Pre order numbers are very beneficial as they help to forecast the sales of the base game. Factoring-in a season pass adoption rate from previous games with the base games order numbers helps in establishing how much they can budget and include in the DLC.
I realise there the hardcore still lurking in the forum that will buy anything Borderlands and this topic is really not aimed at those instead I pose this question to those who either did not buy TPS but did buy BL and/or BL2 previously. Or those who bought TPS and are not happy with how the TPS turned out (I am the latter). When they announce BL3 what things do you need to know before you are confident on supporting with a preorder?
For me in Borderlands games there is a long journey and a lot of time to invest in when you start a new character and develop it to its full potential. I had real issues with BL2 until TTAoDK came out but I was ok with it overall by the end (last of DLCs) as they expanded on the shortcomings and gave enough content to provide enough engagement with the game. I felt that even though TPS was well made that the overall experience of completing the first play-through left me unfulfilled and unwanting to continue nor restart with a new character. At a minimum there should have been two large expansions to look forward too to help make this game more engaging.
For BL3 I would like there to be a lot more clarity upfront on how the experience of the game compares to each of the others. I guess the key factors I need to know are that the game is long, but not grindy long but, instead long because of variety and diversity. That the cool loot is more accessible and durable? Any areas designed with lots of traversal unlock fast access points once the initial challenges based around the traversal have been met. The game has the ability to pick up and have fun aspect rather than the need to develop such an intense character build and loot accumulation in order to not feel like everything is a bullet sponge. Yes I would like the ability to play in an easy mode that still allows me to keep playing the same character on successive playthroughs.
Not pre-paying for anything, no one should. Pre-ordering means you put faith in the company to put out a quality product. For the last year releases have been nothing but buggy. Iâm not supporting this behavior anymore.
I wonder if pre-ordering of BB will be affected by how the BL releases have unfolded. I have no interest in BB at the moment but that could change post launch if the game is good enough for the solo player.
ACM, and to an extend TPS will most likely affect sales for BB and any future GBX products. Alot of people are still mad about ACM, and I cannot blame them.
For me, ACM was the reason why I stopped pre-ordering. I hope BB will end up being good, but Iâm afraid that it might end up failing for one reason or another.
Even though iâd like to believe gbx wouldnât do that to its fans but nonetheless there is no a real reason for us as consumers to pre-order anymore. we live in a digital age where most games come out in (unlimited) digital form with the physical copies on release day.
If want you the game you CAN find a way to buy it on release day and afterwards. These arenât nintendo wiiâs (back in its heyday) or amiibos (damn you nintendo!), stocks arenât limited.
Thatâs good for them but itâs not a good reason for consumers to pre-order, in fact it might be a bad one. It could give companies more of an incentive/pressure to meet that deadline to maintain those pre-orders potentially forcing developers to release an unfinished game (i.e. Batman Arkham Origins/Knight, Assassinâs Creed Unity).
We as consumers have absolutely no way of knowing how complete the game will be on release and with publishers using devious methods like embargos to make sure we donât find out what their game is really like until its too late, itâs time we fought back with our wallets! donât pre-order games and complain when theyâre buggy, fight for better practices and you WILL get them (âmoney talks bull**** walksâ).
Fight for the Revolution!!!
Now⊠iâm not saying developers want to deceive/manipulate us no-one wants to make a bad game. To developers, games are their lives work and more importantly their CVs, they put everything they have into making games (theyâre artists); but that doesnât change the fact that at the end of the day game making is a business, and to keep the lights on in office the have to make a profit.
All Borderlands games have been complete (but unbalanced/buggy) on release. The DLC has been a mess of good and bad. I think its OK to preorder the main game as generally by the time it gets to that point much of the work has been done. DLC preorders is paying for something that has not even been started yet and thatâs kind of crazy. This is where a large part if the problem lies. Last two season passes really did not deliver to the calibre of the main game.
Balancing wasnât even a thing in the first Borderlands. Anarchies are still the best non-red text SMGâs.
But, all 3 BL games we have now all worked on release (argueable with TPS considering that missions scripts didnât always advance for some). Even Opposing Force, the HL expansion that I love had a game breaking glitch on release.
As for Season Passes. Bad idea, no matter which game they are ment for. Thereâs always a group that will not be satisfied (TPSâ pass being a great example, while it was the answer to the complaint from 2âs Season pass).
I would have thought that the DLC situation for TPS canât really be cited as bad in this respect, as with 2K AU going down like that, there was no real chance to release more than the Claptrap and Holodrome DLCs.
pre ordered BL2 because of Borderlands, Pre ordered The Pre-Sequel because of Borderlands 2, will not pre-order Borderlands 3 because of the pre-sequel, nuff said
not pre-ordering BB either. will wait and see what others say about it, me from what Iâve seen/heard it looks like a remake of Borderlands
I know never trust pre ordering anymore ever since assassins creed unity and tps. It really bugged me how I waited for both games to come out for the longest time. Excited to get them, but them turning out to be not so great -_-. I still want to pre order games in general but I have to stop myself because although the game may look great (Metal gear solid, Borderlands 3, dead island 2). Iâm not taking that chance again.
Plus If I knew borderlands Iâd say theyâd come out with a million dlc so Iâd get Game of the year or season pass er something.
I was a late jumper into the bl series so I am not exactly sure how well gearbox releases games, I did pre-order tps and itâs performance was acceptable and I didnât have any real issues with the 360 version. So itâs a toss up in that respect.
Still they allowed the handsome collection to come out how it did (tps was one of the worst games Iâve seen released in recent times) , even though they werenât directly the developers of the re-release I think itâs still some of their responsibility to make sure the game comes out OK, after all its their name thatâs put on the line.
If the game becomes a massive online multiplayer game Iâm out. This game is unique in that it can cater to both single player and multiplayer types. Cutting out the single offline possibilities for online play only would definitely not only make me not pre-order it, I would not order it period.
Unless the game actually has something unique and bad ass thatâs exclusive to pre-order I wonât pre-order bl3. A shock pit type exclusive, a special colored gun or beta access to some future product wonât cut it. Free golden keys or free bad ass points right out the gate may do it though.
Considering GBs latest track record, and even other companys, i only have ever preordered a couple of games in my life, they were from GB, and yes one was the ACM, so NO, i wont be preordering anything GB related, when and if i see a good game from GB that delivers what they say it should, then i might buy it after release IF the reviews are good only. GB taught me a good lessing when it comes to preordering and season passes, Just have to wait 6months to see if this game BB delivers the hype they build for it, but honestly, it doesnt look like my kind of game, so may pass on it completely unless i see something new from it, but as it is, looks and plays too much like a MOBA
im sure they will sale this game, but alot of people will be more careful on their purchases from GB, especially sense gamers, his customers, dont know a good game, his comments over ACM mess up, and he still hypes that game, even thow it bombed big time, so him hyping any game is going to make gamers more careful, remember, he has no respect for us, and onlly cares about those who kiss up to him and his games, my honest opinion there. i really feel they need to have someone else talk about these games, Randy doesnt do to well when he talks.
Heck even Handsome collection is still waiting on a patch for things that have affected the game sense day 1, and all we have gotten in some time, is hotfixes that dont hold once you offline, whens that going to get another patch to fix it