Preorder Burnout

I hopped on IGN today to see that Splinter Cell: Blacklist had revealed their preorder bonuses (free items you get just for preordering with a retailer). Curious, I clicked the link to see what I'd be missing out on by ordering with Gamestop.

Preorder bonuses tend to come in three flavors. Most bonuses are in-game items that you activate with a code included in your game's case. These are usually cosmetic or generic items that don't usually impact gameplay too much. Other times they're really sweet deals like bonus content that you'd have to pay for otherwise.

Other times you'll have a cheap trinket that you'll lose in a week. These are things like dog tags, medals, a flavorful map, or something else that makes you feel a bit more connected to the game, but otherwise only matters to the most hardcore collectors.

Finally, you have packages that require you to pay extra money. These will get you things like DLC or expensive toys. I still remember when Black Ops first released and had a $180 package that included, among other things, a working RC car.

The annoying thing about preorder bonuses is that they've become expected with any game release. I understand the appeal for the game makers - making content available for a limited time can be a deciding factor for people on the fence. If I know I'm going to get a game eventually, it seems silly to put it off when I'll be losing preorder content. I'm not faulting companies for including this content - people want it, and it's obviously effective.

However, I'm quite bored of not knowing what the heck I'm actually getting. When I preordered Splinter Cell: Conviction and Borderlands 2 I got some exclusive weapons and equipment. No one really knew what these would do, but we preordered because "what if?" We had no idea how the weapons would affect gameplay, or if I'd even use them, but the idea of not having it had me slapping down my $5 preorder without hesitation. The Borderlands 2 bonus worked in my favor because they basically kept me from having to use junky weapons for the first two hours of the game.

Splinter Cell's bonuses? Basically just a recreation of existing weapons, or items that I wouldn't dream of picking over better options. And now a new Splinter Cell is on its way, and the offerings are about the same.

• Gold sonar goggles (oooooh)
• Upper Echelon suit 
• Dead Coast Co-Op map
• Other offerings depending on who you order through

Now the first two are exactly what a bonus should be. They're purely aesthetic, with 0 impact on gameplay. However, missing out on a map because I don't order? That's just silly. Furthermore, ordering with one retailier makes you miss out on the content from others. This may or may not matter because I have no idea what any of them actually do. 

For example, ordering through Amazon gets you 2 weapons. Best Buy gets you a gun and... tactical gloves. What on earth could be tactical about a pair of gloves? Will it make my hands shed dead skin more quietly? But then I have to look at Walmart and ask myself whether I want "tactical" gloves or a pair of boots. And as always, Gamestop has the best offer with a second suit, a sniper rifle, and and crossbow with gas arrows. 

Let's pretend that the gloves, boots, and crossbow offer unique gameplay options. The gloves may allow faster climbing; the boots are "MBS" (Modular Boot Systems according to Google) so they'll let you move quieter, climb faster, or have a dagger that shoots out from the toe. The crossbow seems like it will allow for more stealth assassinations, and the gas may let you use knockout gas or something akin to a smoke grenade.

The problem? Ordering one cuts me off from the others. If I want the crossbow, I may be cut off from faster climbing or stealthier walking. If I want the shotgun offered with the boots, I don't get a nifty crossbow. This also puts me at an advantage because I have access to things that later players won't, letting me have an easier time in the game.

Of course it's entirely possible that all of these will be lesser versions of items available with the game. But if they are... what's the point? Why offer something sub-par just so we can know that we have it? Eventually we're going to get burned out on getting excited for preorder bonuses that mean nothing to us in the end. 

Murmuring has been going on for awhile now, with more and more people growing disinterested in meaningless content, or frustrated because they don't get access to important maps, modes, or weapons that others do. So what to do? Retailers pay to be given unique content, and if people knew that everything offered by Walmart would be available later, even if it's for a small fee, I don't think as many people would impulsively preorder rather than waiting for reviews to come out.

It's one of those systems that seems to have become too integral to a game's release. It can't be removed because no one will understand the purpose of preordering. It can't be equalized across all retailers because no one will want to risk their game arriving late from Amazon or deal with the parking lot (and horrible customer service) at Walmart.

Cosmetic items are my favorite solution. It allows retailers to get unique preorder bundles without removing content from players who don't have a Gamestop or Best Buy near them. Barring that, free content is the only other thing that seems fair. Giving a free map like Black Ops 2 was brilliant because it gave people a reason to want to preorder. If they didn't, they had to wait a few months before they could purchase the content themselves - a bummer for those who literally couldn't afford the game at the time, but still a clever, moderately fair way to handle it.

I would love to see people grow so tired of these preorder shenanigans that we started getting good stuff again. I'd love to have a unique backpack in The Division, or more kill animations in Assassin's Creed: Black Flag. Heck, give me an extra character slot in The Elder Scrolls Online so I have one less to purchase! Bonuses should be desirable and exciting without segregating people because of who they buy from or when they do it.


See you tomorrow!

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