Pre-Purchase and Online Bonus Offers Gaining Traction
Announcing games before they are ready to be released is nothing new to the video game industry, but is becoming a more common trend for mobile experiences. Most of the major, up-and-coming experiences such as the Game of Thrones free to play title, and Disney’s Magic Kingdom, all had pre-registration options that would gain you extra loot in the game.
These hooks are more common as the marketplace gets more and more cluttered with copy-cat gaming experiences, so those with the resources to do so, attempt to push their product to the top. The same goes for other mediums as well, including receiving an online casinos bonus, preorder bonuses in stores, and much more!
As is so often the case, those with money often rise to the top in terms of marketing, and get their game noticed the most. Offering free, in-game content or bonuses for online games isn’t free for the company; there is some overhead regardless of whether or not the consumer believes there is or not. These bonuses go a long way to persuade someone to a) play the game the day it gets released, and b) to consider their titles over other, similar experiences. For the most part, this works.
Although I’m a huge fan of Game of Thrones, it wasn’t likely that I would try this new, free-to-play experience. I hate grinding in mobile games, especially in the first few hours, so to get a leg up with free premium currency and other great items is a great way to get me engaged.
The reality is, however, that competition is what drives companies to do this. I’ve been working in the gaming press for long enough to know that retailer specific DLC for those who preorder is a HUGE deal. Walmart wants your money, Best Buy wants your money, and EB Games / GameStop want your money.
They all have to come in around the same price for profit reasons, so what else do they have? Exclusive deals for exclusive content. While physical bonuses are nice, I’ve been around long enough to know that generally that stuff gets tossed in the trash during a spring cleanout, unless it’s something fantastic; ultimately, it rarely is. But digital goodies? That gets me to think twice.
It should be no surprise, therefore, that this mentality has crept into other fascists of life, including online casino experiences. With so many places to play the slots and cards online, they all need to offer something more to get you on their website, as opposed to a competitors. In reality, this practice that is becoming more frequent by online casino owners is a huge bonus for consumers. No matter in what industry, the more competition there is for the relative size of the consumer base, the better it is for everyone looking to be entertained.
Many people hate retail or website specific bonuses, but we must all come to terms with this being our current reality. This is what will drive you to a specific place, and as long as we continue to fall for it – and believe me, we should – companies are going to continue to offer these great bonuses and incentives.
I personally love the idea of more content for my dollars, and as long as companies are willing to throw it at me, I’m willing to shop at their establishment. Whether online or in store, whether via a digital download or a physical bonus, I want those extras that are being offered up. If you are a retailer NOT offering these bonuses, get out of my way. This is the future of competitive, sales.