If this only had to do with a color and not actual gameplay, odds are pete wouldn't have even made this thread. Also, no one has said a word about the color aspect. It's damned if you do pre-orders that impact gameplay.

I would've made the thread. I think preorder exclusives, especially retail specific, are BS.

Yes, I know where Claude is coming from, and making this a limited time exclusive is a lesser evil kind've scenario.

Would I rather there be no preorder exclusives? Yes!
Would I rather Bungie do THIS rather than what 343 Industries did with Halo 4? Yes!

Your comment about hoping the rest of the fireteam being able to keep up is exactly what I thought. But it's kind've a moot point because at some point players will be able to upgrade their Sparrow anyway, so the discrepancy will exist. This just means it will exist on day one, instead of day five.

Ah, I get you. Didn't really consider the retailer exclusive part. Part of that "things change, deal with it" that Claude was giving me is my not caring if they offer dumb exclusives like aesthetics that don't impact gameplay. That's the way things have gone, nothing can be done about it, and at least it doesn't impact anything.

I don't like the compromise thought of "I would rather Bungie does this vs. what 343 did" because, well, I'd rather neither of them do what they are. I get that you feel it's a moot point, day one vs. day five or whatever, but DLC that impacts gameplay, even if for a day, shouldn't exist as far as I'm concerned (especially when retailer exclusive, like you said).

If this only had to do with a color and not actual gameplay, odds are pete wouldn't have even made this thread. Also, no one has said a word about the color aspect. It's damned if you do pre-orders that impact gameplay.

I would've made the thread. I think preorder exclusives, especially retail specific, are BS.

Yes, I know where Claude is coming from, and making this a limited time exclusive is a lesser evil kind've scenario.

Would I rather there be no preorder exclusives? Yes!
Would I rather Bungie do THIS rather than what 343 Industries did with Halo 4? Yes!

Your comment about hoping the rest of the fireteam being able to keep up is exactly what I thought. But it's kind've a moot point because at some point players will be able to upgrade their Sparrow anyway, so the discrepancy will exist. This just means it will exist on day one, instead of day five.

What, specifically, are some of the ways out of the plenty? Claude seems to be saying (and please correct me if I'm wrong) that the current system is the best gaming industry people, who are mostly great people, have come up with. The absence of another system right now suggests our current scheme is the best available to balance the myriad of pressures, needs, and wants.

A marketing plan that only potentially increases sales at a GameStop from people who would most likely be buying this game regardless (either from GameStop because it's their main/only option, or elsewhere) only increases GameStop's overall sales. I'm sure the effect on Bungie's/Destiny's sales as a whole is minimal.

And what I mean by minimal is that people might cancel their Amazon or Best Buy or whatever pre-orders to go to GameStop. GameStops are still all over the place. The same sales occur. All this does is stunt gameplay for some people when compared to others.

Which doesn't change the fact that I've already said that things that Kermit said are correct. We don't know just how long it will be "exclusive" or how long it takes to unlock in game or any of that. The theory is that if it's a pre-order bonus worth making a pre-order bonus, it's not some simple unlock after a few simple hours of play. Again, I could be completely wrong. Regardless, pre-order exclusive content that impacts gameplay shouldn't happen. I think that's all I really need to say about this anymore. Others can disagree, and that's fine, too.

It must feel great to know how superior you are to those bastards at Bungie.

Do you really think it feels GOOD to see a company whose games have been a huge part of my life and who are known for top quality start to go the way of Blizzard, Maxis, Lucasarts, etc?

I don't get the extreme response over this. We don't know how this exclusive actually affects game play. We don't know how trivial it could be, in that anyone might be able to upgrade their sparrow's speed after a few hours playing the game. You're obviously aware of Bungie's pedigree for delivering great experiences to gamers, and yet this is the last straw--they've earned no benefit of a doubt from you.

You've got enough cynicism and curmudgeonliness for a man twice your age (I would know). What are you going to do now, Cody? Not play Destiny? Leave DBO? Walk the earth, meet people, get into adventures?

I think what is amusing to me here is that everybody was ready to jump on Activision with the whole Marty situation as if the publisher somehow has say on who Bungie hires or lets go, but on a MARKETING decision, something we know that Activision is heavily involved in, we blame Bungie and call them bastards, and Activision isn't even mentioned.

The fact that they decided to include a tiny retailer exclusive pre-order bonus will not ruin this game. Yes I don't necessarily like it, but I also happen to know that there is intense pressure all around to do this kind of thing. They could've had a special gun, armor, extra missions, double experience, or what have you, but they chose something that from everything we've seen will have very little effect on gameplay. You can drive faster from place to place, so effing what? If we're playing together it just means you have to wait for me, and when we get there I can shoot aliens in the face just as well as you. This may not be cosmetic, but it's as close to cosmetic as you can possibly get without being cosmetic.

I'll gladly upgrade my sparrow and enjoy the process, if someone wants to fly circles around me while I do have fun :-p

</rant>

It must feel great to know how superior you are to those bastards at Bungie.

Do you really think it feels GOOD to see a company whose games have been a huge part of my life and who are known for top quality start to go the way of Blizzard, Maxis, Lucasarts, etc?

It feels TERRIBLE.

Disagreeing with you. That's garbage. If you can get it in-game anyway, then just make it available to everyone from the get-go. Why make everyone who didn't pre-order from random bullshit place #1 drive a slower, less efficient one? Don't stunt gameplay for the masses for a time just because it is apparently unlockable at some random and undefined time in the future.

You're starting to sound like someone I know.

Why sadly? Why can't SOME of the decisions made be made for marketing reasons - why can't we acknowledge the reality of making and selling games, and stop pretending that the only thing that SHOULD matter is that the player is happy?

Because exactly zero extra people will buy the game who otherwise aren't because of this bonus. It has zero effect on marketing and sales. All the benefit goes to gamestop. None to Bungie. In fact, it is detrimental to Bungie because of the effect on the game, and on their reputation.

They could have not done this, sold exactly as many copies, and have had a better game.

Fucking sellouts. I think we can finally say it. Sad day isn't it Matt?

Nah. They seemed to do just fine for the previous decade of Halo games they made with all of the marketing.

Dude... things change.

AT&T was doing just fine in the 60s with wired phone service to houses... and yet that's a tiny fraction of their business today.

Things do change. You scoffed at the "plenty of ways" statement. They had plenty of ways then, and there are still plenty of ways now that don't involve gameplay changing exclusives.

Why are you taking this like a personal attack from Bungie on you, when it's just a sign of how marketing has evolved in the past decade? Things change. Deal with it.

So pete makes a thread, others agree, and others still after the disclaimer still aren't too thrilled at the thought. That becomes a personal attack on people... how? Bungie's not going after anyone. That doesn't mean that the pre-order decision doesn't suck (in my opinion). I feel the issue is the response to the concerns. Pete makes a post, he's a whiner and a debbie downer and so is anyone agreeing with him. Lame reaction to someone who doesn't like something (even if that something is "small" or "exclusive for a limited time").

Nah. They seemed to do just fine for the previous decade of Halo games they made with all of the marketing.

Dude... things change.

AT&T was doing just fine in the 60s with wired phone service to houses... and yet that's a tiny fraction of their business today.

Why are you taking this like a personal attack from Bungie on you, when it's just a sign of how marketing has evolved in the past decade? Things change. Deal with it.

But whatever. Huge gigantic open shared world experience, why not speed up some peoples' journeys for marketing's sake. I just hope everyone in a fireteam can keep up.

lol

Wrong. Ever since JDQuackers' post, numerous people have expressed relief that the paintjob is the only real exclusive, and that it's timed.

The entire focus was never about the color. That's the point. It was about the fast Sparrow and its effects on gameplay. You can even see that in JDQuacker's initial post.

I don't disagree regarding pre-order bonuses that affect gameplay, but I doubt this qualifies else there'd be no need a disclaimer.

The disclaimer is there to tell you that they know this impacts gameplay, and that you can still get this yourself in some form or another after who knows how long. If this didn't impact gameplay, there would be no need for the disclaimer (except for the aesthetic coloring, which would have the disclaimer of a three month time period).

If this only had to do with a color and not actual gameplay, odds are pete wouldn't have even made this thread. Also, no one has said a word about the color aspect. It's damned if you do pre-orders that impact gameplay.

Wrong. Ever since JDQuackers' post, numerous people have expressed relief that the paintjob is the only real exclusive, and that it's timed.

I don't disagree regarding pre-order bonuses that affect gameplay, but I doubt this qualifies else there'd be no need for a disclaimer.