Downloadable retail needed?

[Action]

Ordering something from the internet and then waiting for it is sort of a pain, it really deters people from making impulse buys.

I never bought dominions 2, entirely because I was too lazy to order it online and wait for it. When I want a game I want it NOW. hehe

Eventually reading the AARs and the forums sucked me in enough where I had no choice but to buy Dom 3, and I'm glad I did, but there were like 5 times where I would have shelled out 50 bucks on the spot for Doms 2 if I could have DL'd it or bought it in a store.

[Gandalf Parker]

Downloadable still has many pros and cons. Finding a downloadable retail would be good but do any exist? So far as I know everyone is still playing with it on their own with various results.

GalCiv which is a great arrangment and working well for them but its only their system and not available to others. As far as I know Brad isnt packaging/selling that system.

And altho I agree that there would be more sales, Im not sure if Dom3 would generate enough sales that otherwise wouldnt happen in order to justify getting into the headaches of direct download.

I think that many of the problems with direct download might be settled by offering it as a BitTorrent file and selling the serials. But thats a whole different can of worms.

[NTJedi]

Dominions_2 should be made available for purchase via download. I would recommend all their games be made available for purchase via download after a new sequel is released.

[PhilD]

I admit I have, on more than one occasion, chosen to buy a downloadable game as an "impulse buy", so maybe the "download it now" thing works with me. OTOH, I don't think I ever decided not to buy a game because there was no option to download it.

Stardock's system for downloads is great - for those who don't know about it, it lets you archive on CD, or reinstall from a new machine, or whatever you'd like to be able to do with a game you bought on a CD. With this kind of facility, the only downside to a download system is the lack of a printed manual, which isn't much with most games these days since they have so crappy manuals - but, in the case of Dom3, makes a huge difference.

Having the manual as a PDF file is fine, but having it as a nicely bound, physical object is very important to me.

Now, as to what Shrapnel "should" or "could" do - it's clearly their choice, but like Pascal (PDF), I don't believe finding a reliable system to setup the downloads is that much of an obstacle to them - even if they offered a downloadable version at some discount, they'd probably recoup that in the cost of printing the manual.

I think one of the reasons they won't offer a downloadable version is that it might encourage piracy - if the manual is available as a PDF file, it becomes that much easier to just copy the whole thing and give it to your friends. As it is right now, copying the game doesn't just make it impossible to play MP games - you also don't get the nice manual.

[Maltrease]

I think just being able to download and play the game immedietely would be a huge benefit. Then they can still ship you the CD and manual. Sure it might be tough without the manual for a few days... but a lot less tough then having to wait WITHOUT the game for those days.

[Gandalf Parker]

I dont think its a choice thing. No one is arguing that they should. They might not even argue that they should. But its not the same as offering a patch or a demo. Its not something that can just be turned on. People will put up with alot for small free files that they wont put up with for a large expensive one. The management system, the security, the servers, the customer support, all goes way up for digital download. Ive been involved in trying to create systems like that and I begged out. It was more than I was willing to accept responsibility for.

When someone offers an installable package like they have for shopping carts, forums, PMs, blogs, etc etc then we might see it.

[CharonJr]

I am all for a merger of Shrapnel, Matrixgames, Battlefront, Stardock and Paradox

With the games they publish and 2 established downloadable retail systems between them this would fix both my gaming and my instant gratification needs

CharonJr

[PhilD]

Gandalf Parker said:
I dont think its a choice thing. No one is arguing that they should.

Well, precisely, some people are arguing that they should.

[Gandalf Parker]

PhilD said:

Well, precisely, some people are arguing that they should.

But some are making it sound like they are choosing not to. As if its as simple as making the demo available by download.

Most people if they think about it will realize that its not that easy. Tracking a download to a payment, being secure in keeping that payment info, handling broken downloads, connecting a broken download back to a payment, and doing it all in a way that keeps someone from abusing it to get free copies. Not to mention making it work with as little manual management as possible.

Even that doesnt cover what a release would do to them. The hassle we had wiating for our pre-orders would have been nothing compared to having everyone trying to download it at the same time. Especially the lag that is caused by having dialups and far overseas locations hanging onto a connection long enough to download the whole game.

GalCiv is a sweet arrangment but some users have a problem with it and Id hate to have to install software for every game company that I want to do business with. Even Matrix seems to use it only for smaller games which are not company make-or-break products. Shrapnel does have downloadable games so they have tried it. They just dont seem ready to offer Dominions that way (yet), and I dont see where the benefit of it outweighs the chances they would take. Its not that kindof a game.

[calmon]

Gandalf Parker said:
and I dont see where the benefit of it outweighs the chances they would take. Its not that kindof a game.

The biggest benefit is that we can get the game as soon as possible, regardless where you live.