One of the main reasons to pre-order back in the day was to ensure that there would be a copy of the game waiting when you went to pick it up on release day.
Unless you are really interested in a collector’s edition of the game, our current gaming market doesn’t necessitate such measures. Walk into any store on the day a game drops and you will see a shelf full of unspoken-for copies.
There was only one time where I walked into a store to pick up a copy of a game and it was sold out immediately after release, and that was Until Dawn. But in today’s world, a quick Amazon search and an exercise of a little shipping patience will yield you any game you want.
Not putting money into an unfinished project allowed me to temper my expectations. When I paid for a game weeks or months out from its street date, I became attached to every trailer, preview, and other media coverage that came down the pipeline. With each piece of content, my anticipation would grow and grow to the point where my expectations more often than not exceeded the final product. That letdown was generally on me, not the game itself.
In 2015, my approach to game releases was much more laissez-faire, and my satisfaction with the games I purchased was greatly improved. While I still watched trailers and gameplay footage of upcoming releases, my reaction to them wasn’t attached to a prior investment I had made in the game.
Keeping my resolution got a bit tough in September thanks to NBA 2k16’s pre-order bonus, which offered the ability to play the game three days early. My need for the very same instant gratification I was standing up to beckoned to me.
But after some soul-searching, I was reminded why I’d resolved to do this in the first place. Two days after the game released, I picked it up with my resolution still intact.
