Reader Discussion: What's The Worth Of Free Items?

EA recently offered Battlefield 4 players a free scope as a make-good on the game's continuing problems. While getting free stuff is almost always cool, is it worth it?

Items like the Battlefield 4 scope or some gun that you get for pre-ordering a title seem innocuous, but what's their ultimate effect?

So, our reader discussion questions are: Have you ever thought a free item you've got as a download was useful? Do you think it changed the balance of the game?

As fun as it might seem that you get a free gun in a pre-order campaign, for example, I have a hard time believing that it's worth much if anyone can get it. Or worse, it gives those players a leg up, if only temporarily.

Please reply in the comments section below.