Can't use the word "buy" if you can't actually buy the thing.
this post was submitted on 06 Jul 2026
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Saw an article a few weeks back that said something about how Rockstar was ensuring availability for the game. Availability? For a download?
Also, why bother pre-ordering? The whole idea of pre-ordering is so that you can ensure you have the game when it comes out because there are limitations on supply meeting demand on the printing of a disc. Again, this is a download. Other than some artificially limited exclusives (which, again, are downloads and will probably be made available again at a later date) there is no reason to pre-order. Unless you want the game to just automatically install for you, I can't think of a real reason for pre-ordering this. (Disclosure: I am old and I practically never download big games--not at launch anyway)
Bro, you don’t get it.
My preorder tells Rockstar that I am okay with them charging the most for the opportunity to rent the game from them while I pay them additional money for multiplayer. It also means that I can preload the game, because I have been conditioned to have 0 patience, and the thought of waiting to give Rockstar more of my time and money hurts me physically.
Let me have this bro. Please. If I spend the equivalent of a weeks worth of groceries on a game that is going to essentially be the same game as the last game, I can finally feel something for a brief moment.
Had me in the first part, ngl
Didn't forget, on PlayStation if you download (even pre-orders) you can't refund it!
So if you buy it and download it now, you don't have to deal with those pesky reviews.
I also don't understand what pre-ordering means nowadays. sometimes they offer you some sort of extra thing, which makes sense. but why would you preorder if you get literally nothing for it
Not sure if it's the same where you live but where I live, there are high interest rate bank accounts that require a minimum spend per month. A pre-order could help you hit that maybe. I don't know that's the only thing that comes to mind. Plus if it's on Steam, you could refund if it turns out bad anyways. If it's not on Steam, however, welp.
Even if you're old, those are solid arguments.
Even if your IQ < 1 those are solid arguments.
If I were going to make an argument for pre-ordering digital games, the only one I can think of is basically that you can pre-download the game.
Instead of waiting on a 300GB download when the game launches, you simply get a quick patch (probably a few KB in size) to actually activate the game files that you have already downloaded ahead of time. It means your wait is only a minute or two, instead of potentially hours (depending on your local internet speeds).
Maybe if it allowed access to an open beta ahead of the official launch date. I’ve seen a few games do things like that, where the full game releases on {date}, but pre-orders can play the open beta starting like two weeks ahead of time. If it’s something like a competitive game where familiarity with the in-game systems will matter, having access to that beta could be valuable. Even if the systems get updated for the final launch, you’re simply reading patch notes and adjusting your play-style accordingly. But everyone who didn’t pre-order is starting from 0.
That’s literally the only justification I can think of. Because yeah, the pre-order bonus content stuff is almost always artificially gated (it could just be available for everyone right from the start) and will almost certainly be made available to everyone at a later date anyways.
Sure but that leaves no valid reason to pre-order a few months before launch, instead of a few days.
Ok, I got one! You're in the process of declaring bankruptcy, your credit card is about to be revoked, and if you pre-order the game now, the cost will be included in the credit cards that get zeroed out. Even better, unlike a physical game, there's nothing for the court to seize!
A fringe benefit of digital games - they have no monetary value, therefore they can never be seized by courts to pay debts and fines! They're bankruptcy and judgment proof!
Or really, any scenario where you have the ability to pay now, won't have the ability to pay later, but can still get some benefit from it in the future.