Video game contest offering an island as a prize

Brett Molina | USA TODAY

Any one who buys video games is well aware of the pre-order. It's a way for players to secure a copy of a game so they can pop it into their PC or video game console on launch day.

The rewards for a pre-order usually involve snagging a cool in-game item that eventually becomes available several weeks after launch as a paid download. Sometimes, it's weird stuff like a Resident Evil 5 snow globe.

Publisher Square Enix has upped the ante for action game Just Cause 3 by launching a contest where the prize is your very own island. No, really, they're giving away an island.

To enter, players must pre-order the Day One Edition of Just Cause 3, which launches December 1. Once players register the game through Square Enix and link either their Xbox Live or PlayStation Network account, they rack up Chaos Points, earned by creating as much destruction within the game as possible. The player with the most Chaos Points after 90 days wins the island.

According to the terms of the contest, the winner will own an island, but be responsible for any related expenses including "attorney fees, escrow, and closing costs."

Also, there's no guarantee this island will be some tropical oasis. "Sponsor does not guarantee the Island to be inhabitable, developed or reachable by any means other than a boat," reads the contest's terms.

If the winner would rather not own an island, they can choose to accept a cash prize of $50,000. The winner will be named in March.

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.