Why would you ever pre order a digital game?

[Vitalius]

The only other legitimate reason I can think of is because I was going to buy it anyway ASAP. 

For example, the only games I have ever pre-ordered were done so in August and they release in September and October. They are physical games, but the reason I did so still holds true for digital games. 

I pre-ordered Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix, Disgaea D2:A Brighter Darkness, and Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD remake. Yes, I already know I will love these games, but that is one of my points. Only pre-order games you know you want regardless. 

That ties into my other point about pre-ordering: You only do it when you know you will buy the game regardless and it is a series you want to support.

For example, if I wait and buy any of those three games in 3-6 months, they will probably be cheaper. I don't want to buy them when they are cheaper. Why? Because I want to support the people who made them. The more money they get, the more games they will make. Plus I don't want to wait. These are the types of games I love more than any other game (JRPG's are my genre). Waiting would simply suck.

I can wait for BF4. I can wait for just about any other genre, but I want my JRPG's ASAP. Simply because I love them.

Plus they tend to be the types of games that take 100's of hours to fully beat, and then I tend to replay them, so yeah. Sooner is better.

[threadysparrow]

The only other legitimate reason I can think of is because I was going to buy it anyway ASAP. 

For example, the only games I have ever pre-ordered were done so in August and they release in September and October. They are physical games, but the reason I did so still holds true for digital games. 

I pre-ordered Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix, Disgaea D2:A Brighter Darkness, and Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD remake. Yes, I already know I will love these games, but that is one of my points. Only pre-order games you know you want regardless. 

That ties into my other point about pre-ordering: You only do it when you know you will buy the game regardless and it is a series you want to support.

For example, if I wait and buy any of those three games in 3-6 months, they will probably be cheaper. I don't want to buy them when they are cheaper. Why? Because I want to support the people who made them. The more money they get, the more games they will make. Plus I don't want to wait. These are the types of games I love more than any other game (JRPG's are my genre). Waiting would simply suck.

I can wait for BF4. I can wait for just about any other genre, but I want my JRPG's ASAP. Simply because I love them.

Plus they tend to be the types of games that take 100's of hours to fully beat, and then I tend to replay them, so yeah. Sooner is better.

 

FINAL FANTASY X FINAL FANTASY X FINAL FANTASY X FINAL FANTASY X FINAL FANTASY X

[Vitalius]

FINAL FANTASY X FINAL FANTASY X FINAL FANTASY X FINAL FANTASY X FINAL FANTASY X

Lol yep.

If you apply all that to digital downloads, the only reason to pre-order is if you are going to buy the game on release anyway. Because then you get free stuff. I don't care what reviewers say about KH, FFX, or D2, mainly because I've already played two of them, and the other I know I will want regardless of bugs or lacking gameplay (which won't exist, I am certain). 

This is especially if you are like me. I play games for story first and gameplay second. Thomas was Alone has incredibly tedious and boring (to me) gameplay, but I am playing it because I love the story and atmosphere that is in it. 

If I want to buy a game for story, bugs don't mean jack to me. Even if the story is crap for whatever reason (*cough* X-2 *cough*), I still want to play it to ascertain that for myself.

[Matman24]

The only reasons I've pre-ordered games digitally were:

-If they came with other games to hold me over while I wait for the game to release, like when I pre-ordered Rise of the Triad and got 4 classic Apogee titles, including the original game. 

-If the game is discounted for pre-orders, like Shadow Warrior. It had a 10% discount for those who pre-ordered, and I got an additional 15% off as a thanks for buying the re-release of the original game.

 I Ended up saving 10$ (which brought the price down to 30$). 

-I have a huge soft spot for old-school FPS's

-I did a butt-ton of research beforehand to make sure I wasn't just throwing away my money. 

[LOST TALE]

they give you some advantages.