How Would You Like To See Us Release Games

[JudgeDredd]

Pardon me, ravinhood, but rollocks.

There are many, many games which have a staggered release. Just look at GTR and GTR2...both released in Europe before America. OR NASCAR Sim Racing which wasn't even released in Europe!! Madden NFL released in America before UK....it happens everywhere...staggered releases happen all the time.

Why would you possibly want to prevent people from having it sooner? What valid reason is there to prevent people from having DD when it's available as such? Why should people who simply want the game, burn it to a disk themselves, have no requirement for a box or manual be made to wait for disks and manuals to be printed?

That's like saying "Yes sir....I know you want that car...but they haven't finalised installing the GPS system in the super dooper version, so you will have to wait until that's ready before you can purchase your budget one".

What you suggest makes no sense at all...unless we were living in the dark ages - and we're not. We live in an age of 10Mb+ internet connections....where it takes minutes or hours rather than days to download a game.

If a company can provide DD on completion of the final release candidate build, then people who want that should be able to have it....again...where's the valid reason for preventing them from doing so? It's their money. It's the companys choice. If people didn't want that "choice" then the DD wouldn't work, because no-one would download it. Contrary to what you think, DD is ALOT more popular than you think.

I for one was a big fan of it. The only reason I won't be using it now is because, like you, I like my printed manuals...so I now see a benefit to waiting for the boxed version. Howver, unlike you, I don't want to punish the people that don't want a box or manual.

[sapper_astro]

Why not an option to download the game and purchase the printed manual at the same time? This will be sent out in the mail, while the game can be downloaded.
 
I assume that many who download the game can burn it to disk and write down the serial number, but printing out some of these monster manuals is quite costly for the layman. Just a thought.

[e_barkmann]

definitely download first, I don't care about manuals, boxes or CD's - I can make my own once I have the download.

Just gimme CC:COI NOW!!

[:'(]

[Big B]

I see I am in the minority here, and I can see the economic sense of download first (or only), but I have bought many of your games - and I have never failed to download it immediately - and by the hard copy at the same time (I just don't have to await shipping that way).

I hope you never take that away...

B

[rhondabrwn]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

Rhonda

I've printed my manuals in the past, but as I've stated many, many times before, they are A4 clunky. I've tried sitting on the couch recently reading my massive Forge of Freedom and COTA manuals and I don't like it. They curl up at the edges, they get trashed...binders here there and everywhere. I cannot lie in my bed with a big folder, reading my latest game manual....just cannot do it.

Besides....I like the smell of a new manual! [:D]

Hmm... maybe you should buy a better grade of paper if they are "curling up at the edges" [:D]

I spent part of my Christmas break printing up my FOF and StarShatter II manuals. I have them in a separate binders with an attractive cover and spine label that I created. I have tab dividers inserted for the different sections, including a "tips" section copied from the forums. I did the same for COG, including the copious supplemental materials that are available in the COG forum. I even printed out my "Campaigns on the Danube" manual and put that into the same binder with COG (made it my Napoleonic binder). StarShatter I and II are in the same binder with separate tab dividers. They are also in COLOR... aren't the Matrix manuals going to be black and white only? Or maybe that will be the next complaint [;)]

Now... if I buy a manual, I don't have that kind of flexibility to customize it to my needs. A copy in a binder will also lay flat. In addition, my binder copy is full size for my tired old eyes, not a tiny box sized manual which is common these days. I bought the StarCraft Game Chest out of a bargain bin and it included the Primus guide... hah... the reprinted guide is so small that I need reading glasses AND a magnifying glass to even read the darn thing!

There are definitely advantages to the "print your own manual" school of thought that haven't been discussed here.

Ah, can't help you with your need for a "new manual smell" though. Do different game manuals smell different? COG smells like cognac? TOAW smells like dirty socks? For Liberty has the hint of home baked gingerbread?

Hey Matrix... how about a "scratch and sniff" option for an additional 99 cents? [:D][:D][:D]

[TheHellPatrol]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

Besides....I like the smell of a new manual! [:D]

Hey JudgeDredd, this is what i did(plastic coated[;)])

[Adam Parker]

Mounted map boards!

[Sorry. I went all retro for a moment] [:D]

[sapper_astro]

Must be a lot of people here willing to shell out money on ink cartridges. It would cost me almost 30 dollars to print out some of the big manuals here, and thats for each one.

[Marc von Martial]

ORIGINAL: sapper_astro

Must be a lot of people here willing to shell out money on ink cartridges. It would cost me almost 30 dollars to print out some of the big manuals here, and thats for each one.

You buy the wrong cartridges then. Check out refill kits.

Anyway, since from 2007 on we will have printed manuals with each release you do not to print out anymore to have a hardcopy.

[rhondabrwn]

ORIGINAL: sapper_astro

Must be a lot of people here willing to shell out money on ink cartridges. It would cost me almost 30 dollars to print out some of the big manuals here, and thats for each one.

Inkjets do burn through a lot of ink, but my Epson R-300 costs me $52 for a set of all six cartridges (from Sam's Club). That loadout allowed me to print the entire manuals for FOF, Starshatter II, Campaigns on the Danube, about 60 printable DVD's (photo quality) and 30 8 x 10 glossy DVD covers plus assorted text printing. It's hard to calculate precisely, but the photo prints definitely use more ink so I would estimate that each of those manuals cost me less than $5 to print.

And that is with Epson ink! I can buy generic cartridges for about $4.99 each which brings my "load" costs down to about $30 if I don't mind some occasional inkjet clogging and possible fading of photos over time. Since I have two printers, I use generic ink in one and premium ink for photos in the other.

Now I used to have a Canon Bubblejet with the single three color cartridge and that was totally ridiculous with the color cartridge costing about $40 and then you had to replace the whole thing when one color ran out (and if you conserved... the dang thing dried up and wouldn't work at all).

So, if it is really costing you that much in ink, then it's time to get a new printer. My new Epson R-380 was only $99 at Newegg and I've seen R-200's for as low as $79 (about the cost of the ink cartridges included with the printer). I like the Epson's because of their CD/DVD printing capabilties.

One thing though, definitely get a printer with separate cartridges for each color ink and also check that generic cartridges are available (some manufacturers use proprietary chips that keep you dependent upon them for your ink and paying factory prices), Epson cartridges are clonable so alternatives are available to save you money.

[TheHellPatrol]

[:(]A bitter irony: Use your printer alot and you pay for ink, don't use it enough and the heads dry up and you need a new printer[:D]. My Epson Stylus Photo 900 costs about $25 for Black and $40 for Color. A roll of film on Photo Quality 5x7's can use a half a color cartridge AND home printed pics don't have a long shelf life. Most pictures ie:family, pets etc. i only oogle over every five years. "Ohhhh, look how cute you were Zachary when you were a widdle furst gwader!"[:@]"Shutup Dad or i''l kick your A$$! You're so embarassing" Lol!

[DuckofTindalos]

Gotta love the march of technology... No wait, that's not right, is it?

[rhondabrwn]

ORIGINAL: TheHellPatrol

[:(]A bitter irony: Use your printer alot and you pay for ink, don't use it enough and the heads dry up and you need a new printer[:D]. My Epson Stylus Photo 900 costs about $25 for Black and $40 for Color. A roll of film on Photo Quality 5x7's can use a half a color cartridge AND home printed pics don't have a long shelf life. Most pictures ie:family, pets etc. i only oogle over every five years. "Ohhhh, look how cute you were Zachary when you were a widdle furst gwader!"[:@]"Shutup Dad or i''l kick your A$$! You're so embarassing" Lol!

So true!

One thing though, the R-380 is claimed to print better than lab quality and the new inks are guaranteed to also be superior to lab photos in fade resistance and durabilty (as well as being waterproof). I can attest that the picture quality is simply amazing (I'll comment on durabilty in 10 years if I'm still alive). Those pictures do suck up the ink though, which is why I'm keeping my R-300 and generic inks for all routine photo printing. I've ordered some cheap generic ink for the R-380 so we'll see how that works. It's from a company that I haven't used before NEXiMAGING. They sell Epson ink at a pretty good discount too if you want "the good stuff".

[rhondabrwn]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

Gotta love the march of technology... No wait, that's not right, is it?

Where are the Luddites when we need them?

[Marc von Martial]

If you want to print photos and keep them for years you need to aim at the better Epson printers. Like the R-800 which features an extra coating cartridge.

[rhondabrwn]

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck

If you want to print photos and keep them for years you need to aim at the better Epson printers. Like the R-800 which features an extra coating cartridge.

Not a priority for me... I'll keep the originals in digital form anyway. I've taken so many pictures out here that they number in the thousands of shots. I can just imagine the cost of printing even a fraction of them. [:D]

[TheHellPatrol]

Digital Photos, they can be priceless:

[Ian R]

"As it is now with the download version first but with the option to pay the extra $10 then and get sent the box copy when available. "
 
I also vote for this option.

[bradfordkay]

I'm one of the luddites... I always want an original disc when I buy a game. Partly because I'm using dialup, but also because I like to have something physical in my possession for my cash...

[Doggie]

Through Best Buy, so I can wait a couple of months and pick them out of the discount rack for $9.99