Downloadable retail needed?

PhilD · #1 November 6th, 2006, 05:30 PM

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 · #2 November 6th, 2006, 05:52 PM

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 · #3 November 6th, 2006, 10:03 PM

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 · #4 November 7th, 2006, 07:31 AM

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 · #5 November 7th, 2006, 09:41 AM

Quote:

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 · #6 November 7th, 2006, 01:33 PM

Quote:

PhilD said:

Quote:

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.

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 · #7 November 7th, 2006, 01:49 PM

Quote:

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.

Maltrease · #8 November 7th, 2006, 02:26 PM

Frankly, I'm not even sure that piracy is that big of an issue as long as people couldn't play multiplayer games with a pirated copy.

I found Dominions 2 on a "trial" game index website. Downloaded and liked the game. Downloaded the demo to play with the latest patched versions and promptly bought the game to play online with others and to get the full version with the latest patches.

A "trial" version on a game like this will never be up to date... or if it was Dominions would be so vastly more popular that I doubt shrapnel or Illwinter would be complaining.

And someone that is into the game is going to be dying to read through a huge list of patches and additions that they don't have access to.

If it wasn't for that "trial" site I may have never found Dominions and Shrapnel would never have got my $110.

Its kind of a separate issue, but if you take a reduced stance on piracy it can simplify an online distribution.

Basically you need to let anyone who has bought the game be able to download it (username and password login to a download site). Track how many times it was download... so you can cut them off at 10 or 20 times unless they send and email (basically in case the account was shared with others).

Then you just protect the serials numbers.

I haven't checked the "trial" sites for Dominions. But the last thing you want is someone that wants the game right now... and finds out that they can get a version immediately illegally versus waiting a week to buy it legitimately. But I suppose even in that case they will still eventually buy it so they can play multiplayer. What you wouldn�t get are people that ended up not liking the game enough to buy it later who might have dropped the money before they didn�t know they wouldn�t be in love with it (Sword of the Stars in my case).