Pre-order
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- This article is about the marketing tactic. For preorder traversal of a tree data structure, see tree traversal. For the mathematics concept, see preorder.
A pre-order is an order placed for an item which has not yet been released. The idea for pre-orders came when people found it hard to get popular electronics in stores due to their popularity, companies were given the idea to allow people to reserve their own personal copy, which has been a huge success.
[edit] Pre-order incentive
Pre-order incentive, also known as pre-order bonus, is marketing tactic whereby a retailer or manufacturer/publisher of an entertainment product (usually a book or video game) encourages buyers to reserve a copy of the product at the store prior to its release.
Reasons for this vary, typically publishers wish to ensure strong initial sales for a product, and the offered incentive is used to induce shoppers (who might otherwise wait for positive reviews or a specific shopping period like the holiday season) to commit to a purchase. Having paid for part or all of the purchase when placing the order, these consumers will usually complete the transaction shortly after the product's release, often on its first day in stores. Individual stores or chains may also offer bonuses for a popularly anticipated product, to ensure that the customer chooses to buy at that location, rather than from a competitor.
The pre-order bonus may be as simple as a discount on the item's purchase price or other related merchandise (another marketing strategy), or may consist of an actual item or set of items. These items may be related merchandise or exclusive items available only through the pre-order program. The latter are often desirable to collectors and those with a little patience can usually sell the items on eBay or other online auction sites. Theoretically, this represents pure profit, although some may order multiple copies of a product for multiple bonus items, if the value of the bonus is likely to increase enough to make this economically viable.
[edit] Examples of pre-order incentives
- In the US, a bonus disc containing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and a modified version known as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest was available as a pre-order bonus for The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
- Also in the US, the Pokémon Jirachi was initially only available through a bonus disc obtained by pre-ordering Pokémon Colosseum.
- For pre-ordering the Fall Out Boy album Infinity on High,Wal Mart and Best Buy are offering the exclusive tracks G.I.N.A.S.F.S. and It's Hard To Say I Do When I Don't.
- Several bookstores are known to offer discounts or other incentives before and at the release of new Harry Potter books.
- Prior to the release of Resident Evil Code: Veronica X on PlayStation 2, Capcom offered a bonus DVD Video titled Wesker's Report as a bonus (which served as a recap of the previous games from Wesker's perspective). In Japan, the disc came bundled with the game.
- For the release of Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence in North America a documentary DVD Metal Gear Saga Vol. 1 was offered to those with a pre-order.
- For the release of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi you can obtain a free Janemba Dragon Ball Z card only by pre-ordering.
- Apple Computer's iTunes Music Store has an innovative method to place future release albums on pre-order which are bundle with additional content not found in the physical version.
- For the expansion packs of The Sims 2 many store send special download content to people who pre-order from their store.
