Video game preorder incentives
Video game publishers are very keen it seems to get you to order their software titles before the release date. In an attempt to bribe people in to preordering the latest video games, some publishers will offer a free gift or some free game content to those that are prepared to place a preorder.
Arkham Asylum - Free map
A
new trend of late is free downloadable content, or DLC for short. To
entice early adopters developers are offering free exclusive content
to buyers. These deals are normally tied to a big name retailer, such
as GAME in the UK and Gamestop in the US. This content normally consists
of in game objects, characters or maps and can be downloaded from the
Playstation Network or Xbox Live. The clincher here is that this content
is not available to anyone after the game has launched.
If you preorder the new Batman game - Arkham Asylum through GAME they
will allow you to download an exclusive map/level named Scarecrow combat
challenge. Arkham Asylum is available on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. This
game is released on the 28th August 2009.
You
can preorder Arkham Asylum on the PS3 here
Gran Turismo PSP - Free car
Well
it's not really a free motor vehicle, but another piece of DLC. If you
preorder this game, the publishers
of GT5 on the PSP are offering a download code that will entitle you
to download one of five free cars. The game is released on the 1st of
October 2009.
Take your pick from the following street racers:-
2009 Bugatti Veyron
2002 Enzo Ferrari in Giallo Modena
2008 Citroen GT
2009 Nissan GT-R Spec V
1974 Lamborghini Countach LP400
You can preorder Gran Turismo on the PSP here
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
If
you preorded X-Men Origins: Wolverine from Gamestop in the US, you could
have gained access to more exclusive DLC.
For people willing to preorder there was 4 new rooms to download and
play. The four rooms were separate to the game itself and formed a new
game of sorts. Of course if you didn't place a preorder you would have
had no chance to download this DLC in the future, that's just not the
way it's done.
Wolverine is available now here
Some Preorder bonuses you wouldn't want
Not
all preorder bonuses are worth gloating about, take a look at these
giveaways - No More Heroes toliet paper, a Haze syringe pen, a Chrono
Cross analog desk clock, a Mirror's Edge Runner's Bag. I'd stick with
the DLC if I was a publisher!