8 Video Game Business Practices That Must Die In 2018

7. Pre-Order "Incentives"

Rise Of The Tomb Raider
Sucker Punch

For those occasions when selling a product on its own merit just isn't a safe enough bet, a flurry of pre-order incentives will swoop in to coax a purchase out of you with the promise of additional content that patient consumers aren't allowed access to. At least not for a sizeable cooling off period (see: timed exclusives).

Besides the general stink of desperation (please, buy me!) they give off, that each bonus is often spread across multiple retailers - rather than universal - makes obtaining them all nigh on impossible. Unless you're willing to pick up multiple copies of the same game, you can kiss goodbye to owning the complete package.

From a business standpoint, it's genius' from a consumer's? Nightmarish.

And don't even get us started on the absurdist approach some publishers take with the non-game tat. Glow in the dark condoms for pre-ordering inFamous Second Son?

Video games and prophylactics: a match made in heaven, apparently.

 
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Contributor

Joe is a freelance games journalist who, while not spending every waking minute selling himself to websites around the world, spends his free time writing. Most of it makes no sense, but when it does, he treats each article as if it were his Magnum Opus - with varying results.