the only thing that i think is "unfair" about pre-order bonuses or limited editions is the "limited part." (i know, its limited to make it special) what im getting at is this, if you want to reward fans for pre-ordering or forking up extra cash for a limited edition, don't limit the number of fans who can get the reward. i always think it is such a shame when a store runs out of limited edition pre-orders. the store AND the company lose money by only producing a certain amount, which NEVER lives up to the demand for such items. i think limited editions should be UNLIMITED up until say.......a month or so before the release of the game (assuming 1 month is enough for production of the extras included in limited editions) that way more players have access to the LCE if they want it and are willing to pay more for it. as far as pre-order bonuses go, as long as you "pre-order" it you get the extra stuff and theoretically if you pre-order something at 9pm for a midnight release, that should still count as a pre-order. I fully believe in rewarding people for making the decision to buy a game in advance. It helps the store gauge how many copies they should have on the shelf on opening day, and it helps the production company estimate demand for the product. Plus, competing pre-order bonuses promotes healthy competition between game stores. As long as the pre-order bonus doesnt affect things like achievements, then I dont see why its unfair to players who dont pre-order.
(sorry for the long post)
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