Preorder vs First week purchase

[Atreides]

What's the difference between a preorder and a first week purchase of a game for developers and publishers? If I'm not mistaken first week/month sales are a big performance measure but what's the financial lowdown for the companies?

 

And yeah, I'm thinking of preordering NWN2. I saw it up in the window at EB.

[alanschu]

I'm guessing not too big of a difference. You'll usually get some extra collectables or something if you preorder. With NWN2, I believe you get access to the toolset.

 

I typically don't preorder games, because I generally don't believe in giving a company money without me getting something in return. I don't typically have a hard time getting games in the first week, so it's a moot issue. If I think there will be a hard time getting a game, I may put in a "preorder" about a week in advance, just to ensure I get a copy. Naturally these are games that I want to play at release and don't want to wait, like Half-Life 2 and whatnot.

[Oerwinde]

I'm guessing not too big of a difference.  You'll usually get some extra collectables or something if you preorder.  With NWN2, I believe you get access to the toolset.

 

I typically don't preorder games, because I generally don't believe in giving a company money without me getting something in return.  I don't typically have a hard time getting games in the first week, so it's a moot issue.  If I think there will be a hard time getting a game, I may put in a "preorder" about a week in advance, just to ensure I get a copy.  Naturally these are games that I want to play at release and don't want to wait, like Half-Life 2 and whatnot.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yeah, I usually don't preorder, though I probably should have with Civ4 since they didn't end up selling the collectors edition here. I preordered with NWN2 because I wanted the LE. Otherwise I just would have gone in on release day and bought it.

[Enoch]

I've never pre-ordered a game. I also never got the whole "special edition" thing. Usually all you get is a fancier box and an extra piece or two of desk clutter. I wouldn't pay a premium for either.

 

As to NWN2, specifically, I'm going to wait for reports here to see if it'll run on a machine with a 2.0 ghz processor.

[Slowtrain]

I've never pre-ordered a game.  I also never got the whole "special edition" thing.  Usually all you get is a fancier box and an extra piece or two of desk clutter.  I wouldn't pay a premium for either.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

But what about ice dice? Or a septim coin? Or a making of video? Or a cheap cloth map that makes a perfect handkerchief when you need to blow your nose but are too wrapped up in your game to leave your desk? How can you say no to such awesome stuff?

 

I've never pre-ordered a game either. Its a game. It will be here soon enough. And if its not, there are others. And if I wait long enough, I can usually pick up every game at half price. And given the premium on rack space at retailers, that wait isn't usually too long.

 

I'm also of the mind that developers and publishers need to prove to me that they've got a bug-free and feature-complete release on their hands before I give them anything.

[Dark_Raven]

Preorder is good. It gives you a chance to get ahold of collectors or limited editions of the game.

[Gfted1]

Every single preorder Ive ever done (BGII, ToB, IWDII) has been in the store at least a day or two before I received my copy.

[Deraldin]

Most of my game purchases are impulse buys so I never preorder. I have made one exception in the past and that was when I put down a pre-order on Civilization 4 Special Edition. That one arrived a day early. Well worth it in that case.

[Ellester]

Every single preorder Ive ever done (BGII, ToB, IWDII) has been in the store at least a day or two before I received my copy

This is why I don't like to pre-order. I would just rather buy the game the day it's released, it's faster.

 

I pre-ordered NWN2 only after I heard about the toolset. If there wasn't an incentive I would have just walked into a store on the first day.

Edited October 2, 2006 by Ellester

[Volourn]

Weird. Whenever I preorder, the store gives me a call the moment they get the game in stock...

[kirottu]

Weird. Whenever I preorder, the store gives me a call the moment they get the game in stock...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

They fear you.

[Volourn]

Then they are wise.

 

P.S. Also, probably because the store wants my money. LOL I am a regular, afterall.

[metadigital]

Most of my game purchases are impulse buys so I never preorder. I have made one exception in the past and that was when I put down a pre-order on Civilization 4 Special Edition. That one arrived a day early. Well worth it in that case.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I pre-order all the time.

 

I never impulse buy (in a store), I plan my purchases to avoid buying CRAP.

 

If I pre-order I get bonus loyalty points that translates into extra savings off the cost of future purchases.

 

I do sometimes purchase in the first week: Oblivion, for example, because it wasn't clear that it was going to be as good as it turned out to be.

 

I will probably pre-order Medieval II: Total War Collectors Edition, because I just read a kick-arse preview about it ...

 

I'm sure the publishers use some sort of rule of thumb heuristic like "double the first four weeks' sales" to get an approximate total return on the game (which would be completely surpassed by a brilliant game, obviously).

[Slowtrain]

Pre-order seems more likely to end up as crap than waiting a week or two following release before you buy.

 

I agree that straight impulse buying, ie walking into a game store and grabbing something off the shelf just because it looks good, is a one-way ticket to crap city.

 

Seems to me that there is a middle ground between that and pre-ordering however.

[metadigital]

Games that I will buy, regardless, I will gladly get loyalty discounted prices on other purchases for having the game arrive in my mailbox before the due release date ...

[Dark_Raven]

Preorder online is good. It gives you a chance to get ahold of collectors or limited editions of the game. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Fixed.

[alanschu]

If I can get financial savings, and it's a game I know I'm going to get, then I may preorder (since there's a tangible benefit to it). Other things that may have me preorder were DVD (compared to CD), assuming I could only get it via preorder.

 

I don't find many places opting on giving me discounts for preorders though. Most of the time it's collectables or something, which I don't particularly value.

[Slowtrain]

loyalty discounted prices

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

well discounted prices are always a good thing no doubt! I would just be nervous about paying for it with a buggy, crappy game that I ordered in advance. Before it became buggy and lost half its features. :ph34r:

[Krookie]

I hate to pre-order, cause there's always a chance that the game will suck, and I won't want it.

[Volourn]

"Before it became buggy and lost half its features."

 

That's why I usually preorder about a month before release, or gold. You should *never* preorder when the game is first announced. That's crazy!

Edited October 3, 2006 by Volourn

[Deraldin]

I never impulse buy (in a store), I plan my purchases to avoid buying CRAP.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Maybe impulse is the wrong word. I don't go in and just pick up anything off the shelf because it looks cool, however I don't really plan most of my purchases either. I will walk in and if there is something that that I know that I will like (from having played earlier games in a series/based on opinions of those I trust) I will then pick it up.

[Calax]

I preorder if I really want it or if It's got somthing in the gameplay that is unlocked by it (for example... Marvel Ultimate Alliance will have you get a code for the silver surfer to be unlocked)

[Draken]

I preorder if its a game I know I'll like, such as Halo 2.

 

Unlockable content is always a plus, too.

[Pop]

The "Merchant's Friend" thing could turn out to be cool, although I would have much preffered some extra content other than new items. I don't know exactly what I'd have in mind, but new spells would be cool, maybe an extra quest or two.

[Atreides]

Yeah, some games you're gonna get sooner or later, unless it turns out to be a real stinker. Guess you could send messages etc to the company that consumers aren't going to accept buggy products by delaying the (inevitable?) purchase.