OK, before we say anything else, we should note that there are digital preorder bonuses, and needless to say, where you buy dictates what you get, according to Polygon. But we want to talk for a minute about this video, because this video is insane.
Basically, the big preorder bonus, according to Ubisoft, is the ability to crank a virtual slot machine and possibly win anything from a branded headset to a trip to Paris to, apparently, Ubisoft Montreal, which is a pretty brutal way to unload a studio after the tax incentives fell through, guys. Seriously, that’s the pitch: Give us $60 of your money and you get five free spins on a slot machine every week that will give you useless crap.
It’d be a really funny satire if this weren’t something absolutely being done by a major video game publisher to promote one of their most popular series. They really think this is something fans willing to preorder the game want, and the sad thing is that they’re probably right.
It’s debatable how much preorder incentives and exclusive content actually works in selling a game, but it’s fairly clear that it works at least enough to build a virtual slot machine. We look forward to next year, when the slot machine will probably be real and sitting at every GameStop in America.