reward which changes the game for you. More opportunities to duel, which presumably also give you even more fame, more kidnapped people to rescue which again will most likely give you even more fame. The ability to bribe people for less – so you get to keep more of your money to do even more stuff in the game with, and this is the biggie opening up even more side-missions.
Like I said above I’ve not kept up with pre-order bonuses but I’ve always had the impression they only added cosmetic differences, or an exclusive weapon or two which have a practically identical version present in the game as standard, but I feel this is a bit wrong as this could lead to a completely different game experience.
I think this just plain sucks, have I got the wrong end of the stick or are you with me? Let us know in the comments below.
