pre-order-bonus
Latest
From Dust PC gets Ubisoft DRM, Steam pre-purchase bonus
For being such wildly different games, From Dust and Driver: San Francisco sure have a lot in common. They were both recently delayed, for example, and now news has hit that From Dust will follow Driver's lead by making use of Ubisoft's ubiquitous "Ubisoft Online Service" digital rights management platform. Unlike Driver, however, no announcement was made regarding From Dust's DRMyness; Steam's now-live pre-purchase page unceremoniously broke the news to the PC gaming community. The controversial DRM platform requires a permanent internet connection in order to play any game it governs, and while the company has loosened restrictions on high-profile games in the past, it's unclear whether or not history will repeat itself. For now, take solace in knowing that your pre-purchase will net you a "Mask of the Shaman" item for Team Fortress 2.
Turbine announces LotRO's Rise of Isengard release date
The road goes ever on for fans of Lord of the Rings Online, and as of September 27th, that road will lead to Isengard. Turbine has just announced the official launch date for its Rise of Isengard expansion, and the update will add Isengard, Dunland, and the Gap of Rohan to the expanding Middle-earth map. There's also a new level cap in the offing (75) as well as a new 24-player raid in the works. If September seems far away, take heart. Turbine has also announced that pre-orders are available today, and bonus items including a new cloak, title, mount, and bonus XP will be available in-game immediately after your purchase. The pre-order comes in three flavors (the Base, Heroic, and Legendary editions), and each includes the full expansion and an escalating array of the bonus items listed above. Head to the official Rise of Isengard website for more and check out the trailer after the cut!
Pre-order Shadows of the Damned and get the Damned soundtrack
Shadows of the Damned is, among other things, a delivery system for new Akira Yamaoka music. Pre-ordering the game, according to a new announcement, will get you the soundtrack, featuring some new Yamaoka tunes and English punk band The Damned, in an even more convenient format. Pre-orders of Shadows of the Damned from the EA Store, GameStop and Amazon will come with a free download of the 12-track soundtrack. Amazon specifies that the incentive applies to existing pre-orders, too, so if you've already put money down on the Suda-Mikami grindhouse epic, you're already getting a musical bonus! You can hear a bit of the soundtrack under the funny voice-overs in this dev diary.
Dark Souls Collector's Edition offered as pre-order bonus
For those intrigued by From Software's Dark Souls, the decision to pre-order looks like it will be considerably less difficult than the actual game. Rather than selling a collector's edition of the game at a premium price, publisher Namco Bandai is instead offering one as the pre-order bonus -- meaning it's priced at the standard $60. The Dark Souls Collector's Edition will come in a metal case and will include an art book, mini strategy guide, behind-the-scenes development videos and a download of the game soundtrack. It will be available this October for PS3 and Xbox 360. %Gallery-123367%
Transformers: Dark of the Moon pre-orders include virtual and actual Transformers
For those of you who need a bribe in order to be pushed into a purchase of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Activision has prepared its cornucopia of goodies, divided up by retailer and by console. GameStop pre-orders for Xbox 360 and PS3 will get you a code to unlock Sideswipe, while Amazon pre-orders get you Ratchet (and a $10 credit). But the Wii and DS games, pre-ordered anywhere, get you actual toys -- Bumblebee with the Autobots game, and Lockdown with the Decepticons version. Other bonuses announced by Activision include an in-game Bumblebee skin for the 3DS version at Toys R Us, in-game "Deco" character skins for the Wii and DS games at Target, and a, "original, limited edition Transformers: Dark of the Moon comic book" at Kmart and Sears, seemingly not tied to any particular version. Or you could pre-order from Best Buy and get a "free movie ticket upgrade to 3D." Thrilling.%Gallery-123022%
Red Faction: Armageddon pre-order bonuses get trailered
If you've got Volition and THQ's upcoming, underground shooter Red Faction: Armageddon on reserve at Best Buy or GameStop, you've got one of two bonus equipment packs coming your way. Check out the trailers and galleries below to see what's included in the Recon and Commando bundles!
Red Dead Redemption pre-order bonuses to be offered as DLC, LA Noire bonuses coming 'sooner'
Chances are you didn't reserve and purchase Red Dead Redemption at several different retail locations when it launched last year, because that is something a crazy person would do. If you're missing out on the bonus in-game items offered as pre-order incentives, Rockstar's offering you a chance to complete your collection next week. The Assassin Outfit (which doubles Dead Eye regeneration), Golden Guns Weapon Pack (which increases Fame earned) and War Horse (which is a war horse) are coming to XBLA and PSN next week for 80 Microsoft Points ($.99) a piece. Rockstar apologized on its blog for the time it took to bring these items to market, citing "unanticipated technical delays" as the cause of the hold-up. It seems they've got the kinks worked out -- the same blog post promises LA Noire's pre-order bonuses "should become available as DLC much, much sooner."
LA Noire trailer opens investigation into 'The Naked City' DLC
Rockstar's L.A. Noire will be released with a plethora of retailer-specific pre-order bonuses. GameStop, however, may be offering the most compelling one of them all: "The Naked City" DLC has you investigating the apparent suicide of a fashion model, but in typical noir fashion, nothing is as it seems. While initially a GameStop pre-order exclusive, The Naked City bonus "vice case" will be available for digital purchase after the game's release. "All of the L.A. Noire pre-order content will be made available for purchase as DLC at some point after the game comes out," a Rockstar representative confirmed. "We have long planned to do this for all digital pre-order items." Check out The Naked City trailer after the break.
inFamous 2 saves the day on June 7, Hero Edition confirmed
The identity of the gaming industry's first big 2011 summer blockbuster has been revealed: Sony Computer Entertainment and Sucker Punch Productions have announced that the follow-up to 2009's ionically-charged sandbox title, inFamous, will hit U.S. store shelves on June 7. The publisher also confirmed that the inFamous 2 Hero Edition is a real thing you'll be able to buy for $99.99, which nets you the game, an 8.5-inch statue of Cole, a replica messenger bag, a mini-comic, the game's soundtrack and a bevy of vouchers for downloadable content. If you want to snag said content without springing for the deluxe edition, it's been broken down piecemeal as pre-order bonuses from various retailers: Folks who reserve the game on Amazon will get the 24K Gold version of Cole's "Amp" weapon. Shoppers at Best Buy can grab a character skin modeled after inFamous' antagonist, Kessler. Pre-orders at GameStop net you the telekinetic "Lightning Hook" power. Walmart is offering pre-orderers the radical-sounding "Electrocution Grenade" ability. Personally, we think it's totally awesome that they chose to release the game on the first day of E3, ensuring that we'll have to go the better part of a week after its release without playing it. We hope you guys don't mind showing a little solidarity by holding off your enjoyment until we get back. (Or, at the very least, just don't Tweet about it. Please?) Check out all the pre-order bonuses and pack shots you can handle in the gallery below! %Gallery-117109%
Dreamcast Collection gets dreamy pre-order bonus vinyl Down Under
Though we still lament the all-too-early demise of the late, great Sega Dreamcast, its maker lets us know from time to time that our unending loyalty does not go unrequited. Case in point: the pre-order bonus item for Dreamcast Collection in Australia. It's a silver record (an ancient audio storage media made of vinyl) containing songs from Sonic Adventure, Space Channel 5: Part 2 and Crazy Taxi in a sleeve that looks like a Dreamcast. Pretty cool, right? Pretty collectible, too, no doubt. The Sega Europe Blog has a bunch and intends to give them away in an upcoming contest. Hopefully, foreign fans will get a shot at them -- hey, we can dream, right?
Total Demo: Shogun 2 on Steam Feb. 22, pre-order bonuses announced
By all that is bushido, a demo for the name-reversing Total War: Shogun 2 will be available on Steam beginning February 22, 2011, Sega has announced. Additionally, the publisher has teased some pre-order bonuses available from your local GameStop or BestBuy. Honorable GameStop samurai will receive (online or in-store) the historic Battle of Kawagoe, while those who partake in the Best Buy bounty will unlock 1,000 Koku, the in-game currency used to purchase new buildings, train new units and upgrade towns. Shogun 2 is still scheduled to wage total war on PC this March 15. %Gallery-95803%
F.E.A.R. 3 set to terrorize March 22, pre-order items detailed
In an effort to appease all of its retail partners while simultaneously inconveniencing fans, Warner Bros. this morning detailed F.E.A.R. 3's pre-order bonuses -- different and exclusive to three separate retailers -- alongside announcing the game's official release date: March 22, 2011. Best Buy and GameStop pre-orders will pack the Shredder and the Hammer weapons, respectively, while Amazon pre-orders get a 12-page Fear-based comic book. The Shredder is described as "a sidearm specially developed by Armacham Technologies for their elite guard as an effective way to stop experimental super soldiers that have gone rouge," while the Hammer is said to be "Fettel's original sidearm which was lost when he was killed by his brother, Point Man." And though the new trailer after the break doesn't feature either weapon in action, it does feature a creepy, backwards walking humanoid thing just in time for Halloween.
DJ Hero 2 pre-order bonuses offer your choice of turntable totes
Activision has outlined the different incentives which retailers are offering to shore up DJ Hero 2 pre-orders -- however, the variation between these bonuses is about as wide as we've ever seen for a video game.
Donkey Kong Country Returns pre-order bonus is a-peel-ing
So, here's the problem: We're big fans of the recently revealed pre-order bonus for Donkey Kong Country Returns, but we don't really know what to call it. Everything we've come up with so far has been way, way too suggestive: Banana dock? Banana holder? Banana sheath? The official GameStop announcement refers to it as a "banana pouch," but even that hits the ear in a manner which causes our inner eight-year-old to flare up with tittering. Until we can settle on an appropriate name, we'll simply have to refer to it as a Tropical Fruited Wii Remote Cover. The T.F.W.R.C. can be yours by dropping a five-spot on a reservation for Donkey Kong Country Returns at GameStop, either online or in your nearest brick-and-mortar locale. Now, how do we feel about "banana holster?"
God of War: Ghost of Sparta pre-order bonuses announced
If the recently announced God of War: Ghost of Sparta hardware bundle just isn't enough Kratos to satisfy your obsession, Sony's keen to remind you that you can deepen your devotion by pre-ordering the game. Your commitment will net you a bonus pack of extras; each of which will be individually highlighted on the PlayStation Blog over the following weeks. While only the Kratos PSN Avatar has been fully revealed, it's probably not too much of a stretch for God of War devotees to imagine what the other bonuses entail. Also included with a Ghost of Sparta pre-order: the original soundtrack, the "God of War Live" creative directors documentary, a Legionnaire character skin, and both a PS3 Dynamic and PSP theme.
Top Spin 4 announced, with vintage Agassi pre-order bonus
2K Sports today announced that Top Spin 4 is coming to Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii in 2011. The next iteration in the tennis sim franchise will feature 25 top pros and legends, headlined by a young Andre Agassi -- the one with the rad hairpiece. Vintage Agassi will be offered as a pre-order bonus for the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game purchased from GameStop. While neither Move nor Kinect support was confirmed in the announcement, the "exhilarating" Top Spin 4 is said to feature "an uncanny level of realism" and "all-new innovative controls," according to 2K Games' president of product development Greg Thomas. Who knows -- maybe that means they just swapped the slice and lob buttons? %Gallery-101537%
Rumor: Dead Space 2 to feature 'Soldier vs. Necromorphs' multiplayer
According to reports coming out of a recent GameStop conference in Texas, Dead Space 2 will be getting a multiplayer mode in which players will control either Necromorphs or "soldiers" (presumably not welders, then?). GamerNode claims that the mode will consist of "deathmatch-style combat" and will be just one of several multiplayer game modes included when the game launches in early 2011. Additionally, the source claims that pre-orders of the game at any outlet would net purchasers a free download of Dead Space: Ignition. If you pre-order it at GameStop, you'll allegedly get another bonus: a rivet gun. Update: EA could only confirm the inclusion of multiplayer in Dead Space 2 to Joystiq, saying, "Dead Space 2 will feature multiplayer where you'll be able to strategically dismember your friends for the first time." Hopefully we'll hear more soon.
Exclusive Interview: DCUO's Game Director Chris Cao
What gamer hasn't wanted to be a superhero at one time or another? Superheroes and comic books have been a part of gaming culture as long as computers. Of course, everyone has wanted to be Superman soaring through the skies of Metropolis, or Batman scaring the pants off the criminal underworld of Gotham City. Sony Online Entertainment has teamed up with Warner Bros. and DC Comics to bring this world -- nay, this universe -- to life. On November 2nd, DC Universe Online will blast its way to game store shelves everywhere. DCUO gives fans of comic books, action video games, and MMOs a reason to come together and celebrate this incredible amalgam of genres. Create your own superhero! Thrill to the art of Jim Lee! Soak up the voice-acting of Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy! On top of that, if you preorder this deliciously intense action RPG, you will have exclusive rights to a token that will allow you to join a 2v2 PvP arena as the caped crusader himself, using his abilities, gadgets, and fighting style. Plus you'll get all the other preorder bonuses like confetti bombs and batarangs. Massively snagged an exclusive interview with DCUO Game Director Chris Cao about this groundbreaking game. Up, up, and away! (OK, that was cheesy. Just hit "read more" to read our lengthy interview after the break!)
Listen to Super Scribblenauts in style with GameStop's pre-order bonus
They're "fuzzy." They're "camouflage" -- or "polka-dot" or "grey," depending on which you happen to pick up. According to WB, they're "chic," "colorful" and "plush." We would argue that they are "loud" in two different ways. And they're also "free." Appropriately, there are plenty of adjectives to describe the Super Scribblenauts pre-order bonus, the Adjectivized Headphones. Unless you pre-order your copy of the game from GameStop, they're also "inaccessible." The headphones will be handed out (in the three aforementioned color schemes, randomly selected) with pre-orders of the game on its October 12 release date. And they'll totally look "awesome" worn over a Rooster Hat.
God of War: Ghost of Sparta coming Nov. 2 alongside PSP hardware bundle
Your next chance to brutally eviscerate mythological beasts without eliciting the concern of your peers will come on November 2, when Ready at Dawn's second handheld Kratosian adventure, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, hits U.S. store shelves. The PlayStation.Blog mentions the game's arrival as "just in time for the holidays" -- we assume they're talking about Thanksgiving, which, much like God of War's ashy protagonist, places a heavy emphasis on carving. Also announced were the game's pre-order bonuses, which include PSP and PS3 Themes and Avatars, the game's soundtrack, an in-game "Legionnaire Skin" and a video roundtable of the game's creative directors. In addition, a Ghost of Sparta PSP bundle will launch alongside the game, which comes with a red and black PSP-3000, a copy of the game, a download voucher for Chains of Olympus, Kick-Ass on UMD and a 2GB Memory Stick Pro Duo. It is, quite possibly, the most violent thing upon which you could ever spend $199.99.
