The Power of Games!
For years kids have been running down the highstreet on the morning of release, waiting outside their HMV/Virgin/Game/whatever for the doors to be unlocked and then bursting in and rushing to the counter to hand over cash for their reserved copy of the latest game that will take over all their free time for the next few weeks.
Well, those times have changed. First of all, pre-ordering games nowadays actually gets you something instead of just guaranteeing you a copy on the day - that’s right, you actually get some freebies! Those pre-ordering copies of Red Dead Redemtion got a special in-game outfit that is unavailable any other way. Pre-orders of Assassin’s Creed - Brotherhood will net you access to the very exclusive multi-player beta that will be starting in October. The idea of giving access to beta releases or giving in-game items as a prize for pre-ordering is great and is a real reward for those gamers who refuse to pirate and want to play their favourite games as soon as they can.
So why does my little trip down memory lane at the start of this article not really count for much anymore? Surely it’s even sweeter if you are getting free stuff for all your effort? Well, sadly nowadays it’s actually easier to buy a game online and download it in 2 or 3 hours than to run all the way to your local shop. Steam has become a massive resource to gamers, giving them great games at cheap prices available in the time it takes them to download. Steam also has weekly sales, a selection of free games, a wide community support network and a great variety of goods.
I’ll miss those old days of waiting in the shopping center on release day, but I think I prefer the way things are now.
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