The First Rule of Pre-Ordering
Why, it's to offer up a soundtrack CD, of course.
Published: July 14, 2006
There's been a bit of scuttlebutt as of late over the future of used game sales. Developers hate 'em because it means they don't see a share of the profits off a re-sold game, but retailers -- particularly mega-chains like EB Games and GameStop (who are one and the same now) love the market, as it fuels a massive chunk of their revenue. There are those that would decry used games sales as the death of the new game market because consumers will just wait until the prices come down and pick up a second-hand copy.
The solution (at least in the short term) has been around for a while now: give the customer a little extra sum-sum for plunking down cash early on an as-yet-unreleased game. Behold the pre-order bonus, for it shall set you free... to get extra crap like t-shirt and mousepads and stuff. Or, if you're Atlus USA, and you're bringing out a fairly controversial horror game like Rule of Rose, you'll include something to whet the appetites of those heading home to play the game: you give 'em a soundtrack.
Six songs, to be exact. No, it's not a full soundtrack, but hey, it's free, and it'll getcha in the mood. Said atmosphere comes from a certain Yutaka Minobe, whose work has carried a healthy amount of SEGA releases like Panzer Dragoon Saga on the Saturn, Skies of Arcadia on the Dreamcast and more recently, Panzer Dragoon Orta on the Xbox. Now, it would seem, Punchjump and Shirogumi are the developers he's keen on working with -- at least for this game.
"Yutaka Minobe's incredible musical score for Rule of Rose enhances the emotional intensity of every aspect of the game," squealed an obviously excited Carl Chen, Project Lead for Atlus. "The soundtrack features a half-dozen selections that stand on their own as great compositions, and as some of Minobe's best work."
So there's the skinny. Pre-order the game at one of those aforementioned game stores (some of the video store offshoots like Game Crazy and GameFixx will probably do the same), and you'll pocket the CD, which includes the songs, plus some kick-ass wallpaper, the E3 trailer (equally if not more kick ass), and sheet music for the tracks, which are:
1. Bullying (2:06)
2. Ambient Music for Strings: "Fear" Part II (1:28)
3. The Attic (2:46)
4. Backbiting (1:56)
5. Piano Etude I (Rule of Rose) (0:53)
6. A Love Suicide ~The Theme of Rule of Rose~ (3:51)
If you'll excuse us, we're gonna go bum rush our nearest EB and get some of this luv while there's still copies worth gettin'.
The solution (at least in the short term) has been around for a while now: give the customer a little extra sum-sum for plunking down cash early on an as-yet-unreleased game. Behold the pre-order bonus, for it shall set you free... to get extra crap like t-shirt and mousepads and stuff. Or, if you're Atlus USA, and you're bringing out a fairly controversial horror game like Rule of Rose, you'll include something to whet the appetites of those heading home to play the game: you give 'em a soundtrack.
Six songs, to be exact. No, it's not a full soundtrack, but hey, it's free, and it'll getcha in the mood. Said atmosphere comes from a certain Yutaka Minobe, whose work has carried a healthy amount of SEGA releases like Panzer Dragoon Saga on the Saturn, Skies of Arcadia on the Dreamcast and more recently, Panzer Dragoon Orta on the Xbox. Now, it would seem, Punchjump and Shirogumi are the developers he's keen on working with -- at least for this game.
"Yutaka Minobe's incredible musical score for Rule of Rose enhances the emotional intensity of every aspect of the game," squealed an obviously excited Carl Chen, Project Lead for Atlus. "The soundtrack features a half-dozen selections that stand on their own as great compositions, and as some of Minobe's best work."
So there's the skinny. Pre-order the game at one of those aforementioned game stores (some of the video store offshoots like Game Crazy and GameFixx will probably do the same), and you'll pocket the CD, which includes the songs, plus some kick-ass wallpaper, the E3 trailer (equally if not more kick ass), and sheet music for the tracks, which are:
1. Bullying (2:06)
2. Ambient Music for Strings: "Fear" Part II (1:28)
3. The Attic (2:46)
4. Backbiting (1:56)
5. Piano Etude I (Rule of Rose) (0:53)
6. A Love Suicide ~The Theme of Rule of Rose~ (3:51)
If you'll excuse us, we're gonna go bum rush our nearest EB and get some of this luv while there's still copies worth gettin'.
