Insomniac games have confirmed digital copies of their latest Xbox One title, Sunset Overdrive, will be available to preorder through the Xbox Marketplace soon. The announcement was made today over Sunset TV, a promotional webseries offering the latest information and updates on the game. Pre-orders can be placed through the Xbox Marketplace, securing all those digital buyers access to all of the Day One edition content found in physical copies of the game, along with a “nifty-gifty exclusive”.
Within the gaming industry, Insomniac Games is reputable, and held in high regard by gamers worldwide. The name is synonymous with delivering consistent quality, as well as being innately tied to many of our nostalgic and formative gaming experiences. Insomniac are best known for their Spryo and Ratchet and Clank series’, and the studio is taking it’s first steps into the next gen arena with their Xbox exclusive title, Sunset Overdrive.
The topic of pre-orders has been controversial within the industry as of late, with distaste of the practice increasing daily. Although many people recognise the concept is not inherently harmful, pre-orders have quickly become a very shameless and toxic method of consumer exploitation and market manipulation. With AAA publishers often throwing around exclusive DLC as bargaining chips, the incessant push on pre-ordering has become an overbearing foul stench hanging over gaming.
That being said, there are instances in which pre-ordering is entirely justified. When games are produced in limited numbers, pre-ordering can often be the only way players can ensure their copy of a game – in which case great! But the real issue arises when you consider that it is virtually impossible to have a limited number of digital copies of a game. Day One DLC is an article in it’s own right, with many being utterly, staunchly and passionately dead set against the idea. The concept of pre-ordering something that will never run out seems to me to be an entirely pointless endeavour, serving only as early money in the pockets of publishers rather than being any perk to us.
It’s somewhat disappointing to see a studio so deeply linked to many gamers’ early years bend to a practice many see as steering the industry towards disaster. With no real benefit of substance, the notion of a digital pre-order is an almost laughably transparent marketing ploy. I’m curious to see how the idea settles, although I anticipate this to be trend that will catch, sadly.