I forgot to place a pre-order for Diablo III: Reaper of Souls - Ultimate Evil Edition before it's 19 August release date. My biggest concern was that I'd missed out on the 'pre-order exclusive' items, particularly the Infernal Pauldrons.
After realising I'd missed the pre-order date I emailed Kalahari's support centre, as they were my preferred online retailer. I enquired as to whether the day one copies of the game also included the codes for the Infernal Pauldrons, etc. I received an automated response saying, "We are working extra hard to respond within 24 ~ 48 hours."
By Friday afternoon I still hadn't received a reply to my question. So today I went to my favourite 'brick & mortar' shop for all my gaming needs, BT Games. The game was more expensive in-store than it was on either BT Games' and Kalahari's online stores, but regardless, I picked up a copy and asked the store clerk if they still had copies of the day one release that included the DLC codes. He said he wasn't sure. So I asked if I could open a copy to check its contents. I was told that I could, but then I'd have to buy the game, whether the DLC codes were included or not. It was a risk I was willing to take.
Initially the clerk tried to open the packaging in such a manner that if the codes weren't inside, he'd be able to reseal the packaging. Unfortunately this wasn't working out, so the clerk resorted to ripping the shrink wrap. The clerk told me that he could feel the disc was loose inside, so it was a good idea to open the packaging and check for scratches anyway. My heart sunk a little when the cover opened, and there was no DLC insert immediately noticeable. Instead I all I could see was the generic PS3 insert for the default controls. The insert looked pretty thin too, so I didn't get the impression of there being more than one. Fortunately I was mistaken, as upon leafing through the insert I discovered that there was indeed more than one,* and that one of these was the redemption code for the Infernal Pauldrons DLC. I thanked the clerk for his assistance, and happily paid for the game.
At the end of the day I paid an extra R80 more (~18-20%) for the game than had I ordered it online, but at least I knew right there that it included the content I wanted. Ordering online may at times be more convenient, and cheaper, but in instances like this, it's great to have a local games shop like BT, where one can interact with staff who are genuinely passionate about the hobby, and eager to help customers. As the release dates of Alien: Isolation, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, and Far Cry 4 draw closer, I'll definitely consider ordering from BT Games again, over their competitors.
Despite it not even being 21:30 yet, I'm just too knackered to switch on my PS3 in order to redeem the DLC codes, link gaming accounts, and then create a new character to check the 'exclusive' items stats, etc. So guess what I'll be up to first thing tomorrow morning while my wife is making me Belgium waffles for breakfast. Maybe I'll even post some pictures.
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* As an added bonus, there was a third insert advertising an additional Legendary Ring being available through a creating, or linking a Battle.net to a valid PSN account.
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