Halo 4 Extra Pe-Order incentives?

Games Other Halo
1

This pertains to the gaming retail industry more than just Halo 4 but:

Why are so many pre-order extras going to Gamestop as a retailer, instead of some place that is not as focused on selling used games?

This question has been in my mind for a while because you look at the devs/publishers of these games and some are taking action against the used game industry such as but not limited to: EA and Ubisoft starting to put online passes in their games. This is clearly an effort by the ones who made the game to get money out of every time someone buys their game. Whether this is good/bad/right/wrong is not the topic. This is just an observation.

The thing that bothers me is the fact that the publishers/devs do this but then turn around and say:

“We don’t like the used game industry but the best/most/only pre-order bonus('s) are going to the retailer best known for it’s used game sales.”

This has been popping up since pre-order bonuses became popular. You have games like FC,ME,and AC(to name a few) that use pre-order bonus incentives, and who is the first retailer they turn to? GS. And who is the retailer who is advertised in the games commercials? GS.

Their is a difference when it is something like Borderlands 2, because they have stated that GS gave them the extra money to make the DLC with the promise that they would be the ones to get it. GS took a gamble and gave them money for more work hours and in return Gearbox gave them the only (retailer specific) pre-order bonus.

How it pertains to Halo 4?

The thing that bothers me is the fact that whoever is managing the pre-order incentives for Halo 4 (343/Microsoft?) went and led us to believe that each retailer got about the same (Maybe an armor skin and an emblem). Then goes and seems to play favorites and gives GS three more bonuses that the customers choose.(this has been on these forms multiple threads if you missed it you flip through these forms less than me) My main question is: Why?

Why play favorites with a company that is selling used games and damaging your profits?
These seem to be the same incentives given to other retailers just now given to GS.(correct me if I am wrong) So why this close to release (yes we are four weeks away, with these extras being added at five) do they change the plans.

Sorry if this has been posted elsewhere, please direct me to the thread. I don’t usually get directly involved in the topics on this form, I just fly about watching other conversations.

2

Yeah I was wondering this to, I woulda loved for Bestbuy to let us vote on more pre orders.

3

In all honesty I don’t see why they could not have the poll on waypoint and then add it to all retailers.

It would make more sense than clearly supporting a retailer that is damaging your overall profits.

BTW: I think Best Buy has a used game buy/sell system too, so for the sake of argument I think the extras should be all or nothing. Because so many retailers have a used game system of some type.

4

Gamestop may have just payed for the right to have more, or maybe they wanted to be able to get more of the pre-ordered stuff into peoples hands instead of buying 5 copies and gave it to gamestop because they most likely have the most pre-orders.

5

If they wanted to get it to the most people why not add it to all retailers instead of being selective?

Also whether GS paid or not, don’t you think it would hurt the overall industry more to support a company that removes the dev from the profit pool while still getting games to players?

6

Because most of the pre-orders come from Gamestop? It’s fine with me because i always pre-order from there.

7

> Because most of the pre-orders come from Gamestop? It’s fine with me because i always pre-order from there.

And the people who don’t always pre order from there?

8

> > Because most of the pre-orders come from Gamestop? It’s fine with me because i always pre-order from there.
>
> And the people who don’t always pre order from there?

Apparently we don’t matter even though the devs/publishers have made it clear that they don’t like the used game industry.

9

> If they wanted to get it to the most people why not add it to all retailers instead of being selective?
>
>
> Also whether GS paid or not, don’t you think it would hurt the overall industry more to support a company that removes the dev from the profit pool while still getting games to players?

It would hurt the developers more if they alienated the company who controls the majority of the market. You as a developer stop supporting GameStop, you can expect that they won’t support you and with that you may lose a huge percentage of profit because they won’t push your games.

Either way, the dlc is all paid for. Each company shells out a certain amount of cash to buy the rights which in turn guarantees a higher profit margin because it’s easier to get a preorder when you offer something fee with it. It’s the same reason Microsoft has timed exclusive dlc.

10

> If they wanted to get it to the most people why not add it to all retailers instead of being selective?
>
>
> Also whether GS paid or not, don’t you think it would hurt the overall industry more to support a company that removes the dev from the profit pool while still getting games to players?

It would hurt the developers more if they alienated the company who controls the majority of the market. You as a developer stop supporting GameStop, you can expect that they won’t support you and with that you may lose a huge percentage of profit because they won’t push your games.

Either way, the dlc is all paid for. Each company shells out a certain amount of cash to buy the rights which in turn guarantees a higher profit margin because it’s easier to get a preorder when you offer something fee with it. It’s the same reason Microsoft has timed exclusive dlc.

11

> > Because most of the pre-orders come from Gamestop? It’s fine with me because i always pre-order from there.
>
> And the people who don’t always pre order from there?

You guys are screwed, just another reason to pre-order from trusty ol Gamestop.

12

> > If they wanted to get it to the most people why not add it to all retailers instead of being selective?
> >
> >
> > Also whether GS paid or not, don’t you think it would hurt the overall industry more to support a company that removes the dev from the profit pool while still getting games to players?
>
> It would hurt the developers more if they alienated the company who controls the majority of the market. You as a developer stop supporting GameStop, you can expect that they won’t support you and with that you may lose a huge percentage of profit because they won’t push your games.
>
> Either way, the dlc is all paid for. Each company shells out a certain amount of cash to buy the rights which in turn guarantees a higher profit margin because it’s easier to get a preorder when you offer something fee with it. It’s the same reason Microsoft has timed exclusive dlc.

I don’t mean to stop using GS all together but to not play favorites with them as a retailer. GS is being commonly used as a “dump everything here we’ll get tons of immediate profits” company. But in the long run the devs/publishers can theoretically get less than half the profits on latter game sales

13

> > > If they wanted to get it to the most people why not add it to all retailers instead of being selective?
> > >
> > >
> > > Also whether GS paid or not, don’t you think it would hurt the overall industry more to support a company that removes the dev from the profit pool while still getting games to players?
> >
> > It would hurt the developers more if they alienated the company who controls the majority of the market. You as a developer stop supporting GameStop, you can expect that they won’t support you and with that you may lose a huge percentage of profit because they won’t push your games.
> >
> > Either way, the dlc is all paid for. Each company shells out a certain amount of cash to buy the rights which in turn guarantees a higher profit margin because it’s easier to get a preorder when you offer something fee with it. It’s the same reason Microsoft has timed exclusive dlc.
>
> I don’t mean to stop using GS all together but to not play favorites with them as a retailer. GS is being commonly used as a “dump everything here we’ll get tons of immediate profits” company. But in the long run the devs/publishers can theoretically get less than half the profits on latter game sales

Then perhaps the other retailers should pick up the slack ans try harder? I know Target does game and electronic trade-ins now.

14

They should just have the same deal every where. It shouldn’t be limited to buy from a specific store.