Downloadable retail needed?

[Janster]

I can't be bothered with shipping and handling and waiting, I want it now , please make this game downloadable, or find a download retailer in europe.

Otherwise I am not going to buy it, and I think you will find many will agree with me on that.

Janster

[calmon]

Yep, Galactic Civilization is a very good example that downloading/updating games via internet works successfully. I bought/download both GalCiv I and II via stardock. I can't understand why its still not possible for most of the games. At least for such like dominions III which have only a few/none retailers in a whole country.

[Janster]

It is seriously damaging Dominion III's ability to sell anything whatsoever.

I think the people they need to sell too are NOT found in the walmart shops.

Targeting is alpha omega, unless they have some weird deal with shrapnel, they should cancel it and get a proper online distributor.

Janster

[reverend]

Personally, I don't like download-versions of games.

I prefer to have a professionally pressed CD/DVD, a decent printed manual (esp. with a game like Dominions) and not be hassled with any kind of online activation.

I tried the download-method with UBI (Pe-2 add-on for Pacific Fighters) and I am not impressed. It took just as long for them to confirm my download (because I don't have a credit card, they have to wait until my bank transfers the money before they can confirm the download - shipping is faster, they ship and request the money from my bank at the same time), the installation with the installer and activation was tedious and in the end, I had to burn my own CD so I can reinstall without all that.

Don't get me wrong, it may work for Stardock. But if you can't guarantee that it works perfectly, better don't offer it at all. A bad download-platform and activation procedure is worse than no download at all.

Also, Shrapnel would have to offer more options for payment.

[Nerfix]

Janster said:
It is seriously damaging Dominion III's ability to sell anything whatsoever.

Last time I checked, which was 5 seconds ago, Dominions 3 was the 2nd best selling game at Gamer's Front.

[Shovah32]

So just imagine where it could be with a downloadable version

Honestly i can see the pro's and cons of both sides so i think i better not stress out my little mind by getting involved.

[Nerfix]

Yeah, I know the download version would boost the sales but the "OMU DOMINIONS IS NOT SELLING!!!1" doom and gloom tires me.

[PDF]

Well, I've talked out of experience, as I happen to be a partner in AGEOD (the guys who've made Birth of America).
It's a micro company (approx 3 full-time guys + some others helping !), still we were able to offer a download option (it was CD or download however) without investing in developing our system, we've just rented a solution.

Technical problems were few, and the cost was not high enough to make the deal worse for us than normal CD delivery.

In the case of Dominions I agree that the best solution would be to allow immediate d/l and still send at least the manual. There's even no need to d/l a full CD as it's in fact made of 3 (or is it 4 ?) different 120Mb installers for different OSes...

[SlapBone]

Nerfix said:

Last time I checked, which was 5 seconds ago, Dominions 3 was the 2nd best selling game at Gamer's Front.

The 1st best selling game is a download.