Siliconera Speaks Up: About Swag

What is the coolest video game swag/pre-order bonus you’ve gotten?

Jenni: I think the Raiho plush that came with Devil Summoner 2 was pretty nifty. I also specifically preordered the GBA Harvest Moon games because I wanted to get the stuffed dog and cat animals that were preorder bonuses. Stuffed toys are always my favorite.

Soundtracks and art books are a nice addition as well. The Knights in the Nightmare art book was almost like an additional instruction manual, since it offered information on every single unit and the Yggdra Union connection.

Louise: I didn’t get it as a pre-order bonus, but I really liked the swag which came with Persona 3. The art book was a nice addition and a great way to enjoy the game without actually playing it. Looking through the book now that I’ve finished the game makes me nostalgic for it.

Speaking of swag, I really like the idea of Atlus Spoils. It’s a smart way to say thank you to people who buy the games as well as discourage piracy.

Spencer: The Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Master Quest bonus disc was an awesome gift. It came with the Wind Waker, if you pre-ordered it, and had remixed Master Quest dungeons. The Knights in the Nightmare art book really complemented the game too.

Swag has gotten much better since Atlus started spoiling their fans. Posters used to be the standard gift, now we’re getting art books and soundtracks. We’re getting better swag than Japan for most niche games now.

Ishaan: My vote is going to have to go to the Okami Official Complete Works art book from Udon. It’s not a pre-order bonus or even swag, but that is easily the most gorgeous game art book I’ve ever seen. It’s filled with tons of concept sketches of the characters and enemies and has tons of designer notes and plot elements. And it’s nice and thick, too!

That’s probably the only impulse buy I’ve made in the past 3 years and I don’t regret it one bit. There’s also a Shadow of the Colossus art book that a friend of mine pointed me to that looks gorgeous. In general, I think art books are the best kind of game-related swag because they’re often filled with a ton of interesting information and you never get bored of reading them again and again.