Pre-order bonuses tend to bug me — particularly if it relates to actual in-game content. Plastic figurines, other types of tat, that doesn’t bother me so much. But still, that’s just my own stupid opinion — we’re in pre-order season, and to help you pick out some of the best deals we’ve gathered up some info on the pre-order deals around some of the biggest games coming out this Christmas.
Modern Warfare 3 (360, PS3, PC, DS, Wii)
GAME
Cost: $98
What You Get: Exclusive 4GB COD MW3 Branded USB Dog Tags containing Call of Duty content.
EB Games
Cost: $118
What You Get: Exclusive Double-sided MW3 Poster
JB Hifi
Cost: $119
What You Get: N/A
Battlefield 3 (360, PS3 & PC)
GAME
Cost: $98
What You Get: Exclusive Free Paintball for 3 months plus 5 Unique Dog Tag DLC plus Specat Kit DLC and ‘Back to Karkland’ DLC Pack
EB Games
Cost: $108
What You Get: Exclusive Battlefield 3 Limited Edition Physical Warfare Pk (includes Steelbook, Back to Karkand DLC Pk, plus 3 gun DLC and ammo DLC)
JB Hifi
Cost: $98
What You Get: Exclusive Physical BP3 Numbered Cap, Physical BF3 Dogtags plus Specat Kit DLC and ‘Back to Karkland’ DLC Pack.
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (360, PS3 & PC)
GAME
Cost: $98
What You Get: Exclusive two Elder Scrolls novels plus premium physical map.
EB Games
Cost: $108
What You Get: Exclusive Skyrim Edition (includes Steelbook, 100 Page A5 Skyrim Debossed Notebook, 4 Collectable Art Cards) plus Premium Physical Map.
JB Hifi
Cost: $109
What You Get: Exclusive Premium Physical Map and official strategy guide.
Assassin’s Creed Revelations (360/PS3)
GAME
Cost: $98
What You Get: Exclusive Special Edition (includes exclusive packaging, soundtrack, Turkish Assassins Armour, 2 multiplayer characters).
EB Games
Cost: $128
What You Get: Exclusive Animus Edition (sealed box, assassins encyclopedia, animated movie, soundtrack, 2 multiplayer characters, exclusive mission, armour of brutus DLC, 3 capacity upgrades, exclsuive customisation item).
JB Hifi
Cost: $119
What You Get: Exclusive Collectors Edition (Collectors box, artbook, animated movie, soundtrack, 2 multiplayer characters, exclusive mission).
Batman: Arkham City (360/PS3/PC)
GAME
Cost: $88
What You Get: Exclusive Batman Beyond character skin.
EB Games
Cost: $98
What You Get: Exclusive Batman Steel Book Ed (includes steelbook, Joker Carnival Challenge Map DLC, 70’s Batsuit skin DLC, Batman Under the Red Hood DVD (Blu Ray for PS3).
JB Hifi
Cost: $94
What You Get: Exclusive Robin DLC, Batman Animated Series Skin, Batman Earth One Skin, Red Robin Character Skin.
Gears of War 3 (360)
GAME
Cost: $88
What You Get: Standard Edition – ‘Savage Kantus’ multiplayer character, ‘Commando Dom’ multiplayer character.
EB Games
Cost: $98
What You Get: Standard Edition – ‘Savage Grenadier Elite’ multiplayer character, ‘Commando Dom’ multiplayer character.
JB Hifi
Cost: $99
What You Get: Standard Edition – ‘Mechanic Baird’ multiplayer character, ‘Commando Dom’ multiplayer character, ‘Marcus’ Wall Scroll.
Uncharted 3 (PS3)
GAME
Cost: $98
What You Get: Special Edition.
EB Games
Cost: $108
What You Get: Exclusive Bonus Uncharted 3 Collector’s Pack with special edition.
JB Hifi
Cost: $99
What You Get: Special Edition
Zelda Skyward Sword (Wii)
GAME
Cost: $88
What You Get: Free Nintendo Plush
EB Games
Cost: $98
What You Get: N/A
Doug Sherry
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 1:25 PMI pre-ordered MW3 and BF3 for a total of 135 AUD from ozgameshop (instead of 200 AUD).
Richard Smack Version 2
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 1:26 PMaint that the truth. People still wonder why people import.
CJ
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 1:44 PMI consider paying full retail price as a premium for getting it day one. How ever if I dont mind wating a week or two then I have no problems what so ever going through ozgameshop.com
Glenn
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:10 PMDo people not realise that EB/GAME/JB have the worst prices LOCALLY on release day? Big W and Kmart (and even Target) usually have prices that are almost comparible to the ozgameshop prices, to the point where console games are only about $10-20 more expensive to get them at launch locally than waiting the 2 weeks. Big W is probably the best place for launch games, I picked up Red Faction Armageddon for $48 on release day due to a 1 day special… It was $60 pre-order from ozgameshop… I came out ahead buying locally.
Thom
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:20 PMDon’t take this as hostility, but to your mind, why is Day 1 so important that you’d pay a premium of more than double?
Glenn
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:28 PMActually anyone who is paying double the amount is getting screwed out the ass. Does anyone here realise Gears of War 3 is available from DSE for pre-order for $79, and it will likely be available on release day for $79 as well as Big W… That’s currently only $20 more expensive Ozgameshop and you can get it on release day.
I’ve saved more money buying $5 games on Steam by waiting a year after release that I can justify getting games I’m passionate about on release day locally… doesn’t mean I fork out EB prices, I shop around.
Thom
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:46 PMThis is true, but obviously someone must still shop at EB. Of course, when I pre-order, I usually weight for ozgameshop vouchers. I think I managed to wing Uncharted 3 for just just under 50.
And yeah, I only really pay more than $40 if its a console exclusive. Steam is easily the best way to save.
But again, release day – why so important, even if your passionate? Is that when the best multiplayer matches happen or something?
Chris
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 3:00 PMSome ppl like to save money and some ppl want to play the game as soon as they can and don’t want to wait a week. I think it’s called anticipation.
It’s not a logical thing. So if you’re looking for a logical answer you wont find one.
Thom
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 3:24 PMYeah, fair enough. I’m not a very excitable person generally, so that probably has a lot to do with my bewilderment.
Adam
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:56 PMI remember my local BigW at the time of Halo:ODST’s release, they had it cheap (~$70) but only one copy being delivered in stock, no rain checks and the price went back up after the 1st week.
DENAz
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 3:57 PMFor me, I have the money, so I don’t see why not :) Plus, I enjoy playing it day 1. Nothing I hate more then getting into it a few weeks late, only to find that my mates are miles ahead of me, specially with co-op games, they’ve usually finished it by the time i get the game
That being said, if i’m not all that excited about the game, then I will buy it online
Tom
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 1:45 PMI did exactly the same thing.
buckE182
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 5:40 PMI did the same thing, but I’m a PC guy so it only cost me $105AUD total ^_^ and BF3 comes with a t-shirt!
thejiveman
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 1:27 PMDouble sided poster! How could i lose!
SuperKlue
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 1:30 PMBahahahaha, great call!
You could put it on a window though?
mchaza
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 1:27 PMCrap Crap and more Crap.
Ozgameshop for me :D
Daniel
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 1:30 PMBut there’s no Zelda date, how could you preorder ;)
DanDave
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 1:41 PMEB games are beginning to sell the gold retro lancer replica, and are offering a $20 discount to those who pre-order GoW3.
Kroniclez
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 1:47 PMGame clearly has the best preorders… EB’s BF3 and MW3 preorders are utter ratshit in comparison.
Neo-Kaiser
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 1:50 PMHmm, let’s see. Call of Duty, which will most likely be broken and heavily exploited within the first week.
Or Battlefield, which will most likely have no Australian servers and if they will, most likely be full of Americans.
Cohzee
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 1:57 PMWhy would Americans play on Aus servers?
Neo-Kaiser
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:00 PMBecause they’re so spoilt that they just select quick search and aren’t even aware how servers work.
Jason Imms
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:14 PMThe chances of American users’ quick searches connecting them to Australian servers are slim to none.
Neo-Kaiser
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:15 PMI’ve seen it plenty of times. Usually it’s because the American servers are all full it just throws them into an Australian one.
rob
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:52 PMWell you obviously don’t know how to use your game in the correct way if you can’t find any Australian servers.
The clan that I play with has already booked their server for BF3 and their place on the cybergames scrim team list for BF3.
If anyone wants to check us out have a search for “Mature Anzac Gamers”.
Always recruiting and playing many games.
Neo-Kaiser
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:55 PMYeah I figured out how. Really elaborate modem hacking or something that can still kick you out inbetween games.
CyberXenomorph
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 1:59 PMor just get both
Neo-Kaiser
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:03 PMI probably will. But it’s hard to be committed to CoD when I’m burnt out from yearly releases. I would only want to buy a new CoD is Treyarch made a “Call of the Empire” Star Wars CoD version.
Battlefiel I will not even touch until I have full confirmation that the servers and server browser is better then Section 8: Prejudice, which I considered a far superior game to Bad Company for the simple fact that I can play in Australian servers.
Neo-Kaiser
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:03 PMI probably will. But it’s hard to be committed to CoD when I’m burnt out from yearly releases. I would only want to buy a new CoD is Treyarch made a “Call of the Empire” Star Wars CoD version.
Battlefiel I will not even touch until I have full confirmation that the servers and server browser is better then Section 8: Prejudice, which I considered a far superior game to Bad Company for the simple fact that I can play in Australian servers.
rob
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:54 PMI will say it again…there are plenty of Aussie servers lol.
If there weren’t any servers how are hundreds of teams competing evey week?
Neo-Kaiser
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:57 PMOnly a couple were implemented last December. By then I gave up and traded the game in. I don’t care if there was, hoping to get into a full server seems pointless.
Although I did read that they were adding browser server for BF3. I’m still waiting out since BF servers never work on release day.
rob
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 3:36 PMI have never had the pronlem that you have so I am confused.
If you are looking for quality online games you should always look for a clan server and get on teamspeak.
If you look for random servers with no admin or moderation that are full of idiots you will have a bad time. Do a bit of looking around and you will never have those troubles.
Damon Thomas
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 1:56 PMAny word on the Zelda Wii remote plus bundle for Australia yet?
RandomNoob
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:05 PMBF3 PC preorder from EB Games is actually 88. 108 is console price.
Andy
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:06 PMConsidering that massive price differences on different platforms, might be prudent to mention them.
i.e. $77 for BF3 on PC, $110 on console (Harvey Norman, last time I checked).
attila
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:09 PMI want special edition info on MW3 dammit – the NVG which came with MW2 remain my favourite special edition of all time.
milali
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 3:11 PMoz game shop is the place to get this stuff. (cept for limited edition bf3)
Stephen
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 3:39 PMAre these the PC prices or console prices? (And please don’t tell me all platform prices are the same, that just means PC players are being ripped off).
DENAz
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 3:52 PMMight switch my BF3 order to Game. Was wondering who had the Dog Tag DLC!
Emma
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 4:52 PMAssassin’s Creed Revelations is being listed as 360/PS3 – isn’t there a PC version as well? Or is it not getting any pre-order bonuses?
Steve
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 5:12 PMYou forgot to mention Game.co.uk and ozgameshop :P
Toasty Fresh
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 5:48 PMCool. Now can anybody tell me that if I go to GAME and trade in CoD4 for Xbox, how much will they give me?
toliman
Thursday, September 1, 2011 at 2:18 AMif only they had Star Wars: The Old Republic up there …
Simply retarded EA, also fu^k Origins
that said, if ozgameshop is the go-to option for 9/10 users, that’s still incredibly weak AU retail. i kinda gave up on EB after Halo 2/3, GAME, after buying a DS, and JB, when i used their trade-in system.
the uncharted $200 pre-order, where did that polished … gem go ?
Shaun
Friday, September 2, 2011 at 12:55 AMGot BF3: LE pre-ordered at Zavvi for $39!