Pre-Ordering both new games and new technology has become one of the staples of the entertainment market. Whether you're pre-ordering the newest iPhone the second it's announced or the next Call of Duty shown at E3 years before availability, the thought of being able to get it before anyone else is a thrill for many people.

 

The main benefit to pre-ordering seems to be the fact that you get it (in 99% of cases) on day one, allowing you to play it once your postman has arrived. This is especially appealing to people who play multiplayer games, being able to brag that they are playing it whilst others have to take time to go to the shop (and hope it's in stock) before playing it.

 

However, are pre-orders (especially with regards to gaming) killing the industry rather than helping it? There have been numerous reports of developers splitting off parts of games to "give away" as a pre-order bonus at a premium cost to the buyer, whilst also meaning a lesser experience for people who choose to buy the game at launch. The developers of 'Alien: Isolation' even made the pre-order bonus of two extra missions available to all users shortly after the game's release, begging the question of "why have the pre-order in the first place?".

 

There is also the small fact that the content can drastically change from when a game is made available to pre-order and the finished product. The video below details Ubisoft's growing reputation for showing "playable content" at E3 which looks considerably worse when the games are released.

 

 

With regards to technology, it's less about the downgrading of graphics, but the sheer volumes of pre-orders that can cause a problem. The recent iPhone X pre-orders sold out within minutes, and some consumers were made to wait months before being able to finally get one (even after the phones were made available for general sale).

 

The question is...do you pre-order games and new technology (be it phones, tablets or laptops), and what is the main factor for your choices?

I don't think I'd ever pre-order anything and I'd be very open to hearing reasons from anyone who does. I don't understand that thrill myself.

 

I'm a patient gamer so I generally wait until the Game Of The Year (or something like that) edition goes on sale with all the bugs fixed, all the creases ironed out, and all at a much lower price. Pre-ordering just seems like you're setting yourself up to get a bad deal, even if they do promise you exclusive trinkets of limited use.

 

I've onl ever preordered one game before. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 and that was because the store i got it from gave you a special editon with a code to unlock Jean Grey right away. It also had he rone thr box cover <3