The state of buying a game today for consumers goes as follows:
If you want X from Game 3, you pre-order it from Retailer A. But if you want Y from the same game, then you pre-order it from Retailer B. Then you get the game, play for a while, and incentives X, Y, and Z all make it into the game as DLC a few months later. It's some Alphabet Soup nonsense.
Overall, I understand the logic for retailers to offer particular pre-order incentives. It's their way of giving some kind of edge to their audience. And for consumers, it makes sense too. Some sense. Get your game from whatever brick and mortar shop is offering your particular favorite pre-order incentive.
Imagine a world where retailer specific pre-order bonuses are gone. Out the window. VAMOOS! This is the world that Square Enix's director of marketing, Cord Smith, wants to see, despite that the company is guilty of doing it. Gamers who wanted to pre-order the latest Square Enix title, Hitman: Absolution (out today), found themselves with a a few different options of what they could get, depending on who they ordered the game from.
Players who pre-ordered from Best Buy received a Bronson M1928 submachine gun and a Public Enemy gangster outfit, and Amazon pre orders came with a silenced pistol and tuxedo.
Speaking with GamesIndustry, Smith argued that "channel-wide" pre-order incentives would actually benefit everyone.
"It's a sensitive game, but it's one I think we can play. The retailers have been very receptive to the fact that something channel-wide doesn't really take anything away from them," Smith said. "It kind of puts the ball in their court. The more they can do to bring awareness to their particular customer base about the offer, the better they'll do. As long as it's a good incentive, it's not so bad that's it's not fully exclusive."
Smith sees this move as a win-win for both consumer and retailer alike. Gamers would no longer miss out on content by placing their orders with one retailer or another, and retailers wouldn't lose customers to competition with "better" exclusives. Sounds dreamy, but being a cynic at heart, I wouldn't count on it happening any time soon.
With Hitman: Absolution out today, Square Enix's next big title, Tomb Raider (check out the collector's edition here) is scheduled to release Mar. 5, 2013, for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC. Retailer exclusive deals have already been announced.
