downloadable Version, the 2nd!

[palimach]

i opened another topic to make you aware of the needs of oversea players.

since i live in switzerland, i've got to pay more for shiping and handling as for the game itself. a lot of people in those days are heaving dsl or cable internet connx, so a download of a few hundred mb should'nt be a problem.

pls rethink your decision in this matter and consider offering this service, tks.
patrick

[Robert]

Sounds good for us people that are chomping at the bit, waiting for it to arrive. You know immediate gratification syndrome.

[Dante]

I think the problem was not so much the ability of people to download hundreds of MB, but rather the inability of Shrapnelgames to offer the bandwidth to do so.

The costs for the expected amount of traffic might be pretty stiff, depending on the size of the game.

-Dante

[Akachaki]

I live in canada and shipping is even expensive here too (about 10 to 15$ canadian) Even if the downloadable Version would be 5$ more ,because bandwidth can be rare, i would be willing to pay.

[Tim Brooks]

Hi Guys:

Well, I thought I would give you Shrapnel's Official position on downloadable games. We do offer some downloads, we try to make this work, if the file size is small enough, and there is some reason to do it...

But, here's the rub(s):

1. Bandwidth - it's expensive and a large download that is popular eats system resources. Because we allow downloads of our demos, we have already had to add a dedicated server just for that purpose. A popular game may push us to a third server and each server is expensive to monitor and maintain, not to mention the bandwidth charges.

2. Reviews. Alot of sites and mags won't review a game that doesn't have a printed manual.

3. Piracy. By putting the manual in with a download, you invite even more of this type of behavior.

Thanks for listening...

[Roanon]

Any chance that you might be able to find a decent distributor in Europe then?
Having to pay double or triple the price because of shipping costs will also encourage piracy. Or just refusal to buy it from the more honest gamers, who don't know SE and don't know what they will be missing .