Retail Radar: MGS PSP, Elebits, Okami giveaways

The preorder incentive is an interesting promotional art form, an extra freebie given out in exchange for an early commitment to buy an upcoming game. Sometimes the incentive is as meaty as an entire game (or two). Sometimes it's just a code to unlock an extra weapon in the game. The space between those two extremes is filled with all manner of freebies: action figures, soundtracks, demos, trading cards, strategy guides, and more.

The Retail Radar picked up a few interesting promotions currently in the offering. First off, Konami has a pair of notable new bonuses set for two of its upcoming titles. Gamers who preorder a copy of the publisher's upcoming Wii game Elebits can get their hands on a plush doll of the game's eponymous creatures. Red and blue Elebit dolls will be available, but they will come in boxes that conceal their contents.

For players who like their games a little grittier, Konami is also offering a bonus item for preorders of Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops for the PlayStation Portable. If the game's focus on espionage and intrigue has players a little paranoid about security, perhaps a free Metal Gear Solid-branded PSP case would put them at ease. Both the Elebits and Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops bonuses are being offered at GameStop, EB Games, and GameCrazy. Konami will also be distributing them with preorders for the games made through its Konami Style online store.

Finally, Capcom is offering a preorder bonus that ties into the gameplay of its PlayStation 2 adventure game Okami. Because the game requires players to use a "celestial brush" to restore life to an environment devoid of color, Capcom is offering up an Okami-themed art board to those who preorder the game. The board comes with a paint brush that uses water to draw colors that disappear as the board dries. Currently it is available through GameStop.