So just like pre-ordering a game? (Destiny)

by petetheduck, Wednesday, July 16, 2014, 09:21 (3581 days ago) @ Kermit

Yeah, that's another silly thing we do, but at least we're given enough information and media to make a generally informed decision. Plus the preorder minimum is 1/12 the total cost, not 100% up front.

Paying for pre-orders is optional. Pre-ordering itself is optional. There are fans who do feel like they have enough info to make an informed decision about the expansions. It's like when the Beatles announced they would have a new album coming out in December, 1965. A lot of people were positive they wanted to buy it before they knew what the cover looked like. Others could hold off until they'd heard more.

One could say it's horrible that people are so willing to commit on so little information, but on the other hand, it's only horrible when people ending up feeling unhappy with their purchase, and at that point, pre-orders for the next thing will drop off. Being able to fill seats because of your track record is a good thing for artistic endeavors, especially those that require significant expense to produce. The creators get more leverage, which translates into more artistic freedom given by the financiers, who want to keep the goose happy.

Pre-ordering a game implies a certain amount of content. Pre-ordering an album implies a certain amount of content. Season passes--you could be getting anything, nothing is certain.