Topic: What have you pre-ordered for 2009?

[Kairon]

Well, it's a big list, but who knows if all those games will make it in 2009?

For example, Monster Hunter 3 could get delayed to 2010. Secret Files: Tunguska could simply NEVER make it to America from Europe (where's my Disaster? T_T), Suzumiya Haruhi no Heiretsu could never make it out of japan... there's a lot of caveats that I didn't take the time to weed out, sorry.

However, my list also lacks things like Sky Crawlers, Fragile, and Let's Catch... T_T I need to revise that list like, for realz.

[KDR_11k]

Didn't know you were a fan of Haruhi.

[Kairon]

Didn't know you were a fan of Haruhi.

I'm a fan of We Cheer, which I think Haruhi might emulate...

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

"Retailers, definitely in the United States, are being far more prudent in what they buy, so they’re clearly going to focus on the triple A titles, but their day one orders are coming down. What they’re saying is that they’ll take in as little as need to, see how it sells through, and then they know they can order again in a matter of days if not hours. So that’s hurting us. In the United States you’ve got five customers, and those customers are saying that they don’t need to order four weeks’ stock, I’m going to order two. I don’t want all this inventory. I think you’ll find most publishers in the United States will be having similar challenges, to be honest.” - Sega Europe president Mike Hayes

[KDR_11k]

I don't see where the challenge is there, was there a context?

[Flames_of_chaos]

Well I just preordered Fire Emblem DS since I just can't say no to Fire Emblem.

[KDR_11k]

Which one, Shadow Dragon?

[Kairon]

I don't see where the challenge is there, was there a context?

Basically, retailers are becoming less likely to order a large pre-shipment without the pre-orders to back it up and without fast early sell-through. A game may need to sell through fast to incur further orders, and this means either pre-ordering (to increase the initial retailer order) or buying during the first two weeks of launch or so (to deplete the stock and trigger a second, more substantial shipment).

I think it speaks to retailers being less willing to take risks on inventory, meaning that pre-orders increase in importance to show retailers (and hence, Publishers) that a game is desired (everyone go pre-order Conduit, MadWorld, and HOTD:Overkill NOW).

[KDR_11k]

I'm not sure that's true. I do see retailers stocking very large piles of hyped games (and sometimes being stuck with them if the game turns out to suck). Well, maybe not Gamestop but that store sucks anyway.

[vudu]

Well I just preordered Fire Emblem DS since I just can't say no to Fire Emblem.

Did you go for the over-priced copy at GameStop that comes with a limited edition art cell or did you get the correctly-priced version from Amazon? 

[SirSniffy]

Fire Emblem for the DS
Onechanbara
Mad World(despite the accursed SEGA LOGO)
Rune Factory
Little King's Story(which is so far away sadly).
Samurai Showdown Anthology

I can say though, that there are about 10-15 games on the radar that I am definitely interested in dropping a few food stamps on. Alas, Ghostbusters is not one of them...