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Added by Brad Shoemaker on June 18, 2009

Microsoft is hopping on the bandwagon of one of my least favorite industry trends, exclusive bonus content for customers who preorder, with Halo 3: ODST. Throw down your money in advance of the September 22 ship date and you'll get access to everyone's favorite loudmouth CO, Sergeant Johnson, as a playable character in the game's cooperative Firefight mode.

Judging by the screenshots, Johnson is just a different player model and probably won't add any actual gameplay to Firefight that you'd be missing out on if you didn't pony up early at "participating retailers" to get this code. But I'm still not a big fan of baiting people into preorders with gimmicks like this, especially since ODST is looking like a solid enough game as it is. (See my E3 impressions for more.)


Does this sort of promotion work on you? Are you suddenly more likely to go out and plunk down your cash for a preorder, knowing that's the only way to get access to content like this?


Filed under : Halo 3: ODST

72 Comments

Trnck
on June 18, 2009
NOT INTERESTED

ImperiousRix
on June 18, 2009
NOT... interested.
Seriously, though.  After Halo 3, I'm done with the series.

Heartagram
on June 18, 2009
Yeah i don't care

CharkeeFarlee
on June 18, 2009
not really interested either...
it looks pants.

MmmSkyscraper
on June 18, 2009
@Trnck said:
" NOT INTERESTED "
This.

Bucketdeth is online
on June 18, 2009
No thanks, Sev will do ; )

Blair
on June 18, 2009
They should have opted for the other Johnson to make this way more exciting.


Sparky_Buzzsaw
on June 18, 2009
I like Halo, but this isn't enough of an incentive for me to preorder.  I'll pass.

Venatio
on June 18, 2009
Interested in the game, dont really give a shit about this though

Red
on June 18, 2009
ODST looks cool, but I really don't care about getting Johnson as a playable character than will eventually just be DLC.

IgneusMaeror
on June 18, 2009
I haven't even played Halo 3, even though I did enjoy the first, and the second compelled me just enough to sit through the single player campaign. About that kind of "deal": Such things always pass by me. I rarely ever go get a game as soon as it's out, let alone pre-order it. I don't like the idea of this kind of "bonus" either.

Ethrunbal
on June 18, 2009
While I don't like in game pre-order bonuses I do like extra swag that occasionally comes with pre-orders. Soundtracks and artbooks and whatnot. Atlus is probably the best example of this.

captainawesomo
on June 18, 2009
Don't care. ODST is looking solid enough and its not like the fans aren't gonna buy it. If they want to bring in those who haven't made up their mind yet then they should probably offer something more....enticing? Maybe something that affects gameplay or something.

Meatsim is online
on June 18, 2009
No interest in this promotion Johnson's just comes off as a typical drill sergeant there is nothing special about him as a character.

Jambones
on June 18, 2009
Preorder Halo ODST, Get Johnson'd.

Doomguy
on June 18, 2009

I think there is too much confusion in the world of video games now with all this DLC and extra content being thrown at every game. I mean do we really need announcements of timed exclusive map packs for Modern warfare 2 at this stage?. I think the video game world is going mad and it's only going to get worse.


crunchUK
on June 18, 2009
Nobody cares about johnson, but i just noticed something else far more interesting

A hog.

A warthog, in firefight.

GOTY am confirmed

HiraH4x
on June 18, 2009
Really I think this  type of promotion only works on hardcore fans. But then again, if you're a hardcore fan: you've probably already gone out, if not, are going to go out and pre-order the game.

Deusoma
on June 18, 2009
Hmmm. Interesting. While a pre-order bonus isn't likely to make me go out and pre-order a game if I wasn't already going to, this is the second game this year that offered a pre-order bonus after I'd already decided I was going to get it. The other one was the electric blades with inFamous.

Kiemoe
on June 18, 2009
NEVER.


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