The problem is that there is a market that is drawn to the pre-order system, and so the developers take advantage of it. I don't mind pre-ordering games, but sometimes it defeats the purpose, especially when you purposely attach content so that a customer becomes "forced" to pre-order or miss out on stuff that should have come with the game in the first place. In hindsight, the retailers are the ones who actually benefit from this practice, because they can estimate how many copies of the game they should carry. The buyers are left hanging until the game actually comes out; sometimes with mixed results. I mean, sure, I'll pre-order games that I really want to play. But seriously, who will actually buy games from developers you've never heard from before, unless they build up the hype months earlier? And yes, thank goodness for digital copies, it makes me appreciate my laptop even more nowadays, since my PS3 has been fickle as of late. Too bad steam rarely gives discounts on the really good games, unless they've been in the market for several years already.

Sometimes maps are useful, sometimes they can be feel like spoon feeding. I remember first person shooters way back in the day, when graphics were not the main theme. Going around endless similar looking corridors was frustrating but you certainly felt proud once you've found where you needed to go. I guess it all boils down to the type of game you're playing; if you would rather be in the heat of the action than stumbling upon one dead end after another, maps are useful. On the other hand, if you want to explore at your own will, then maps can be burdensome.