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Old May 26, 2013, 06:06 AM
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DanteLectro DanteLectro is offline
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Physical things are exactly a bad analogy here because unlike digital things, they're not infinitely multipliable and therefore belong in a different category of economics and psychology, and thus they're not comparable (scarcity vs lack thereof, and zero-sum game vs non-zero sum). Digital things, if multiplied, preserved, backed up, and treated properly, won't run out, and you know that very well.

These bonuses and licenses are exclusive and limited mostly (if not only) because of a business decision driven by business interests: they want more money and sooner. Among other things, they instill a fear in you that says "buy it, and hurry, or you'll be at a loss!". You'll want it more, even when you might not even really need it. Of course, you preorder mostly because you really want that stuff anyway, but that fear also contributes, even if you don't like to acknowledge it.

You're basically saying that the limited nature of such content and your exclusive access to it is fair and right because you worked hard for a natural privilege and you don't want just anyone to have that same privilege because it would defeat your privilege that you're so deserving of and it would be unfair to you and make you feel bad. Or is it really? Ask yourself: Did it really have to be unlocked, was it the only possible way, or some executives just arbitrarily decided so to further their agenda? And consequently: Is this thing really special or was i led to believe it is? And most importantly: is it necessary to lock others out? If others gain access to it, do i lose mine, do i even lose anything? What was it that you really "worked", did you pay more? You paid a little sooner. In the case of Biohazard Revelations for PC the preorder price and the release price are the same, so preorderers didn't even give more money, they gave it sooner (i suppose it's the same case here).
The limited status doesn't arise naturally; it's fabricated, artificial. And just because something is the status quo and pervasive it won't automatically become right or fair or normal or natural or acceptable.
You ask why shouldn't digital stuff be limited or go out of print. I ask why should it, it doesn't have to.
(When a license expires and iTunes or Netflix doesn't renew it, it's because the subject is not popular enough or someone else offered more money, or they lost interest because it's too complicated or too expensive to license. The subject won't just run out and disappear, it becomes unavailable because of an external factor, and that's not inherently permanent, the owner can relax the conditions or make it available on its own any time they want.)

As an example for something that's actually limited and exclusive, here's this: being Scarlett Johansson's boyfriend. There's only one of her, her time is limited, and only one guy can be that guy and he has to earn it. That is natural.

I have nothing against incentivizing and compensating preorders, perks are good! I just don't like this hardcore lockout approach, it feels wrong morally; and others are understandably displeased too. There are plenty of other ways: timed exclusives (e.g. Call Of Duty DLCs on Xbox), discounts, early access to demos for games that will be fully released later, copies of games that are otherwise sold separately, and more creative ways. I'm assuming you've heard of the Playstation Plus bonuses, they're good deals without locking other people out.

(BTW, i got this album weeks ago without preordering.)

Last edited by DanteLectro; May 26, 2013 at 08:28 AM.
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