Shrapnel Games Gets Weird!

SlapBone · #1 June 30th, 2005, 10:43 PM

The title of this thread should be "How Shrapnel stifles the shareware business". I am a huge fan of the original but you won't get my order unless you offer it via download.

I know you guys have have experimented in the past, but to be honest, it was with sub-par games (Dungeon Odyssey lol). If you guys offered more downloadable games my Shrapnel library would almost rival my Matrix library. As it sits I only buy the Triple-A titles from you(eg. Dominions II and Space Empires IV).

I know you didn't ask for it but there are a number of your games that fall into this category for me including LoL, Space Horse, and the Stormcloud titles

I'll probably buy Salvo though

Richard · #2 June 30th, 2005, 11:09 PM

The price is on par with your typical shareware (24.95, 19.95 currently) and there will be a demo as well as free shipping.

So your actually getting more (a free CD, manual) for the same price you would have paid for a typical shareware title (ie 19.95 right now).

So what's the problem?

SlapBone · #3 June 30th, 2005, 11:39 PM

CDs are the problem. I bought Interstellar Trader 2 from you guys. The file is like 10-15mb. Why do I have to wait on a CD to come through snail mail for a 10-15mb file or actually any size file.

I buy games from you guys, and for CD people I don't have many problems with your policies (copy protection etc...) and you have the best customer service of any company I've had the pleasure (or displeasure) of doing business with.

These kind of games are impulse buys for a lot of people, especially when you use the words "lunch break" to sell the product so waiting 3 or more days (free shipping) kind of zaps my need for the game. I bought the original in question here, and believe it or not, I bought and downloaded it during my lunch break one day. Now, I'll play the demo of your "20-minute" game but then go buy something like Astral Masters or Smugglers 3 instead, because those can provide instant gratification.

Richard · #4 July 4th, 2005, 12:05 AM

If it's the wait then we have toyed with allowing folks to instantly download certain products, while the CD is on the way, for instant gratification. This, of course, would not include the manual as that would be shipped to you.

If we ever did this it would have to be after a game is gold and only with certain low priced, size, games.

This doesn't mean we will ever do this, but we have been thinking about it.