UK Mass Effect 3 pre-order retailer deals

By Robert Purchese Published 5 January, 2012

Game and Origin get exclusive deals.

Anyone pre-ordering Mass Effect 3 in the UK will receive an extra M55 Argus Assault Rifle - a quick-burst ranged weapon.

Anyone pre-ordering Mass Effect 3 at Game, however, gets more.

The Game-exclusive N7 Warfare Gear includes an N7 Valkyrie Assault Rifle (two rounds per shot) and N7 Defender Armour (improves shields, health, ammo capacity, weapon damage).

Anyone pre-ordering the PC version of Mass Effect 3 from EA's online shop Origin will get an AT-12 Raider Shotgun - a large pellet-spread, rapid fire shotgun.

The M55 Argus Assault Rifle.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (59) Latest comment 5 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Phoenisis #1 5 months ago

    Sigh.

  • Lexx87 #2 5 months ago

    At least these 'deals' are getting to be compeltely pointless.

  • eviroboy #3 5 months ago

    Cheap multiplayer advantages? Digital extras need to fuck right off tbh.

  • Benno #4 5 months ago

    Yeah I couldn't care less about any of that to be honest, I'll just buy it £10 cheaper instead

  • FanBoysSuck #5 5 months ago

    Two places I won't be getting the game from then, if I end up getting it first hand at all.

  • GavinUK86 #6 5 months ago

    Haha, awesome, I've pre-ordered the Collector's Edition from GAME.

  • Daeltaja #7 5 months ago

    Hahahahahahahah.

    Haha.

    Ha.

  • Toothball #8 5 months ago

    I was sort of hoping that whole spat between EA and Valve would be sorted by now so a Steam release was on the cards, but it's not sounding like it'll change in time for Mass Effect.

    I'll probably be waiting for a sale either way. Got to catch up with the first two still.
    Edited by Toothball at 05/01/12 @ 11:32

  • crimsoneer #9 5 months ago

    I pre-ordered it ages ago for £15 from Bee...Saving 50% of the retail price is better than any rifle. Sorry, Origin.

  • evild_edd #10 5 months ago

    Happy that these are fairly pointless (so far). ME3 is the game I'm looking forward to most in 2012, so I'm happy I'm not being 'forced' in to buying from any particular retailer (which it would feel like if there were additional levels included, for example).

    Got some serious backlog to clear before I can justify a Day 1 purchase, however...

  • Daddy-Doom-Bar #11 5 months ago

    3 separate news stories about exclusive crap we're all saying is bollox in two days...really? Is that news to you, EG? Do you not read the comments? Do our views mean nothing to you? How much have EA paid you to print these? Get the hint - we don't want to know.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #12 5 months ago

    The £20-worth of reward points on my Game card was what really decided where I pre-ordered.

  • KujiGhost #13 5 months ago

    If it is anything like the 'extras' from ME2, it'll give a paltry 5% health/shield bonus or something equally rubbish. I'll get mine from the cheapest place thankyouverymuch.

  • StuDevo #14 5 months ago

    An added bonus as I have pre-ordered the Collectors Edition from game.

  • StooMonster #15 5 months ago

    Origin Exclusive = me buying retail DVD-ROMs again = lower margin for EA

  • captain_Carl #16 5 months ago

    Fuck off

  • node #17 5 months ago

    Do many people actually care about these digital bonuses anymore? It's like publishers are just doing it to keep the retailers happy.

  • Lexx87 #18 5 months ago

    @node

    That's exactly what they are doing.

  • kingmancheng #19 5 months ago

    Not again...

  • jonbwfc #20 5 months ago

    @eviroboy I thought the multiplayer was co-op?

  • geeza2020 #21 5 months ago

    what a load of shit

  • FanBoysSuck #22 5 months ago

    Having looked at origin the collectors is £55, a bit more palatable than games £70.

    What I don't understand is this:

    "Digital 4x6 lithographic featuring a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork."

    Is the image copy proof or something?

  • TeaFiend #23 5 months ago

    Publishers court retailers with these offers.

    I will likely get it from Amazon as I am too lazy to register anywhere else.

  • Monkey_Puncher #24 5 months ago

    The only one's I care about are extra missions and things that enhance my experience. The special l33t armour type nonsense interest me not, I'd rather play the game how it was intended and not with stupid pre-order armour thanks!

  • Baihu1983 #25 5 months ago

    Lame. Not just because Game are so over priced.

  • Hindle #26 5 months ago

    Post deleted at 23:04:43 04-04-2012

  • gallow #27 5 months ago

    Is it me or are these retailer specific pre-order items basically just cheats?

  • icematt12 #28 5 months ago

    Already got CE pre-ordered at Game anyway, not exactly a deal breaker but it's a cherry on top.

  • mrbeefy1981 #29 5 months ago

    Does this include gamestation? ended up with gift cards for chrimbo and havent got anything else on the radar to spend them on.

  • Cjail #30 5 months ago

    I already pre-orderd the N7 edition from Game so I am happy to see that I won't miss the reaming N7 items; still I think that all the N7 items should have been in the N7 edition from the beginning: customers should come first not retailers.
    Now what I am really waiting for is a price drop cause £69.99 is too much for me even for a CE of this quality.
    Edited by Cjail at 05/01/12 @ 12:15

  • Gastrian #31 5 months ago

    Post deleted at 17:56:43 13-04-2012

  • Retro_ #32 5 months ago

    Give me a steelcase Edition, not interested in stupid slight advantage for the first hour or two weapons, skins etc.

  • Lunatic4ever #33 5 months ago

    I don't get it. Though I really enjoyed Mass Effect I never really cared about the weapon. At least not so much that I would actually pre-order the game solely for that reason. It's not een an incentive for me. It's shit ebcause I haven't seen the rifle in action and I can't compare it to other weapons in the game. What's the special deal hear? Weapon packs as extra content for pre-order is ridiculous.What about giving me an extra mission? More bang for my buck,hu?
    What about including the soundtrack. NOW THAT is an incentive. But not a lame ass weapon offer...goddamnit. They really carry this whole pre-order bonus too far.

  • Cjail #34 5 months ago

    @Gastrian
    These weapons are not in the CE, a.k.a. N7 edition, so I would not wait release date cause then you won't get the extras; also since there is still a chance retailers will run out of stock.

    @Lunatic4ever
    An exclusive extended soundtrack is included in the N7 edition which includes also: an extra mission, a 70-page art book, limited edition Mass Effect comic by Dark Horse Comics, premium fabric N7 patch, exclusive 4x6 lithographic print, the N7 Arsenal Pack (N7 Sniper Rifle, Shotgun, SMG, and Pistol) a Robotic Dog, Squadmate Alternate Outfit Pack, N7 Hoodie For Commander Shepard's and a collection of forum and social badges, avatars, and perks.
    It is not just "lame ass weapons" as you say.
    Edited by Cjail at 05/01/12 @ 13:33

  • ISmoke #35 5 months ago

    Please be on Steam. PLEASE BE ON STEAM.

  • Syrette #36 5 months ago

    Is that it?

    Probably the most unappealing pre-order incentives I've ever seen.

    I guess this at least means that I won't have to worry about where to get it from, and go choose a retailer based purely on price.

  • trebellk #37 5 months ago

    oh dear lord these offers are a pain in the ass.

  • HoriZon #38 5 months ago

    Wish they would just feck off with all these pre-bonus incentives!

  • disusedgenius #39 5 months ago

    No reason not to wait for reviews to come in, tbh.

  • Syrette #40 5 months ago

    Oh hold on, the N7 Edition is exclusive to Game?

    What a joke - especially given the N7 Edition has its own exclusive character and mission.

    I don't blame Game because they need to make money now more than ever but I really do blame EA.
    Edited by Syrette at 05/01/12 @ 12:58

  • Ternon #41 5 months ago

    This is quite disgusting, basically you have to pay 30-40% more to get a full game.

    How did we come to this point, how is this acceptable behavior?

  • Subdominator #42 5 months ago

    @Ternon It's not like you have to. And even if you feel the urge you can still buy the standard version cheap and the preorder bonuses for 5 bucks on eBay.

  • DozyKipper #43 5 months ago

    Oh well. It's going to be a rental for me until they stop this nonsense.

  • gribb #44 5 months ago

    EA are missing a massive trick not allowing Mass Effect 3 to be sold via Steam. Just think about the TF2 items that could be thrown in...

    Mordin mask FTW!

  • Stratix #45 5 months ago

    If this is the same as ME 2 the armour is worth avoiding, unless you made a fuck ugly character and never want to see it's face.

  • Brodie #46 5 months ago

    I'm soooo fucking tired of these preorder deals.

    Please stop splitting games into 4 million bits and offer the same content to all punters - attempt to bleed us dry with DLC after we've paid all you like, but please, for the love of Miyamoto, just pack it in with preorder incentive bits and bobs all over the bloody place.

    Games are shit these days. Kinda.

  • cowell #47 5 months ago

    Voicing your concern here is fine, but buying behaviour is what will be noticed and acted upon. These retailers will be expecting to deliver certain market share because of extra content. If enough people disregard the extra content and buy at other stores, EA will notice that failure and may (at least start) to reconsider if they should offer exclusive content.

    Ofcourse if the vast majority of people want that content and buy it at the specific retailer, they will continue to do so. Regardless of your opinion, this is simple supply and demand. If this sort of thing upsets you, then you must vote with your wallet and buy elsewhere.

  • FortysixterUK #48 5 months ago

    @Daddy-Doom-Bar
    But EG is a video game news website, and this, however trivial, IS video games news.

  • DerpSalad #49 5 months ago

    Second hand it is then.

  • TeaFiend #50 5 months ago

    And the CE is $80 in Americaland, what a nice price Game has went for in comparisson.

  • Elfworks #51 5 months ago

    I pre order in the same place no matter what because I have loyalty to that place and it delivers. No amount of stuff that will become DLC later is gonna change my mind.

  • Darren #52 5 months ago

    Don't care about these silly pieces of 'bonus' DLC myself so I'll be sticking with my ShopTo.net pre-order. GAME have sadly become a bit rubbish anyway from my experiences last year, failing to stock PC games and sending others out late with second class postage, hence why I switched to another e-tailer. ShopTo.net are awesome with a terrific Live Support as well, even if they aren't the cheapest. Quality of service means more to me. And no amount of bonuses will ever persuade me to buy direct from EA while I can buy the same product cheaper elsewhere (only £54.99 on their Origin site I see with useless 'digital' extras such as an art book and comic - wouldn't you rather have the actual physical product for that kind of price?).
    Edited by Darren at 05/01/12 @ 13:48

  • Cjail #53 5 months ago

    I don't like retailers' exclusives, and I don't like Game, but I buy Special/Collector's Edition of the games I love and 90% of times Game seems to be the only one in the UK to have them so, sadly, I have no alternative than to stick with it.

    P.S.
    Almost a year ago I bought Dead Space 2 from Paly.com but since then nothing: Play.com never again had a Special/Collector's edition.
    I consider Paly.com to be a far better retailer than Game (polite, quick deliveries, better packaging) but, really, I have no idea why they can't get exclusives edition anymore.
    Edited by Cjail at 05/01/12 @ 15:19

  • IIJAZMANII #54 5 months ago

    pick it up after its dropped to half price...usually a month after release.

  • KanePaws #55 5 months ago

    Sigh, indeed.

  • Rusty_M #56 5 months ago

    Down with this sort of thing!

  • Bremenacht #57 5 months ago

    pew

  • Trigg3rHippie #58 5 months ago

    My oh my... which crappy gun do I want?...

  • Lunatic4ever #59 5 months ago

    Oh and by making Mass Effect 3 Origin exclusive EA will totally forego the chance to sell whole lot of units WHEN THERE IS STEAM SALES! Because that's where everyone is at when sales are on! Origin is never going to have the same popularity because it feels just too forced how EA tries to make it appealing...it sucks.