Tag: Pre order

Those of you who played Star Trek Universe may remember the controversy that Cryptic Studios caused by encouraging players to purchase multiple copies of the game in order to take advantage of the retailer-specific cosmetic items upon launch. If you wanted to get your hands on the Next Generation Enterprise, as well as an adorable Tribble, you had to buy one copy from Best Buy and one from Gamestop. If you didn’t, according to Cryptic, you would have to go without them. Shortly after launch, Cryptic launched most of the items on to the cash shop, to the uproar of the game’s community.

So with a couple of years behind them and a brand new MMO (and parent company), what has Cryptic learned from Star Trek Online? Judging by today’s pre-order bonus pack, nothing. Kotaku revealed that players will be able to choose from several packages ranging in price from $20 up to the inglorious $200 Hero of the North Founder’s Pack. The packages range in goods, from bags to exclusive mounts, titles and bigger head-starts, the usual fray. The $200 package has something players should immediately sniff out as suspicious: an exclusive race.

 Exclusive access to ‘Menzoberranzan Renegade’, a Drow playable race like the legendary ranger Drizzt Do’Urden, complete with unique racial abilities and tattoo

Cryptic has pulled this stunt before, claiming an item to be pre-order package dependent and then going forward and placing it on the cash shop at a significantly reduced price anyway. Knowing Cryptic, the appearance of the exclusive race on the cash shop is just about inevitable. An exclusive race, and a whole lot of lock boxes.