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[bjork]

I learned my lesson with preordering during the PS2 launch. We preordered as soon as it was announced, paid off two consoles almost a year early, and were still told that due to shipping shortages, we'd have to wait in line to get it at launch because it was "first come first serve" for PREORDERS.

So I went to the mall where we'd preordered, at 10 am on 10/25/2000. There was already some other guy there, so I had to be next to him in line and talk to him about the games he was buying... he was all like MAN TEKKEN IS RAD MADDEN IS OFF THE CHAIN and all this other shit.

Anyway, I stayed until midnight... 14 hours. My dad did 12 hours to get his also (though, he paid a mexican dude to stand in line for him for like 6 hrs), and we both got our systems... but wtf? Totally not worth it. I could've waited for it to be readily available and spared myself from buying ps2 launch titles just so I had something to play.

No more preorders for me. Nothing that comes out in the states is rare enough that you have to get it asap or you'll be left out.

 

[siamesedreamer]

Why the F doesn't MS simply make enough consoles to meet demand?

Fixed

 

[CamHostage]

To the people laughing at others who didn't pre-order at six months in advance: maybe they had better things to do at the time?

I also agree that pre-ordering is bullshit, at least the way it is conducted. If a person puts money down on a product in advance, then they should get the product, period. But companies like MS are more than happy to get people excited without delivering so long as they get their names in the headlines.

MS does not have an official pre-order system, and does not necessarily endorse the practice. I'm not sure any of them do. If there was an official pre-order system in place, it would fix a lot of the problems. Apple supposedly has official launch destinations for iPod (in addition to the Apple store), and that system seems clean. The problem with it is that game-centered stores would sell many more systems because you can't put a pre-order ticket system in a Wal-Mart 12 months before the system's launch, but stores don't make anything on the hardware at launch (thus the bundling), but these launches are always such a mess anyway, it'd make sense to have a pre-launch or exclusive launch (the week before, fulfill all or most of the pre-orders), get the same pop out of the release without all the bad press and feelings for getting screwed, and then follow-up with the mass market launch the next week. Two-tier launch means extra press, plus it'd be cleaner, it'd be less frustrating, and it'd feel more fair (even if they couldn't meet the pre-order numbers, at least there would be a system of reasoning behind it.)

 

[DarknessTear]

I guess this is one of the good things about living in a rural area. If you pre-order things down here, you get it as soon as it releases.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

I guess this is one of the good things about living in a rural area. If you pre-order things down here, you get it as soon as it releases.

If you have a business that actually takes preorders nearby, you're probably not that rural, though.

 

[tenchir]

I tried.....

Literally the day my eb started taking pre-orders for the XB360, I told my sister to do it for me since she is going to the mall. I told her before she left and she said she will do it, I call her by cell phone to remind her to do it and she told me she is doing it, when she got back I asked her did she do it, she told me yes........ A couple of days before the launch, I asked my sister for the pre-order receipt, she told me she never did it..... W T F?!?!?! I yelled at her why didn't she do it, she just replied "I don't know." I am still fucking mad at her right now.

I just needed to tell someone.

 

[cvxfreak]

(though, he paid a mexican dude to stand in line for him for like 6 hrs)

:lol :lol :lol My mom thought about doing that for this launch.

:lol

 

[Argyle]

Honestly, I'm surprised people are willing to preorder a system without knowing when it is coming out or how much they are going to pay for it.

Sadly a blind preorder was the only way to get an Xbox 360 without standing in line...

 

[TheJollyCorner]

I tend to get drunken impulses the night of a system launch- go to Walmart to get more beer, find myself standing in line for a video game system... you know...

 

[krypt0nian]

Honestly, I'm surprised people are willing to preorder a system without knowing when it is coming out or how much they are going to pay for it.

Its no risk as the pre-order money is easily refunded.

 

[Gek54]

I tend to get drunken impulses the night of a system launch- go to Walmart to get more beer, find myself standing in line for a video game system... you know...

Ha, thats what I did for the PS2, wasnt planning on getting one until GT3 but I checked out the line at walmart and I was the last person so what the hell. After pimping three of on ebay it wasnt until a few days later when I was hitting up Best Buy for more systems to sell that that I tried the SSX demo and decided I had to keep one.

 

[Tain]

Why the F don't people simply pre-order consoles?

Why the F do people buy consoles at launch?

 

[cvxfreak]

Not like pre-ordering would have done me any good here...

 

[bill0527]

I did pre-order on August 2nd and was number 14. I was told that I had a good shot of getting one but they had no definitive numbers from Microsoft. I went in on October 25th and was told I was good to go on launch day. Then I paid for it in full along with 3 games. I was then called 2 weeks later and told that I wouldn't be getting one.

So in this case, pre-ordering did absofucking-lutely no bit of good at all. As I've been saying over the last couple of days, you people getting a PS3 at launch better fucking camp EB/Gamestop the night before they start taking preorders so you'll be on top of the list. I'm not even fucking joking either. Its to the point with these fucking launches that if you're not like in the top 3 or 5 people on the list, you're just fucked on launch day. So don't even bother. Just buy yourself a little 2 man tent and get ready to pitch it on Best Buy's sidewalk the night before launch.

 

[Tarazet]

I hate preordering. When I lay money down, I like to have the damn thing in my hands right after I do so. The only reason I do it is if I really need the game at launch (I did it with Gran Turismo 4 - and that was at 10 am the day of :lol ), or if the release is so low-key that I don't know if I'm ever going to see one on a shelf (Famicom Micro). A lot of times I pre-order a game, but get frustrated with the wait or change my mind and convert the credit into something I can play now.

 

[bjork]

(I did it with Gran Turismo 4 - and that was at 10 am the day of :lol )

I got GT4 a day early by going into Circuit City and pitching a fit because "fucking hell, goddamn gamestop is selling that shit already, and you guys say I can't get it until tomorrow?"

So the manager went to the back and got me a copy so I would go away, I think...

ps: gamestop wasn't really selling them early, but my tactic worked. :lol :lol

 

[Tarazet]

I got GT4 a day early by going into Circuit City and pitching a fit because "fucking hell, goddamn gamestop is selling that shit already, and you guys say I can't get it until tomorrow?"

So the manager went to the back and got me a copy so I would go away, I think...

ps: gamestop wasn't really selling them early, but my tactic worked. :lol :lol

Cool. Too bad the game sucks. I remember finding out Fry's had it on sale for $37.99 a day later, but by then I was already ready to just get rid of the damn thing.

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

I did pre-order on August 2nd and was number 14. I was told that I had a good shot of getting one but they had no definitive numbers from Microsoft. I went in on October 25th and was told I was good to go on launch day. Then I paid for it in full along with 3 games. I was then called 2 weeks later and told that I wouldn't be getting one.

So in this case, pre-ordering did absofucking-lutely no bit of good at all. As I've been saying over the last couple of days, you people getting a PS3 at launch better fucking camp EB/Gamestop the night before they start taking preorders so you'll be on top of the list. I'm not even fucking joking either. Its to the point with these fucking launches that if you're not like in the top 3 or 5 people on the list, you're just fucked on launch day. So don't even bother. Just buy yourself a little 2 man tent and get ready to pitch it on Best Buy's sidewalk the night before launch.

the week after the ps3 goes on preorder EB/Gamestop wont take anymore b/c of so many ppl peordering

 

[karasu]

It's not like there's an inexhaustible amount of preorders available.