Are We Entering a Pre-Order Arms Race?

The market of used games sales is flourishing, no matter how numbered its days may be if some rumours are to be believed. High street retail stores regularly boast massive profits due to the re-sale of games, explaining their intent to dirty any rumours that may threaten such a lucrative business.  

However such a profitable section of the market must surely point to a decreasing number of gamers who are holding off on shelling out £40-£45 for a day one release title knowing that if they simply wait a week or two they will be able to pick up that hot title for a discounted price, Its a practice Ive found myself partaking in more often. The downside to this however is that none of this money is headed back to the games publishers themselves and so the publishers now have to fight even harder to convince us to lay down our money on day one or even before the game is released  to ensure there getting their reward.  As a result are we seeing the industry enter into a pre-orders arm race?

Pre-order bonuses are a practice that has been about for quite some time. With games being advertised alongside various in game bonus items, mostly cosmetic but in some cases added story missions and other such content, in return for our promise to buy their game on its day of launch. But of recent I believe we are already seeing an escalation in what now passes for a pre-order bonus. Already this year weve seen games such as Dead Space 3 and Aliens Colonial Marines boast long lists of pre-order bonuses such as the Ripley Pack the usual package of in game exclusive weapons and multiplayer skins, but up and coming releases are offering even bigger bonuses such as a full copy of Crysis when you pre-order Crysis 3 or a full copy of either Gears of War 2 or 3 when you pre-order Gears of War Judgment. A full title is quite the jump in comparison to a multiplayer skin, but is this end? Or will we start to see publishers offering early access to missions in the story or even an early access to the online multiplayer giving players an unfair advantage for the pre-order cash?

Can a game no longer be sold on its own merits alone? Will we actually start to judge a games quality based upon the amount/quality of the pre-order bonuses. Is this the start of a pre-order arms race as companies strive to outdo each other in order to get us gamers to pre-order their title over another? Not that Im going to complain about the opportunity to pick up a free copy of Gears of War. 

-xbenblasterx