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Saints Row 4 adds presidential pre-order bonus
Those who pre-order Saints Row 4 through GameStop or EB Games and pick the game up within 48 hours of its release on August 20 will receive the Presidential Pack DLC, Deep Silver announced. The Presidential Pack offers players the chance to "live out your wildest dreams of being one of the most famous American Presidents or dress up your President like a real American Revolutionary." Unfortunately, that's the only description available for the bonus content. Aside from what seem to be images of Abraham Lincoln, George W. Bush and Barack Obama masks accompanying the newsletter from Deep Silver, it's not clear what players will get in the Presidential Pack DLC. Amazon.de is also offering the pre-order bonus, and shows George Washington alongside the other presidents.
This is madness: GameStop God of War: Ascension pre-order perk is '300' DLC
Gamestop's God of War: Ascension pre-order bonus is an exclusive multiplayer costume taken from Zack Snyder's 2007 movie 300, because nothing says "brand-new video game based on Greek pseudo-mythology" like a random costume from a five-year-old movie based on Greek pseudo-history.Specifically, the costume replicates King Leonidas' red cape, helmet and "armor," which we assume is what they're calling his tiny little baby man-shorts. The costume also includes a spear that provides new moves and abilities, as well as a double-sided God of War: Ascension poster. It does not, however, include a pit for disposing of foreign dignitaries or a bottle of chest grease.
EverQuest and EverQuest II offer expansion pre-order bonuses
Whether you're on board the EverQuest: Rain of Fear train or flying high with EverQuest II: Chains of Eternity, your conductor/captain would like you to know that you can score extra bonuses and discounts for pre-ordering before these expansions release next month. While you can pick up the standard edition of either expansion for $39.99, SOE is lowering the price for both collector's editions from $89.99 to $59.99. The Rain of Fear CE includes a special quest, rucksack, house pet, and more. The Chains of Eternity CE comes equipped with plenty of extra potions, a tapestry, and a werewolf mercenary. As added incentive to pre-order, EverQuest is doling out a Harbinger's Staff and something called a "Fear Corrupted Phase Spider Metamorph Totem." You know all the cool kids will have one of those come Christmas. For EverQuest II's part, that expansion pre-order comes with the Cloak of Mourning. Click past the cut to see cover art for both expansions.
Halo 4 pre-order goods plant their flag in select retailers
In the old days, we used to just toss our cash upward into the wind, wait 3-5 business days, then find a game waiting on our doorstep. Today, retailers compete for your gaming dollars with pre-order incentives, and Halo 4 is the latest to play into that retail shuffle.Depending on the retailer you hitch your Warthog to, you'll snag some very different things: Amazon will offer a golden "web" skin for use in multiplayer and a pair of exclusive emblems, while GameStop will offer the customizable "forest" skin for multiplayer. UK retailer GAME is tossing in the blue circuit armor skin, an arctic weapon skin and six specializations – these are further cosmetic tweaks to help you stand out from the rest of the cybernetic crowd.Other specific UK retailers have their pre-order items listed past the break, like Blockbuster (you guys still have those over there?). And if you're really looking to buy everything with Halo 4 printed on it, the soundtrack and special editions are also tempting offers.Halo 4 launches on November 6 worldwide, exclusively for the Xbox 360.
RIFT: Storm Legion targets November 13th, begins pre-orders
The last big unknown of the fall's releases has just set a date for destiny. Trion Worlds announced that it will be releasing RIFT's first expansion, Storm Legion, on November 13th. The expansion contains two new continents, four additional souls, player housing, and more. Along with the news of the release date comes the ability to pre-order the expansion. While those who sign up for a year's subscription to the game will get a complimentary copy of Storm Legion, players may elect to pre-order one of the two expansion editions separately. Both pre-order editions offer special bonuses, such as early access to one of the expansion's dungeons. It's interesting to note that players new to the game can pay an additional $10 on top of the expansion price to get the original game and 30 days of play time as well. Finally, Trion's released a new expansion trailer called Features of the Storm, which highlights Storm Legion's bullet-point attractions. Take a gander after the jump! [Thanks to Marc and Memphis for the tip!]
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 receiving 'over 100 swimsuits' as pre-order bonus
Bikini downloads in fighting games must be the "in" thing to do these days, because Tekken Tag Tournament 2 will be following in SoulCalibur 5 and Dead or Alive 5's footsteps, offering "over 100 swimsuits" in a "big bikini bundle," according to this "Tekken Bad Girls" trailer.While the trailer frames the costumes as a pre-order bonus, Tekken godfather Katsuhiro Harada spoke of them as DLC during SDCC (according to Andriasang), which indicates that they may be made available to people who don't pre-order at some point in the future. Surprisingly, the bundle includes swimsuits for every character in the game, not just the ladies. And yes, that includes the animals.
The Last Story finally comes to North America on Aug. 14
XSEED has announced an August 14 release date for Mistwalker's anticipated, petitioned-for Wii role-playing game, The Last Story.All launch copies will include an art book; in addition to that, XSEED revealed the above soundtrack disc as a pre-order bonus from Amazon, GameStop and EB Canada. That's some deluxe treatment for what is sure to be one of the last big Wii games, and it seems to deserve the attention.
The Daily Grind: Should MMOs recycle old rewards?
It's no shock to realize that as Guild Wars 2 approaches, the Guild Wars 1 devs are slowly getting the older game set for long-term stasis. The year's Dragon Festival was surely a sign of that: Instead of doling out brand-new festival hats as it has in previous years, ArenaNet awarded tokens that allow players to earn discontinued hats from old events. Hats are serious business. Some veteran players argue that handing old hats to new players devalues old players' loyalty. After all, why play (or pay) on day one if everyone can get the cool shiny thing eventually anyway? Guild Wars isn't alone in adopting this convention. World of Warcraft transforms previous expansions' endgame skins into the next edition's leveling gear; other games place pre-order bonus perks in a cash shop at some point down the road for people who missed the first time around. So today we're wondering what you think of this practice as it pertains to the wider MMO genre. Do you think loyalty perks like event rewards and pre-order trinkets should remain unique? Or is it fair for developers to reintroduce and recycle old gear, rewards, and rares for a new generation? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
UK's New Super Mario Bros. 2 pre-order bonus is a rad Mario coin case
New Super Mario Bros. 2 has more gold coins in it than the United States Bullion Depository and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York combined, but the only way to extract real, honest, actually completely fake gold from the game is to pre-order it from either GAME or Gamestation in the UK.The "gold" coin seen above is actually a small case for storing a single 3DS cartridge and is only available as a pre-order bonus from the aforementioned English retailers. By being so pretty and yet so impractical, the coin case satisfies the two most important bling requirements: Flashiness, and superfluousness.
Play as Stan Lee, Rhino in The Amazing Spider-Man pre-order perks
These two pre-order bonuses for The Amazing Spider-Man couldn't be more different: One has players rampage through Manhattan as Rhino, the hulking, horned villain, and the other has players run around as an old man as he tries to collect some papers he's misplaced, yapping non-stop about "kids these days" and Liza Minelli's golden era.GameStop's pre-order bonus is The Rhino Challenge, a timed destruction event where players suit up as Rhino and break as much stuff as possible. Amazon's bonus is "Play as Stan Lee for the First Time Ever," and has players travel through Manhattan as the Marvel mastermind himself. He uses special abilities borrowed from Spider-Man to collect pages from his latest script, punctuated by "witty banter." A "special surprise" is revealed at the end of the Stan Lee mission, tied into Spider-Man's 50th anniversary this year.
Pre-order Black Ops 2 at GameStop, receive poster, Prestige token, future goodies
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has officially existed for barely over a day, and as the internet hype machine slowly begins to whirl up to speed, so too does the uproarious clamor from our nation's retailers, hell-bent on claiming custody over your Call of Duty consumer commitment.Predictably, Gamestop is the first out of the gate with enticements to earn your dollars, with pre-order bonuses that come in waves – four to be precise – the first of which is active now. Securing your future purchase of Black Ops 2 during the first wave will net you an "exclusive, limited edition two-sided poster," as well as a Prestige token for Modern Warfare 3 and all of the subsequent pre-order bonuses offered during waves two, three and four.
Aion opens the BlackCloud Marketplace, adds eternal weapon
As part of Aion's conversion to the Truly Free model, NCsoft finally opened the doors of the new cash shop. Dubbed the BlackCloud Marketplace, Daevas can immediately begin purchasing in-game items with NCoin either singularly or in bundles. What exactly is stocking the shelves? We finally have the answer for you! Besides the expected pets, consumables, emotion cards, and appearance items, the marketplace also offers XP amulets and special boost packs including immunity from XP loss upon death, boosted AP, and boosted Empyrean Crucible points. From now until 6:30 a.m EDT April 11th, Daevas will receive a bonus pre-order gift for purchasing a large C.U.B.E. -- a level-50 eternal-grade Tahabata weapon. After this time, only the appearance skins will be sold. The weapon type will be class-appropriate for the character the player chooses when first purchasing the C.U.B.E. Other than the restrictions that characters must be level 30 or above, players can buy as many large C.U.B.E.s as they wish during this time to obtain multiple weapons. Once purchased, the weapons will be delivered after server maintenance on the 11th and will be soul-bound. To get your special deal or even just window shop, check out the BlackCloud Marketplace today.
Darksiders 2 pre-orders upgraded to 'Limited Edition,' Collector's Edition detailed
Don't be fooled by the fancy-dancy nomenclature, when THQ says "Limited Edition," what it's actually saying is "pre-order bonus." All existing and future pre-orders for Darksiders 2 will be automatically upgraded to the Limited Edition version, which is just the standard version and a packed in DLC voucher.THQ's press release describes the DLC in question, "Argul's Tomb," as "the game's first single-player downloadable content pack." It also states that the Limited Edition voucher can be used "once [the DLC] becomes available," implying that it may not be released on day-one. Furthermore, a $99 pre-order-only Collector's Edition of the game has also been announced, which includes a DLC voucher, life-sized Death Mask with stand, exclusive in-game armor and scythe set with "enhanced stats," a "digital version" of the soundtrack, and a hardcover art book. We can't wait; this is exactly what we need to finish our Casey Jones costume.
WAKFU puts out a call for (paying) pioneers
With WAKFU's launch rapidly approaching later this month, the information is pouring forth fast and furious from this free-to-play title. One of the biggest questions that players have at this stage is just how a game is going to make its money, and in the case of WAKFU, Ankama is certainly hoping that the experience is fun enough to warrant a regular subscription. If you're already on board with the WAKFU philosophy and wish to subscribe for a premium membership, then Ankama has a few great pre-launch offers for you. By signing up for three, six, or 12-month plans, you can net yourself plenty of in-game items as well as the esteemed title of "WAKFU Pioneer." Ankama has also published a helpful chart illustrating the differences between the F2P and subscription plans -- such as whether or not you can become an eco-terrorist (we kid you not). Other differences include the ability to own a home vs. set up an in-game shop, how many professions you can master (six vs. 16), and whether or not you can run for office. [Thanks to Derek for the tip!]
Europeans get their own transforming weapon for Final Fantasy XIII-2 pre-order
What is it with Square Enix and transforming weaponry? Gun swords and bow swords and now a spear sword? What's next, a gun that shoots swords? Actually, that doesn't sound half bad, but we digress. Not to be mistaken with GameStop's PowerUp Rewards member-exclusive transforming Genji Bow, the above weapon will be available to those who pre-order Final Fantasy XIII-2 from select European retailers, Square Enix reveals. It's the Muramasa, a combination dual-blade and spear weapon for Noel that increases chain bonuses in battle.
Valve offers Heavy outfit for Saints Row: The Third pre-order
To be a generic character in Team Fortress 2 nowadays is a constant humiliation, we're sure. But if you're a Heavy kinda guy -- er, rather, you like to play as the Heavy in Team Fortress 2 -- then you may wish to know about the gear that sparkly chap above is rocking. Valve's skills of synergy have culminated in a new Saints Row-themed Heavy outfit. If one were to, say, pre-order Saints Row: The Third on Steam, then, say, their Heavy could wear a diamond-encrusted Luchador mask and wield giant, diamond-encrusted boxing gloves in Team Fortress 2. Actually, that's exactly what Valve is saying. That's the deal. That's exactly how this works. Oh, we forgot to mention the tasteful sweater vest, too. You know, in case all of those diamonds didn't properly convey the classiness of this ensemble.
EverQuest: Veil of Alaris preorder bonuses announced
EverQuest's 18th expansion, Veil of Alaris, isn't too far off, and Sony Online Entertainment has announced that preorders are now open. The game comes in two flavors: standard and digital collector's edition. The former includes Veil of Alaris and all previous EverQuest expansions along with an exclusive mount, house decoration items (two paintings and a Resplendent Sword Ornamentation) and a traveler's rucksack. The collector's edition includes all of that, plus another exclusive mount, another rucksack, and more paintings and house decoration items than you can shake a stick at. If you preorder before November 14th, the standard edition will run you $39.99 while the collector's edition costs $59.99. After the 14th, however, the collector's edition price goes up to a whopping $89.99, so if you're planning on grabbing it, you better act quickly.
Pre-order Dungeon Defenders on Steam, get a Portal gun and tiny TF2 guys
Valve loves itself so much that it puts its own games into other studios' work on Steam -- we don't want to call it incestuous, but, well. It's kind of incestuous. Dungeon Defenders is the latest victim game to have a healthy Valve infusion, with pre-orders getting The Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device for the Huntress class and four Team Fortress 2 familiars, Heavy, Medic, Engineer and Pyro. Check out how these goodies work above and pre-order Dungeon Defenders on Steam, if you're into that sort of thing.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 has a boss pre-order bonus
Well, only Amazon's is literally boss, but other retailers have stuff too. If you pre-order Final Fantasy XIII-2 from Amazon.com, you'll get the "Omega Boss Battle," an exclusive "coliseum battle" that adds Omega to your party after completion. Best Buy is bundling a hardcover book with pre-orders, containing "Final Fantasy XIII -Episode i-," a novella connecting the stories of FFXIII and XIII-2. And GameStop offers ... a new costume for Serah! That last one is maybe a bit less impressive in comparison with the new playable content and the hardcover book. Final Fantasy XIII-2 will be released in North America on January 31.
Gamestop bundling Resistance 3 with PlayStation 3DTV anyway (if you preorder)
In an effort to prove that Sony ain't the boss o' them, Gamestop will be bundling Resistance 3 with each pre-order for the now-MotorStorm-infused PlayStation-branded 3DTV, launching this November. It's also possible that Gamestop is simply honoring its existing pre-orders while sweetening the pot to attract new buyers, but where's the fun in that? As weird as pre-ordering a television set is, having two 3D-capable games certainly adds a little extra something to deal, and when you're spending $500 on anything it's important to get your money's worth. It will be interesting to see if other retailers follow suit, but considering the fact that this is a 24-inch 3DTV, we doubt potential buyers will have room for anything larger than another disc. [Thanks, MLC!]
