Do you often pre order games?

[Robert]

As far as I remember, the only game I preodered was FF I&II for GBA when it was released in France. It's not that I have something against this system but I never really felt like I had to.

So if you pre order often, please explain why and where if you have a good place to.

 

[Argentina94]

Never preordered in my life.

No matter the, I've never once had a problem walking into the store the day it came out and simply buying it.

 

[ray_7]

the only game that i've preordered is neo games... other than that i rather get them later on after launch...

 

[roker]

Zelda for the GC

but that's only because you got a bonus disc in return

other than that . . . never

 

[rarehero]

i try to preorder stuff that will be in low production.
so when i get it at the store i wouldn't be buying a gutted store copy.

 

[hanafuda]

I preorder stuff all the time. My local game store always lets me have the games a day before the official release too, which is a bonus.

Main reasons I do so are to ensure I don't miss out (games sell out in Japan: I had to wait for Gunstar Super Heroes because I just turned up on the day and it was gone), and also to ensure I get the freebies/bonuses that come with the first batch.

Just ordered Sega Rally 2006. First batch comes with arcade perfect conversion of Sega Rally Championship for free.

 

[smokehouse]

Rarely. So far the only game I ever had problems getting was River City Ransom EX on the GBA. Other than that everything else was easy to get.

 

[ralfgamer]

I never preordered a game so far. I also rarely bought new games. I prefer waiting a couple of days and buy them used. Last games I bought new were Neo Geo carts.

 

[Maury V.]

Since working at Blockbuster, I've been pre-ordering games only because we get pay 10-15 less when employees pre-order. The games I preordered this year were Tekken 5, Soul Calibur 3, and now Dragon Quest VIII.

 

[DangerousK]

No, I don't really see a purpose in preordering as it's not that difficult to get a game on release.

I think the only thing really worth pre-ordering for if you want it are systems. Even at that the last system I pre-ordered was the N64. I just wait a couple of months to get new systems just so I can walk in and pick it up without any headaches.

 

[HellioN]

The only game I have ever pre ordered was RE4.

 

[jro]

Almost always. I used to only pre-order special editions and games that I knew would be hard to find (i.e. Atlus RPGs before they started bigger production runs, games with expensive peripherals), but now I do it for pretty much whatever titles I know I'll want to buy right away.

This stems mostly, I think, from my hatred of Best Buy and the fact that Circuit City is very, very unreliable as far as getting new games in- thus I assume GameStop is the only place I'll be willing to shop and also be able to find the game, so I might as well be guaranteed a copy. And as regularly as I pre-order stuff at my local GS, they know to be good to me as a customer...

 

[Magnaflux]

I've only pre-ordered one game and that was Castlevania DS.

That was also the first brand new game I've bought in 2 years.

 

[ki_atsushi]

I never pre-order anything. Publishers make a lot more copies of games then they used to, so there's no need.

 

[GregN]

I preorder games quite a bit, but I see what you guys mean when you say there's no reason to. Niche games, small print runs, and weird peripheral are good, but you never know what'll end up in the bargin bin in a few months.

I thought for sure Taiko Drum Master would be a niche game, but they're being discounted everywhere.

Same with Lunar for GBA. I thought it would be niche, but it got marked down within a couple of months.

Even my local WalMart carries Niche games like GUnstar Super Heroes.

 

[Ely13]

I used to back during the Saturn era. I didn't buy games online back then and popular release (like Panzer Dragoon Saga and Shining Force 3) would get snapped up instantly at local stores.

Nowadays, games are printed in such large quantities that I don't bother. I think the last somewhat sold-out game I bought was Final Fantasy X.

 

[genjiglove]

I always preorder the Zelda games because you always get something cool (gold cart, bonus disc, etc.). It's become kind of a tradition for me ever since OoT came out on N64.

 

[jro]

I always preorder the Zelda games because you always get something cool (gold cart, bonus disc, etc.). It's become kind of a tradition for me ever since OoT came out on N64.

Damn good point- I still remember my surprise when a friend of mine went to trade in his free Zelda compilation disc (the one that came with Wind Waker) and got something crazy like $30 in trade credit for it. He hit it right when the furor over it was highest, and then it died down really quickly. Still sells for like $25 used, though, and it started as a freebie.

 

[Pocketgamer]

I always preorder the Zelda games because you always get something cool (gold cart, bonus disc, etc.). It's become kind of a tradition for me ever since OoT came out on N64.

The only games I think worth pre-ordering are Zelda and Castlevania other than that they pretty much aren't worth it. I recently pre-ordered Castlevania Curse of Darkness but guess what I'm taking the money back since I can find the game way cheaper around these neck of the woods. It just isn't worth pre-ordering anymore unless you had a nice contact inside the industry.

 

[Robert]

Bonus added for free or risk of shortage (low production items) are definitively good reasons to pre order games. I also get the point of those who say that you can just go to the store at the release day and get it.

I think we can't draw a general pattern since it really depends on the game and what you get with it.

 

[Electroman]

Not anymore. Preordering is useless as they always have said game in stock anyway. Plus, you get shafted on the brand new, undepreciated price of a new release.

Best to wait a few months(if you can) and pay half for the game.

 

[zapatistab]

Only PS2 impoorts

 

[Mefffisto]

I always pre order US DS games, for this reason: I want to make a great collection, with great games, and if I do like the GBA, I would have to spend +500$ today to buy all the games I missed... Plus US boxes are prettier than Euro box.
I pre odered some Nintendo GameCube games by past, especially because I won 10€ on them.
I thought to pre order Prince Of Persia 3 on GameCube, but I know I will find the game the d-day, even 2 days after... so I forgot this idea.
I'll probably pre order Zelda The Twilight Princess, it will be probably be THE game in 2006.
So if I pre order a game, it is in one hand to complete day by day my handeled collection, in other hand to play game I want to play the d-day (for GameCube) or couple of days after for PS2 US (time to receive it in Europe; I chose to buy a PS2 US because I am using as a DVD Player for the Zone 1 and all the games are in 60Hz, and of course, most of time they are out in US before Europe).

On Neo Geo, I only pre ordered KOF03, Metal Slug 5 and Samurai Spirits 0

 

[LoneSage]

Only unless I'm getting some bonuses. If SF:AC never came with that shirt, I doubt I wouldn't have bought it for months. Just a couple of weeks ago, though, I figured what the hell and took the shirt out the plastic. The sticky note for the GameStop guys with my name and phone # was still on it, too.

I always pre-ordered the Namco light gun games when they came out, except for Vampire Night. Those were always difficult for me to find, but months later I'd always inevitably see one of them marked down to half-price.

Yo Greg, I too am real surpried to find a Taiko DM new at GameStop for only $40. One of these days, I might get it.

 

[Insaneclown]

I never pre order anything.