An over-the-top giveaway indeed has generated excitement as well as sheer frustration in the gaming community. The giant PC gaming manufacturer had mentioned a possibility for gamers to win a brand-new Alienware 16X Aurora by entering through their social media thread; however, the fine print seemed to lock international gamers out.
Meaning that those who want to get their kick out of horror games on great hardware sound enticing…until one realizes the opportunity is only for the residents of the US and Canada. An announcement was made, followed by the classic 👀 emoji meant to wave beholders over, but then the fine print caught sight and fueled countless reply wars.
The worldwide gamer reactions have been…well, let’s say, Heminginesque in spirit. @Xerxes_02 quite perfectly captured the vibe with: “But it’s for US citizen boss when worldwide??” Another one, @CasualBoySirius exuding disappointment, simply declares: “Pfft only for the USA citizens sighhh.”
Well, that’s not the end of the world! Some lucky US-based gamers are really thrilled about the opportunity. “Just entered! I need a little excitement and luck in my dad/school/work life! I hope I win 🙌😭🙏❤️,” says @azzidtab, and it can be rightfully said that everyone would want a little break from their daily grind for this one gaming laptop.
But the regional restrictions also raised some technical difficulties. @Lord_Strawhat, sharing some rather grim tech concerns about being flagged as using a VPN when he’s not, and being ineligible, but also in America 😭, would have had one furiously wishing to hurl the laptop across the room. Meanwhile, @daodedjin gave a very practical suggestion: “just say its country exclusive before we have to waste time creating an account…” Very fair.
Something interesting would be to see the kind of games folks would start playing on this monster of a rig if they ever ended up winning it. @Epicplay2k24 had their mind all set on Resident Evil 7, while @Theneogamersoul could see “Having the 👽 ending in Silent Hill f with an Alienware 16X Aurora laptop doesn’t sound bad at all.” Perfect match-alien-themed hardware for alien-themed game endings? Yes, please.
@NRS_nike would probably go for “Halo: Combat Evolved — 343 Guilty Spark and The Library, for the first time”, which would be truly horrifying on a state-of-the-art rig. The Flood has never looked this good! And @WillofShodan2 summed up most gamers’ situation perfectly, “Let’s hope 🙏 my current laptop can’t run anything” We’ve all been there… praying to the PC gods for an upgrade.
A surprising diversion came when @Zu777Zu wanted to throw Alienware into the handheld market while requesting a “9-inch OLED VRR handheld” with all the specs. That’s top-tier wish-listing right there but not exactly what Alienware had in mind at the start of this giveaway.
What’s very telling is the number of people who are quite frankly just outright asking: “When can the rest of the world get something like this?” “When giveaway in Europe? 😣” from @SamDonche was immediately followed by an underwhelming “Doesn’t work in Germany 😮💨” from @nicos_nerdnews.
But, hey, @Nufftalon kept on the sunny side of life: “Looks amazing good luck everyone,” and that is the kind of energy I want to see more of in gaming communities. Then there’s that uncontrollable excitement coming from @FrankLambeek captured in “I like it! Would love to use it 👽.”
The whole affair really brings common sore points in the gaming world into focus: region restrictions leaving international fans feeling like second-class citizens. As @Afgkidalt put it replying to somebody else’s complaint about the restrictions, “legal bullshit gets in the way of anything fun,” and…yeah, that is pretty much the whole thing.
For those being able to enter, Alienware 16X Aurora presents itself as a real gaming titan that could ironically turn any horror gaming experience from mildly creepy into totally terrifying for all the good. That mere fact that people are already conjuring the images of their first games shows how much this is already into their psyche.
At the end of the day, whenever a giveaway like this pops up, people start talking, even with the limitations. The enthusiasm of those eligible combined with the disappointment of the rest has created a very different vibe: where on one hand, you feel blessed to be a part of it, and on the other hand, it is a little too bitter for your international gaming pals. So that’s basically the gaming world in a nutshell — united by passion, yet divided by geography and legalities.
And if you are placed in the US and Canada, it’s about the perfect moment to take a shot at that insane gaming setup. Well, for those who are not… hopefully, Alienware is keeping a snorkel eye on the international demand for one of these and will put something similar forward for other territories in the near future. Because everyone ought to get the chance to play world-class horror without their laptop sounding like a jet engine about to take off.
