Pre-ordering games is one of the worst habits the modern gaming community has adopted. It used to have some kind of logic behind it, back when small indie developers genuinely needed early support to finish their projects. Back then, you were helping bring something to life. But that idea doesn’t apply anymore. Today, it’s a marketing tool. A way for large studios and publishers to secure millions before anyone even knows if the game actually works.

What do you get in return? Some exclusive skin, a weapon with a golden paint job, maybe early access by a few hours. But time and time again, the actual product turns out to be broken, unfinished or barely functional. And once your money’s in, there’s not much you can do. Refunds are often a battle, and the developers already hit their sales goals before the game even launched.

People like to argue that it’s a free choice. And yes, technically it is. But so is walking into a casino and betting your paycheck on red. Just because no one is forcing you doesn’t mean you’re not being manipulated. Pre-orders are designed to play on hype, emotion, and fear of missing out. They are pushed hard during peak marketing moments, right when people are most excited and least informed. That’s not a system built on trust. That’s a system built on impulse.

The worst part is how normal it has become. Somewhere along the way, we stopped asking why we’re paying for something that doesn’t exist yet. We just accepted it. And now it’s an industry standard. Developers don’t have to earn your money with a finished product. They just need to sell the idea of it. The launch day becomes a formality. You’re not buying a game, you’re buying a promise.

I used to fall for it too. I pre-ordered big titles thinking I was getting a head start, supporting the devs, getting rewarded for being an early backer. What I actually got were crash bugs, missing features, and updates that took months to arrive. Over time, you realise that waiting a few days, or even a few weeks, tells you everything you need to know. Actual gameplay footage, reviews, performance reports. The stuff that should matter.

You don’t miss out by waiting. You protect yourself. You get to see what the game actually is, not just what the trailer wanted you to believe. And most of the time, the pre-order bonuses are worthless. A few cosmetic items you’ll forget after the first hour.

Pre-ordering is not loyalty. It’s not smart consumer behaviour. It’s just handing over your money and hoping for the best. And in a market where so many games launch in a broken state, that hope is rarely rewarded.

If we want publishers to take launch quality seriously, we have to stop rewarding them for skipping the finish line. Let the game release. Let it prove itself. Then decide if it deserves your money. That’s not negativity. That’s common sense.


Discuss.