Recently, a new marketing strategy has fallen into place with video games. Publishers have started releasing their incomplete games with added incentives, encouraging consumers to purchase the product without knowing anything about it.
In his opinion article on pre-order culture, Ben Kuchera suggests that pre-ordering could be seen as gambling: consumers who pre-order games have no impression other than what is released as previews from the publisher. There are no reviews available, no opinions to help a consumer’s choice before spending money. Kuchera claims “That’s not marketing, that’s customer hostility” (2014).
I personally have noticed this as a consumer, spending money on video games is no longer a simple purchase. The exclusivity of content limits choices customers have. Ultimately pre orders lead to the releases of incomplete titles, to sell the missing pieces separately. In some cases, retailers like Game Stop sell “exclusive content” meaning you have to purchase the game there to receive all of what the game has to offer.
Consumers who do pre-order games simply encourage publishers to continue with this new manner of manipulation. It’s up to us, the consumers to stop the publishers from continuing on this pattern.
Works cited:
Kuchara, Ben. “You Shouldn’t Pre-order Alien: Isolation (or Any Other Game).” Polygon. Polygon, 10 July 2014. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.
Picture from Game Stop