Pre-Ordering WoW Expansions / Blizzard Games?

[WintersLegion]

I only Pre-Ordered Mist of Pandaria due to the guarantee beta invite, which was stupid since they eventually allowed everyone in. Other than that, I always just bought Blizzard games either on the release day or sometime after.

Outside of Blizzard games, I do Pre-Order a game here or there. And when I do, I am 100% sure that it is worth it, and it never is a disappointment when I do.

I never pre-purchase any game.

MoP didn't have a guaranteed beta invite from pre-ordering. What gave the guaranteed Beta invite for that was the Annual Pass.

[Ateo]

I will forever preorder anything from blizzard, simply because I have yet to be disappointed by anything they've made since I was like 8 years old. Allll the way back to the days of Warcraft 2 they've been producing top quality triple A titles. Even when they do drop the ball(Diablo 3 launch) it's still a quality product out performing other games within their genres. Outside of blizzard though, I'll never again preorder a game. I haven't played a game that was worth its day one price in years, almost every game that's come out since like 2010 was sub par and honestly not worth $60, it's smarter financially, and in some cases smarter to wait due to the sheer amount of bugs on release(hello skyrim and fallout 4...). Plus all of the bullshit DLC released nowadays ends up bundled into a definitive edition within the first year(almost every modern fighting game...). My opinion is if you play an mmo religiously preorder it's expansion, if you play other games casually, just wait for the game of the year/definitive editions of said games.

[The Flavour Cat]

Nowadays I won't do it when they're announced, so I'll wait a bit closer to the pre-patch. The only ones I have done are WoD and Legion, and those were both pre-purchases. WoD's Collector's Edition was bought when it was available to buy online. Iirc, I waited a bit closer to Legion's pre patch, mainly for the early access to DHs.
I pre-purchase them so I don't have the hassle of having to install it all on launch day.

As for it being a good thing? Well, when you trust the company and have enjoyed their recent release I won't blame you for wanting to get your hands on their next product ASAP, although I think people should wait until the game's new content is functioning and not a buggy piece of shit. You wouldn't want to buy a game knowing it wasn't in best condition for consumption, right? Thankfully when I've played a new expansion in the first week it's fine with me.

[Zandalarian Paladin]

I rarely preorder, unless I'm absolutely sure I'll play. I preordered Zelda BOTW, I preorder Witcher 3. I preorder every WoW expansion. I preordered No Man's Sky (25+h played up to now, which is more than many AAA games there days).

[Lochton]

I pre-order as soon as I have a release date.

[Phookah]

I pre-order stuff that I know I'm buying for sure.

[RoKPaNda]

If I enjoy a series, or I enjoy games from a developer, I tend to preorder yes. I put absolutely zero stock in the opinion of youtube game critics, and even less in professional critics. I watch gameplay footage and determine if *I* think it looks entertaining.

[goblingirl]

I have always done pre-orders, all the way back to Classic. Back then Collector's Edition really *was* a collector's item and if you wanted those things you had to pre-order or never get them. No digital download editions back then.

Heh I remember picking up my order at 8am on release day for Classic. The clerk was like "what's this game? never heard of it". LOL

[Thetruth1400]

For me, it ensures me that I will be one of the first ones with a copy of the game

Considering that 74%, according to the ESA, of all games purchased are now digital, this fear is just stupid. There are no more shortages except for artificially created ones.

So to answer the main question; no I don't pre-order much anymore, especially not from Blizzard. I'm not that interested in many Blizzard titles, and WoW hasn't performed well for the last three expansions nor have I played much in that time. Cataclysm was the last expansion from Blizzard that I pre-ordered. MoP I purchased on Black Friday because I picked it up for $15 somewhere. WoD was something similar; picked up because I got it on sale. Legion I picked up because it actually showed promise.

[WintersLegion]

If I enjoy a series, or I enjoy games from a developer, I tend to preorder yes. I put absolutely zero stock in the opinion of youtube game critics, and even less in professional critics. I watch gameplay footage and determine if *I* think it looks entertaining.

Yeah I have read reviews of games where they disparage something about it that I myself enjoyed.

[RoKPaNda]

Considering that 74%, according to the ESA, of all games purchased are now digital, this fear is just stupid. There are no more shortages except for artificially created ones.

So to answer the main question; no I don't pre-order much anymore, especially not from Blizzard. I'm not that interested in many Blizzard titles, and WoW hasn't performed well for the last three expansions nor have I played much in that time. Cataclysm was the last expansion from Blizzard that I pre-ordered. MoP I purchased on Black Friday because I picked it up for $15 somewhere. WoD was something similar; picked up because I got it on sale. Legion I picked up because it actually showed promise.

Not picking up WoW because it doesn't do well presumably due to sub numbers, is pretty silly considering the game is built around sub numbers cycling now.

I preorder more because I want to make sure that the game is installed and ready to go on launch day.

[unbound]

Not anymore.

I used to. I pre-ordered Vanilla, BC, and Wrath, and haven't done so since then. I have the physical collector's edition for each of those.

I stopped for 2 reasons:
- Blizzard start getting greedy charging more and more for the physical collector's edition
- WoW's quality has been on a steady decline

I'm not interested in encouraging those values.

[TEHPALLYTANK]

Legion and WoD are the only expansions I haven't pre-ordered. Overwatch I bought about a week after launch, SC2 I pre-ordered all 3 parts of it, D3 I pre-ordered the main game and bought RoS a few weeks after RoS dropped.

I try to avoid pre-ordering games ever since I made the mistake of buying The Division, worst game I've ever purchased at full price; I have bought shittier games, but only when they're on sale for $5 or less (I'm looking at you, The Witcher and Fallout 3).

[Thetruth1400]

Not picking up WoW because it doesn't do well presumably due to sub numbers, is pretty silly considering the game is built around sub numbers cycling now.

I won't deny that now, but that hasn't always been the case. At this point, I pretty much fall into the second part of my statement; actually seeing if the content is good once it's in the hands of the players. MoP was mediocre, WoD was a massive flop, and Legion isn't anything spectacular to shake a stick at. Sure, there is a lot to do, but that lot is repetitive, easy, and dull at best and downright crap to some.

[Jester Joe]

I only pre-order from companies that I know I'm going to enjoy their game anyway, since they haven't let me down yet.

Like Nintendo, and Blizzard (I'll forgive Warlords).

[Cosmic Janitor]

Initial content is always good, even in the shitstain that is WoD. So the original purchase has never been a mastake so far, there is also plenty of first hand knowledge available through the betas, hence you know half of it anyway if care even remotely. For everything beyond leveling I just cancel my sub.


A completely new game by blizzard though, especially if it were a single player game like the diablo franchise.. yeah I'd be more cautious there.

[Low Hanging Fruit]

If you are a collector or someone that will blindly pick up anything out of loyalty why not (I do it with WoW, as long as my guild is together I will be playing). I do tend to preorder but only a week before launches typically. Let's me listen to stuff over a development cycle, hear from beta testers, then listen in on big reviewers that get early access.

[Hypasonic]

I always pre-order WoW expansions because I know I'm going to play them and having it pre-ordered means I'm ready to play as soon as it goes live. I probably wouldn't pre order a new game that I didn't really know much about though. Plus with preordering WoW expansions you usually get something as a bonus, be it early access to something or a "free" character boost.

[RobertoCarlos]

I always pre-order WoW expansions because I know I'm going to play them and having it pre-ordered means I'm ready to play as soon as it goes live. I probably wouldn't pre order a new game that I didn't really know much about though. Plus with preordering WoW expansions you usually get something as a bonus, be it early access to something or a "free" character boost.

Character boosts come with the expansion. They are not pre order bonus. Collector editions normally have a mount and pet and cost more money

[Marrilaife]

Character boosts come with the expansion. They are not pre order bonus.

However being able to play my new boosted lvl 100 at cap for 9 months longer was a benefit of preordering.