The Top 5 Video Game “Freebies” Of All Time

1. Nintendo Power & Dragon Warrior

Back in 1990, Nintendo Power magazine offered a free copy of the original Dragon Warrior (a.k.a. Dragon Quest) to anyone who subscribed to their magazine. This may not seem like a big deal in this day and age, but consider these points:

at the time, the game retailed for $50 vs. the $20 magazine subscription fee

over 500,000 subscribed or resubscribed to Nintendo Power as a result of this promo

That means at least 500,000 people were introduced to RPGs via Nintendo Power. And while the RPG market in North America isn’t huge, one could argue without the Nintendo Power deal, it wouldn’t be anywhere close to where it is now.