To pre-order, or not to pre-order?

{seriously…. why?}

That is indeed the question; Ok, so I presume everyone reading knows exactly what a pre-order is and the reason why you would personally go through the task of securing one. Although I was never one to head to a store and put my money upfront for a title because of its impending popularity, it never really bothered me in the least that I would potentially be left emptied handed upon release of a title due to the mass hysteria quite a few gamers subject themselves to. I can actually appreciate the fact that some manufacturers use the pre-order counts to gauge the popularity of a particular game, giving them a pretty solid idea of how the title will perform once released. I even get the marketing gimmicks to provide anxious gamers a bit of an incentive in ways of a few trinkets such as art books, miniatures and the like from the game, it’s a great tactic that fuels many gamer in this day and age, alongside the fact that they are the few the merry that secured exclusive swag that literally gathers dust somewhere in a closet after all the initial hype wears down.

I know I maybe sounding a bit cynical and possibly *gasp* out of touch (for shame!), but I never really got the gist of pre-ordering an item from a particular retailer so I can secure a few trinkets that I can be guaranteed will be on Ebay within a matter of hours of their release. Aside from that, getting my hands on an insanely popular game usually is as simple as heading out the next day to any particular retailer in near proximity of my home (no… I don’t need to brag to my neighborhood I got it first), the additional benefit is, I avoid tripping over the nerdlings (yeah I went there) that camp out the night before or *shudder* nights before a big release. Maybe I’m too grown or what have you, but even when I was in my prime youthful years I never would’ve dreamt of doing it then either.

I know pre-orders have their advantages, (can we say Wii anyone? Way to go Nintendo your product is still near impossible to buy even today bah!) but when it comes to software, there’s rarely shortages, unless of course it’s the prime shopping season that is Christmas, which is when you better get your butt in gear to secure an item for lil Johnny waiting by the Christmas tree or face the wrath of a single tear and puppy dog eyes.

Even though I’m not a big fan of the whole maniacal practice that is pre-ordering, I’m inclined to do so for the first time with LittleBigPlanet, but is getting a digital download of skins of Kratos or Nariko that important to me? Ehhh not really, is a burlap sack? HA! definitely not, but I can understand the frenzy for some. I’m still contemplating the idea since LBP is expected to be a stellar holiday hit, and I would like my copy before year end, but with my past experiences even the mighty Halo or GTA IV was available to me the next day, I may not have received the ber cool helmet *sarcasm* but the title was available in no shortage of supply… it must be the excitement of hanging out with other gamers, it must be- though the only chattering going on is teeth fiercly clenched in the cold.