Upgraded e-Store!

StGabe · #1 February 8th, 2006, 03:54 AM

I hope you can take this as an honest wish to see you guys get better sales:

Your e-store was BY FAR the worst buying experience I have had when buying an online game. It was very hard to find what I wanted (Weird Worlds, download version). Once I did it took forever just to find the "buy button" (a well hidden "add to cart"). When linked to the game itself from the Shrapnel Games page I was sent directly to the "DVD case" version even though I wanted to download it. Then I ended up getting an ISO file (I don't have any blank CD's around) instead of the .ZIP I would have much preferred. And why is your service the only one I've ever been to which required an address and phone number?

Find a better way to sell your games. I don't want to have to work to buy a game. If I hadn't absolutely loved Weird Worlds I wouldn't have waded through all that. And I certainly don't feel terribly motivated to buy any other of your games.

Make the buying process streamlined. Get me to enter my credit card info ASAP (after all, that's what you want, the longer I take to get there the larger the chance I'll flake out). Get me to downloading the game ASAP. Better yet, give me a code to enter into the demo that I've already downloaded to enable the rest of the game.

Annette · #2 February 8th, 2006, 09:20 AM

I regret to hear you found our store difficult to navigate. I'd be curious to know what browser you use, as that may make a difference in how some of the images appear.

Please understand your address and phone number are required so that your credit card (or PayPal) transaction can be verified and approved as a non-fraudulent sale.

Also, there is not an option between types of files for delivery of the game. Please do burn the .iso images to CD, as that serves as your backup when the need arises to reinstall the game.

We do appreciate your feedback and would like to hear if other customers have the same feeling about their experience at GamersFront.

StGabe · #3 February 8th, 2006, 04:30 PM

I use Mozilla Firefox.

I would have to ask why you are the first of any online game site that I have used to require a phone number and address for my credit card. Neither ArcadeTown nor Reflexive ask for this.

I can burn a .zip file onto a CD if I want a backup. It's still not clear to me why I would want an .iso or why you would use a method that is so non-obvious to more casual users. I've got an advanced degree in computer science and this is the first time I've even seen an .ISO file -- if it was jarring to me how is it going to be to someone with less computer experience? What if I hadn't had a CD burner (most computers ship with one these days, but home-made computers or computers where the CD is busted might not)? I was never even warned that I needed one to use the file you would give me.

I just suggest doing some market research. Other online distributors of games use much more streamlined methods because a low barrier to entry will assure them more sales. The longer I dither about whether I really want to give you my address or not (actually I don't care about that stuff, but I know a lot of people who do), fail to find the "add to cart button" or get confused about which version of a game I want to buy, the less likely it is that you will get a sale from me. You must get sales out of only a small % of the people who download a demo, how much higher could you get if the full version was only a few clicks and a credit card number away?

I say this as someone honestly concerned because Weird Worlds is a great game, the type of game I'd like to see more of, and I have to wonder how much better it might sell if it had better distribution.

StGabe · #4 February 8th, 2006, 04:45 PM

Actually, I was wrong. I checked and ArcadeTown does require an address/phone number but still has a much quicker and more obvious ordering process. PopCap requires address but not phone. Reflexive doesn't require either however and has a very nice, very obvious interface built directly into the games.

Even if an address or even a phone number is required I still think the whole process is very onerous on the user and ordering games from those other distributors seemed to be MUCH easier.

Captain Kwok · #5 February 8th, 2006, 05:14 PM

I'm surprised you had such a difficult time. I was curious to what you were talking about (in terms of navigation) and found it extremely easy to do the same steps. I mean the download version of Wierd Worlds is not only listed under its genre, but also tops the best selling list - clicking on either of those took me directly to a screen where I could add to cart and checkout. Overall, I've found it no worse than any other online shopping experience.

However, the search function doesn't seem to work very well. I entered weird worlds and performed a search and kept getting 0 returns. Even with quotes or the full title of the game...

douglas · #6 February 8th, 2006, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Captain Kwok said:
However, the search function doesn't seem to work very well. I entered weird worlds and performed a search and kept getting 0 returns. Even with quotes or the full title of the game...

Did you search for "Weird Worlds" or "Wierd Worlds"? I got 2 results for the first (download and DVD versions) and none for the second.

Captain Kwok · #7 February 8th, 2006, 07:56 PM

Hmm. It works from the little search box but not from the advanced search dialog...

StGabe · #8 February 9th, 2006, 01:32 AM

I actually didn't enter from the store but rather from an external Shrapnel Games page for Weird Worlds. My confusion really came from being thrown into a buy page and not knowing what I was getting -- and this was relevant when it turned out I'd been sent to the "DVD case" version of the game and not the "download" version.

It's not like I couldn't eventually figure everything out. I did, obviously. I just figure that I am well above the average computer user when it comes to such things and if it felt onerous to me, it must turn other people away. And I think if you check out the web page design and process of buying a game from some of the top ten game distributors you'll find that they are a lot more clear.

I finally did get a blank CD and make a copy of the game to use and it did work fine -- although all told I think I received 4 seperate emails about the order.

eshock113 · #9 April 28th, 2006, 04:19 PM

Okay, so am I missing it somewhere? Is there a way to download the games you purchase. Sorry, but waiting a week or two to get the game in the mail sucks.