Indeed, this is getting absurd.
-The Signature Edition preorder bonus was fine, rewarding loyal fans with a few items for purchasing early.
-The tie in with the Dragon Age facebook game is also not a big deal as you can play for free and it just helps build buzz for the games launch, however making it ridiculously difficult to impossible to play without pouring lots of cash down the drain to get a few mediocre items isn't my impression of how Bioware used to do business.
-The download the demo, link it to your account and if we get a million of them we'll give you items is also a perfectly acceptable promotion as it encourages you to tell your friends to download the demo.
-Meanwhile the unending stream of uninteresting DA2 lithographs continues...
-Now we have the letter openers, coasters, and pendants linked to more in game items...sigh
All you need to do is head over to the Star Wars store and look around for a while at the relentless merchandising and it'll make you sick. Anybody need a Darth Vader Toaster ? How about Lando cologne ? Head to the star wars store if you don't believe me.
At any rate, at a certain point this excessive merchandising damages a brand and the product its trying to promote, and I'm just hoping you haven't gone that far.... yet