Jordan: So, to somewhat shift this over to the other topic, would any of these bonuses make you actually buy the game?

Jordan: I nearly bought Harvest Moon for the GBA for the cow plushie

Gabriel: I'd probably buy the gundam games if they shipped them with gundam statuettes, even if the games did indeed suck

Jordan: and I have NO desire to play the game.

Shawn: Hmm...doubtful unless I wanted the game.

Gabriel: And the games, I hear, did indeed suck

Jordan: What about in the case of FFIV?

Rebecca: Sensei: I did the same, although I really did want to play More Friends of Mineral Town (the For Girls version of Harvest Moon GBA)

Rob: If I had to choose between two games I wasn't sure about, I'd definitely go with the one that got me extra stuff.

Jordan: I'm tempted to buy it in Japanese again to get the faceplate

Rob: Consumers like Extra Crap(TM)

Gabriel: Bucket: More Friends of Mineral town is basically the same as the first GBA game

Shawn: I can't imagine any bonus actually inspiring to buy a game I didn't want.

Shawn: But Rob's point is good.

Gabriel: I have the game myself, pretty much a carbon copy, female version

Shawn: It would be valuable to offer bonuses just for that...

Jordan: I think there will be some people that will buy the GameBoy Micro for the faceplate.

Rebecca: The plush dog that I got with my game watches over me as I slumber.

Jordan: odd as that sounds

Shawn: Especially since game publishers release a lot of games around the same time.

Rebecca: I don't understand the appeal of the Game Boy Micro, especially since many RPGs have really small text.

Gabriel: I didn't get a plushie with my More Friends of Mineral Town... did I do something wrong? ;_;

Rob: Yeah, when you're fighting for the consumer's dollar, you do what you can do get them to pick you.

Jordan: Yeah. would you be willing to pay a small fee to get the bonus?

Rob: Definitely.

Jordan: How much?

Rebecca: That's another thing: Some stores might not be as stringent with the giveaway rules. The dog plushie was a preorder bonus for Another Wonderful Life in the beginning, but the people in the store gave it to me for MFoMT.

Rob: It depends what it is really.

Jordan: and would you be willing to pay a small fee for any game to get something neat that was only offered for a short time?

Gabriel: Bucket: Darn. Time for a lawsuit!

Rebecca: I already do that for many of the anime series I collect.

Shawn: I think any fee would have to be pretty small, unless it was a bonus I'd be likely to buy later anyway.

Gabriel: Oh wait I live in the Philippines... darnit >_<

Rob: We had Batman Begins in normal and collector's edition, the collector's edition costing $2 more and with an extra disc and 70 page book. They sold out instantly.

Shawn: Yeah, but $2 isn't bad.

Rebecca: Then again, the three hundred buck, um, "collector's edition" of FF7:AC sold out, too.

Jordan: Did you sell any more copies after that?

Shawn: You really don't notice that.

Rob: We totally sold out

Gabriel: In Asia you'd be lucky if game stores actually give you the bonuses...

Rob: We're still waiting to get more, people are asking for it

Gabriel: most of the time they claim that they're "all out"

Gabriel: Despite the fact they have one on display

Jordan: I got my bonus for We <3 Katamari, but I was the first person to buy it....

Rob: Every time I get a game with bonuses, they claim they're sold out.

Gabriel: Then again, here most people aren't interested in extras at all

Rebecca: I was in Japan around the time Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced was released, and you could get a game and special edition white GBASP at the Lawson convenience store, and they had to put up a sign in English saying that the set was sold out almost everywhere in Japan.

Rob: which infuriates me, especially if I preorder a game.

Rebecca: I don't know if there's anything stopping Joe Gamestoreemployee from giving a cool bonus to one of his friends.

Jordan: Luckily online retailers are good about including them

Shawn: Which is good for me, since that's how I get all my games anymore.

Rob: J_Sensei: I shop exclusively online now because of that. I won't shop in most stores now.

Gabriel: Are game stores compelled by law to give out game extras?

Jordan: I don't believe so

Rob: I really don't think so

Rob: all the bonuses we get at our job, we don't even inventory.

Shawn: I suppose you could try suing them for breach of contract...

Rob: According to our computer system, they don't exist

Shawn: But I doubt you'd get anywhere.

Gabriel: Considering here in Asia we pay a ridiculous import tax, extras should come along with them

Shawn: And it's just not worth it anyway.

Rebecca: Where do people do most of their shopping for games nowadays?

Jordan: EBGames.com

Jordan: almost always

Shawn: I use Amazon.

Rebecca: I go to brick and mortar stores.

Jordan: Sometimes at Bestbuy in the store with a Gamer's Gift Card for 5 bucks off

Gabriel: I once tried Amazon.... they didn't send my extras

Rob: EBGames or Amazon for american releases, PlayAsia in the rare times I import

Rebecca: It's always good to be armed with knowledge when you come in, so you can say, "Yes, I'd like to preorder this game, and I would like to know if I can get this nifty little bonus thingy when I do."

Rebecca: always be direct

Gabriel: I just have to wait until local stores carry them, if they even plan to give out the game extras at all

Shawn: Meo: On that, I don't really. I haven't ordered any game that came with extras in a long time.

Shawn: don't know really, I mean

Shawn: So I'm not sure what their record is like on that.

Gabriel: The shipping charge probably don't count these extras

Gabriel: Then again, with the import tax and all... man...

Gabriel: Well, in the end, I'd rather have my game at a reasonable price

Gabriel: Extras don't a great game make

Shawn: Yeah, exactly.

Rob: Exactly.

Rebecca: Sure.

Shawn: I wouldn't mind a package deal with a bit of a discount, though; say the game and its soundtrack for 10% off or something like that.

Jordan: In Japan, I think they are used to make sure the game sells for a good high price

Jordan: prices fall quite quickly

Shawn: But optional, of course.

Gabriel: Unless they like send you something super cool... like a Yuna statue... =p

Rebecca: Games are like $80 over there, right?

Jordan: Sometimes

Shawn: Good taste, Meo. :)

Rebecca: I bought the Tokyo Mew Mew RPG over there and I got just the game. I would've paid over $100 for the collector's set.

Rebecca: The game itself was $60 or so.

Gabriel: almost $100, my God...

Gabriel: tax included

Shawn: Yipes!

Rebecca: It included a 10 inch high statue and an image song CD

Gabriel: That's assuming I order abroad

Rebecca: At least, I think that's how much it was, it could've been like $80-$90.

Gabriel: So I wait till stores bulk order, so I can get it for more or less the same retail price in the States

Gabriel: Again, said stores don't usually give the extras anyway, but it's a small price to pay

Shawn: Yeah, to actually have money left over. :)

Gabriel: $100 gets me the extras, but that's like 2 games already

Gabriel: I'd say forget the extras, if it makes games cheaper

Rob: Yeah, I don't think I'd be willing to shell out something like that.

Rebecca: I'd like to see more extras in Game Boy Advance and DS games.

Gabriel: If I remember, Lunar was a tad bit more expensive because of the extras

Shawn: Yeah, I'd only pay $100 for some really super cool extras with a game.

Rob: Extras aren't important for me, but I don't mind getting a discount when I buy stuff on top of the actual game purchase

Shawn: Yeah, I'd like to see more of that.

Rebecca: The only portable system games I've seen that actually INCLUDE extras are those CCG games that include a pack in the box.

Jordan: Yeah. The only DS extras I see are Styluses. Wow! *toss*

Rebecca: You know one of the more useful extras I've encountered from reading Japandemonium? Screen cleaners.

Rob: Screen cleaners would be nice and for once useful

Jordan: Yeah, I have seen a few of those about.

Rebecca: For cell phones, gaming systems (and your glasses, if you wear 'em)

Jordan: Softdrinks include them sometimes.

Shawn: Yeah. They are pretty soft. You could use them for glasses.

Jordan: I use one from a six-pack of coffee for my glasses.

Gabriel: I wear contacts now... =D

Shawn: I don't want to go that route until I need to wear my glasses all the time. :)

Rebecca: I wonder, have there been any games packaged with anything edible?

Gabriel: I haven't worn glasses in years... man it feels great not having a metallic frame to push up your face every 5 minutes

Jordan: Hrm... good question

Gabriel: Bucket: ok... probably not

Shawn: Hmmm, it'd have to be something pretty non-perishable.

Jordan: like candy

Shawn: Yeah.

Rob: That's sort of interesting

Gabriel: Games like Katamari should have candy with them

Jordan: indeed!

Gabriel: If only to keep you high while playing

Shawn: Fresh fruit would definitely be a bad idea.

Rebecca: If beautifully sculpted figures you can get in grocery and convenience stores come with candy, then games should too.

Rebecca: Have a nice sugar high with your DDR.

Gabriel: I remember getting sugar high once, and playing FFVIII 12 hours straight...

Rebecca: My god, you're a masochist.

Rob: Yeah, that would help. I'm high on sugar when DDRing to begin with.

Shawn: I'm sorry.

Jordan: So, are there any parting thoughts on video game extras?

Rebecca: There is such a thing as having too many T-shirts.

Gabriel: The Law: Extras don't a great game make

Shawn: Don't make me pay much for them, unless they are really, really cool.

Rebecca: If a company is going to include extras, at least have them be useful.

Rob: I agree with Meo, but extras don't hurt, if you give them to us as an incentive.

Rebecca: Sometimes, the stores have more sense than the companies, especially with bundle deals.

Gabriel: To me, at least don't make us pay extra for... well extras

Gabriel: give them away like freebies with games or something

Rob: Either give them to us free, or make a collector's edition and load it to the gills

Jordan: This Roundtable Discussion is now closed.