One thing I surely didn’t miss throughout the my pre-order-less year was the midnight release. Sure, attendance to these events isn’t required by your pre-orders, but it sure does incentivize it. Putting down money for a game months ahead of its release and knowing you have immediate rights to it promotes a need to be at the head of the line when the game drops at midnight. At least for me.
But a world with no pre-orders was a world of no such lines. A world without overhearing people make bets about who will win the first head-to-head match-up in the latest version of Madden. A world without the threat of physical violence if I don’t proclaim love for my country and join in the fight to run “all foreigners out of the land.” All of which I have experienced first-hand at midnight events in 2014.
Overall, my year without pre-orders didn’t really change my gaming experience in any direction but positively. Dropping money on games only after they had proven themselves saved me the frustration that was gaming in 2014.
With that being said, my venture into a world with no pre-orders turned me into a bit of a proselyte at its inception. My friends, who had not made the same commitment as I had at the turn of the year, caught the full brunt of my judgment when they “dropped $5” on a game they were excited for.
But I realized something. Spending money on your hobby is about doing what brings you joy. Just because I had resolved to not give my money to an unfinished product didn’t mean I had it right. I had become “that guy,” the one that tries to convince people that their way of thinking is wrong simply because it wasn’t my way of thinking.
Not pre-ordering games made my gaming life a whole lot better, but maybe that anticipation, that invest, that “early-adopter” mentality brings joy to those gamers that do pre-order. And who am I to tell anyone how to spend their hard earned cash?
For me, I don’t see any pre-orders in my foreseeable future. The deals don’t often appeal to me, and the heartache of 2014 looms too heavy for me to welcome the process back into my life any time soon. But if pre-ordering makes your gaming life better or a little more financially attainable by all means, pre-order all the games you want! No judgment here!
Do you still pre-order games? What do you need to see from a game before spending your hard-earned cash? Let us know in the comments below.
