Another great piece every gamer should read

[GeraltOrBust]

Another great piece every gamer should read

From Forbes:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2015/06/03/fallout-4-looks-great-but-you-still-shouldnt-pre-order/

A pertinent paragraph:

"For consumers, the perks can be nice. But the dynamic this sets up between consumer and industry is toxic. Hype, rather than quality, drive sales before a game is even released."

Note: I previously posted this and related it to another subject, so it was moved. I've learn't my lesson. This piece stands on its own, applying to any publisher and any game, and is deserved of discussion in its own thread.

Er, if a mod can correct 'game' to 'gamer' in the title that would be appreciated. (typos, the bane of keyboards. Bring on the mind-computer interface I say).

 

[styku]

Your link doesn't work, here's the correct one (I hope this was the one you're referring to!):
Edit: Alright, this is some other link, I'll leave it here if someone's interested.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2015/04/18/youd-have-to-be-crazy-to-pre-order-star-wars-battlefront/


This is all true in most cases. The same goes for most cases of early access for me. Or I would say early access is even worse, because you often get a completely unfinished game at the end and no refund.

I did buy a collectors edition, which was of course preordered. But this is the tradeoff for nice physical goodies I got with it, so I am willing to accept it.
Apart from this, never preordered anything, really. But if I were to preorder a game from a certain developer, it would be CDPR all the way, as a token of my appreciation and trust. This is what preorders are supposed to be, as I understand it.

 

[Eldanon]

I really fail to see why this is in this forum...

 

[GeraltOrBust]

Your link doesn't work, here's the correct one (I hope this was the one you're referring to!):
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2015/04/18/youd-have-to-be-crazy-to-pre-order-star-wars-battlefront/

Whoops, thanks for that, fixed in OP (this was references Fallout 4, though it does seem he has a theme here).

Apart from this, never preordered anything, really. But if I were to preorder a game from a certain developer, it would be CDPR all the way, as a token of my appreciation and trust. This is what preorders are supposed to be, as I understand it.

Yes, I agree, and (as was in my previously moved post) I myself bought two collectors editions of W2 as I loved W1 so much. I think, in part, that's why there's been such a backlash against CDPR over, shall we say, marketing footage and W3. CDPR had generated so much trust over the years, but it also means people hold them to a higher standard.

For myself, I've given up on pre-ordering. Been burnt too many times (partly that authors point in the article), and yes early access is even worse. And that's why I wanted to post this. This cycle will continue until consumers stop throwing money at unreleased products. Consumers think of themselves as sheep, because we are so many, but actually we direct business and entire industries with our wallets.

 

[VelcroSnake]

Don't tell me how to spend my money.

Wasn't going to pre-order Fallout 4 anyway, the trailer wasn't really anything impressive.

 

[dragonbird]

I really fail to see why this is in this forum...

I've moved it to the Community forum. It fits better there, and it won't disappear off the front page in an hour.

(And I fixed the typo in the title as requested)

 

[SystemShock7]

Hype, rather than quality, drive sales before a game is even released.

From the 'No shit, Sherlock" files... hype has driven sales, drives sales, and will drive sales of most consumer goods. Every commercial, billboard, ad you see is a form of hype. What passes for journalism these days...

 

[Aditya]

But he is saying the truth, while we are glad CDP doesn't indulge in such bs practices and rare are they to do so, yet almost everyone else does it.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

Don't pre-order. If companies have money to develop games, let them. They don't need it, but they don't mind getting an interest free loan in the form of your pre-order. Those who don't have money on the other hand turn to crowdfunding. Supporting such developers in advance makes more sense, because they actually need it.