Preorders, Kickstarters and Benefits (Destiny)

by Kermit , Raleigh, NC, Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 07:58 (2680 days ago) @ narcogen

I still got three extra days, and I enjoyed them. I know I'm buying the game. Unless the raid sucks (highly improbable), I know I'm going to get my money's worth (even buying special editions) compared to just about any other entertainment I could purchase for myself (except maybe used books).

I guess I understand the argument against preorders, but preorders represent a company's or game's stock in a sense. It encourages more investment in both, and I've yet to be convinced that pre-orders have contributed negatively to the quality of Bungie's games.

Except stock ownership confers benefits that preorders don't.

So pre-order bonuses aren't a thing?

I didn't say "stock ownership confers benefits AND preorders don't".

I said "stock ownership confers benefits THAT preorders don't".

Whether the preorder bonuses are worth the lost opportunity costs and the perverse incentives it creates is a separate argument.

When you invest in a thing, you get a negotiable asset that (hopefully) increases in value, and confers upon the owner certain other rights, such as voting rights, in certain conditions.

Preordering gives you bonuses plus the same thing everyone gets on launch day: the game.

Funding through Kickstarter or other platforms gives you bonuses (maybe) and the game (maybe) or quite possibly nothing at all.

You can, of course, invest your money and lose it, but that's because the thing you bought is no longer worth anything, not because you never received the thing you "bought".

I'm not talking about the direct benefits to those who preorder, although there are some. I'm saying preorders are a measure of the company's or game's value, which in turn affect the actual stock value and (one hopes) the ability of the company to maintain and attract the talent necessary to make the game good, which is one of preorder sales' indirect benefits to gamers.