Deus Ex: Mankind Divided preorder controversy

[Deleted]

Social media are ablaze with furious hate for the new "crowd preordering" mechanic used by Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. So basically, how it works is:

1. You preorder the game and are FORCED to choose between 3 mutually exclusive preorder bonuses that make the game easier, making your experience slightly worse;
2. You then tell all your friends to also preorder this game.
3. If enough people preorder the game, everyone who preorders gets something, like an exclusive mission (read: content ripped from the final game) and you might even be able to play the game 4 days early (read: get the ability to spoil the game to everyone who didn't preorder).
4. When the game releases for those that didn't preorder, they get to play an inferior version with less content and possibly even major story plotpoints ruined.

I did some research, there's a name for this. Ponzi schemes are when someone convinces several people to pay them, and then those people convince others to pay them, and it goes on and on until the whole thing falls apart in a pile of shit and lawsuits. In this case, Squeenix convinces people to buy the game in advance without knowing the quality of the game (possibly shooting themselves in the foot right there if the game turns out shit), those people then convince their friends to preorder (again with the risk of a downer ending) so they can get more rewards, and it goes on and on until the whole thing turns out to be a waste when not enough people preordered and the scheme falls apart in a pile of infulfilled promises and disappointment.

Am I too cynical? maybe. But we already had one Deus Ex game before that was an unwanted and unneeded shitfest, we don't want another. And yes, I am biased because this whole scheme is more anticonsumer than the whole of EA.

Here are some videos from 2 professional game reporters:

[Jester Joe]

This sounds way too early to decide, most of it seems like you're assuming (Who says the exclusive mission isn't going to be some random side thing that's irrelevant, and have they said whatever pre-order bonus you get HAS to be used in game? D3 for the systems came with an exp boost crown that you didn't need to use as an example)

That being said, it also sounds like an idea that was decent on paper, awkwardly implemented though. I don't think it's ever a good idea to make preorders effect more than just small extra stuff, you shouldn't have early access based on how many other's preorder, that just sounds like a "HEY, PLEASE BUY THE GAME NOW".

[Tech614]

So you think companies trying to entice you to preorder a game at full price is a new practice with mankind divided?

Sorry to let you know this has been going on for a long time now... Especially on steam many games have had the *more preorders unlock new stages of bonuses* shit.

[Edge-]

This...isn't a Ponzi scheme.

Anti-consumer preorder nonsense, absolutely. But this has been happening for years, both the preorder tiers and the retailer/preorder level exclusive DLC.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Ripping content from the final game to resell back to the consumer as a prepurchase bonus/DLC/whatever ala Skylanders style, is a bad business practice.

As for the part about spreading the word and getting other people to pre-purchase it as well, I think Joe's post summed it up pretty nicely.

[Deleted]

You don't understand what a Ponzi scheme is.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

I wonder, can game companies even produce "bonuses" or something anymore without people claiming that it's "ripped from the game" or something?

It seems like they can't win anymore. If they just sell the game straight, people whine about there not being any incentives, extras, "collectors edition" or whatever else. If they make extra stuff, then people complain that they're selling "half a game" or whatever.

Skylanders was blatant; about 40 minutes into the game you see an island with a big ass treasure chest (YES! You can actually see this) and a gate that takes you to the island, but the narrator clearly says "You need a Sky skylander to get to that side area", but the base game only comes with fire, water, and magic, meaning if you want to get to all the side areas in the game - areas that aren't even apart of a patch - you need to drop $70 on other types Skylanders to unlock all the areas. And that's before we even start talking about the ingame quests you can only complete with the so-called "expansions".

[Val the Moofia Boss]

"A sky skylander"

Does that sound ridiculous to anyone else?

It sounds as ridiculous as it's written.

[Deleted]

I was so curious to get to know how a preoder of a game could be a ponzi scheme, but turns out the term is just misunderstood in here. laaaaame, /thread

[ro9ue]

Not a ponzi scheme.

A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation where the operator, an individual or organization, pays returns to its investors from new capital paid to the operators by new investors, rather than from profit earned by the operator.

Still though - totally anti-consumer.

Totalbiscuit will probably have a video bitching about this any day now.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Totalbiscuit will probably have a video bitching about this any day now.

He's just trying to protect his fellow consumers and put his voice out there to (hopefully) stop these practices.

- - - Updated - - -

Nevermind! He's already recorded one:

[Deleted]

Not a Ponzi scheme, but not exactly a positive way to go about marketing your pre orders.

Must admit the only things I've preordered for the last 2/3 years are MMO expansions. It's just too much pot luck to get a game on preorder.

[Deleted]

*snip*

Do not promote piracy in these forums. -Edge

[Frolk]

Game devs, y u destroy my fav games 1 by 1 ;________;

This is why ppl pirate, im 100% sure the pirated version will be a COMPLETE game with all pre-order bonus`s and that is sad and ppl wonder why ppl keep pirate? >_>

[unholytestament]

I'll just wait until the "game of the year" edition or whatever it winds up being called comes out.

*snip*

Or that.

[Dread Pirate Phayde]

I'm not sure I'd call it a ponzi scheme, but the new trend of preorder, retailer exclusives, day one dlc, etc is certainly troubling and one reason I wait for GotY edition or am considering giving up gaming altogether.

[Deleted]

This...isn't a Ponzi scheme.

Anti-consumer preorder nonsense, absolutely. But this has been happening for years, both the preorder tiers and the retailer/preorder level exclusive DLC.

This.

A Ponzi scheme works differently. This is just the next level of preorder crap.

[breadisfunny]

somebody better alert the fbi. i think they let one slip under their radar.

[Blueobelisk]

This isn't a ponzi scheme. And getting a game early doesn't ruin your content. No one is forcing you to know plotpoints about a game you haven't played yet.

I actually think preorder meaning getting the day a week early is a good thing. That'd make preordering worth it.

[Sky High]

TB has had an axe to grind with pre-oerdering for a while, but I agree with him and sterling on this more or less. it's not a ponzi scheme though, but a "schemey" way of selling a product.