Is Ace Combat 8 (Deluxe) worth pre-ordering for ¥11,990?

As an Ace Combat fan, don't buy anything other than the base game.

- They're playing Edition Roulette with a bunch of different bundles hoping to confuse consumers.
- They're including a mouse pad in some of the bundles. A mouse pad... for a flight simulator.
- The soundtrack on vinyl is great if you're a vinyl collector, but there will almost certainly be other ways to buy the OST after launch, and without all the other preorder gimmicks.
- Multiplayer bonuses for pre-ordering are literally paying for power. Don't support Namco's endeavor to turn this game into another toxic competitive online game.

The only pre-order benefit that I think is remotely worth it is Ace Combat Zero on PC. But there's huge caveats for that too.

- If you have a PC capable of running AC8, it is more than capable of playing AC0 on emulator.
- it's a straight port of the game from the PS2, so no new high definition assets, but...
- The Pixy cutscene looks like a bad AI upscale job. Look at his chin stubble in the trailer and you'll see what I mean, it looks like broken glass.

I'm excited for the game too, but I have reasons to be cautious.

Cool, I didn't see that. I still wouldn't pre-order personally.

I have a different comment in this thread with more details that would exonerate anyone who chooses not to pre-order.

Biomutant was the last straw for me. Haven't preordered a game or even bought on day one since that garbage. I straight up snapped the disc because reselling that piece of shit felt wrong.

Digital distribution of games means that no game should be preordered. Ever.

Back in the day, a preorder was done to get the physical media (cartridge, disk, CD) in your hands on release day. The premium was either paying for early shipment, or ensuring a copy was reserved so that you could pick it up on release day.

Then digital distribution meant that you could buy a game and be playing it in minutes. When there is no physical media, there is no need to reserve anything.

The industry responded by turning preorders into bonuses. But almost universally, these bonuses are not worth the premium. They tend to be a single mission, or some custom skins, or other items that were relatively cheap to produce and that serve only to justify charging more for a "preorder" on a product which is distributed digitally.

So:

Is Ace Combat 8 (Deluxe) worth pre-ordering for ¥11,990?

Negative. And neither is any modern game. If you want to play a game, wait until it releases and buy it.

Let the concept of preordering die.

I'd argue that this shall only apply to games that are being made by big, established studios, under big, established labels.

self-published indie games, you should preorder if you can.

No game is worth preordering. Especialy in times of digital distribution!

Is there a notable preorder discount?

If no, then don't.

The only case would be if you know you're going to buy it anyway, even if its bad (just to support the franchise or something like that), and if there's a preorder discount. Otherwise there's no logical reason to preorder.

Agreed, and good point.

I'd also say support projects in Early Access that you want to succeed, with the same conditions.