Today is the day - Finally

[sol_invictus]

Agreed, I have also never played the boardgame, but any Napoleonic title will instantly get my attention. I will wait a bit to buy EIA since with such a long and large developement, I am sure that some patches will be needed. I do worry that the AI will have a devil of a time in playing the game well. This game obviously comes into it's own with a group of actual players and this brings up another concern. Finding enough players who will actually stick with such a long game and be able to return turns consistantly. I realize that the AI will take up the slack but this does concern me.

[bssybeep]

Never played the boardgame, so was mildly interested in this title.  But not at that price point, imho pretty high.  Personally I will not pay that much money for any game.  At 49.95 it definitely was a potential buy.  I have NiI and Campaigns of Napoleon to keep me busy[:)]

[TheHellPatrol]

ORIGINAL: Son_of_Montfort

The price point indicates to me that Matrix must be rather confident in the quality of the product. With a $59.99/69.99 price tag, I expect to get vast gameplay nearly on par with WitP

[:)]Now that's thinking positive, i agree, if it's even close to the scope of Witp and not riddled with bugs/ctd's on day 1 i don't think any price under $100 would be unjustified. If Matrix came out and said: "Hey guys, Empire in Arms is finally done after all these years and it's only gonna be $9.99 at release!" i think i'd pass[;)].

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: fw1206
And do you know the shipping costs form america to germany???? These are additional costs to us.

Just FYI, if you purchase from our European store, the titles are shipped from our warehouse in the UK so the costs are significantly lower in shipping and there are no import taxes as it's all within the EU.

[jjax]

ORIGINAL: bssybeep

Never played the boardgame, so was mildly interested in this title.  But not at that price point, imho pretty high.  Personally I will not pay that much money for any game.  At 49.95 it definitely was a potential buy.  I have NiI and Campaigns of Napoleon to keep me busy[:)]

I have no prob with the price point as long as the game is not riddled with bugs.

Talking about bugs, im still al little concerned about the AI a bit; that might cause me to have a "wait and see" approach.

[demonterico]

When Matrix first announced that they were going to do EinA I was more than thrilled, and now I have been waiting for years for this day, Nov 28th, to come.  For anyone who hasn't played EinA, it is in my mind one of the primary classics of wargaming.  I also believe that Matrix is the kind of company that truly wants to offer their customers top of the line products, and this is a major reason why they chose to do EinA in the first place.  As far as price goes I trust Matrix to do right the right thing and charge a price thats justifiable.  They are, after all, a bussiness and should make a profit.  As long as the quality is there I'll pay their price.  I paid full price for WitP when it first released and never regretted it for a moment.  I'm still playing with it to this day, what a game!! 
 
By the way, the EinA boardgame map and the WitP map are up on my wall side by side and have been for years.  Although Matrix, I was a little disapointed by the size of the WitP map, I was really hoping for something larger, say maybe 4' x 6' or even 5' x 8'.  I like um big. 
 
Also, when WitP was first released I requested that Matrix offer some accessories to go with the game, and would like to see that happen again with EinA.  However when I said accessories I wasn't really thinking about T-shirts and hats, I was thinking more along the line of maps, preprinted full size manuals, counters, preprinted game rosters, ect.  Although I must say my wife looks really cute in her WitP tank top, and at this moment as I write this I am drinking coffee from my WitP mug.  

[ZoomBoy27]

hmm... just trying to figure out a way to play it at work(at lunch-time) without bringing IT down upon my head.
We'll see about the download/activation methods

Edit: the game size is 160MB - maybe I can transfer it to my iPod and then transfer it to my work PC [8D]

[AminMaalouf]

I haven't been aware that EiA is that close already. There are tow Matrix titles I wait for, this is one. The other is the standalone extension of CoG.

[New York Jets]

ORIGINAL: Chris Trog

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

EIA will be priced at $59.99 Download and $69.99 Boxed. The Physical/Boxed versions should be live either on the day of launch or later in the same week and we expect to have physical stock to ship out by December 14th.

So will there be a digital download plus physical shipment option available on day one, then?

I always purchase the digital + physical option when I buy games from you guys.

What I'm trying to say is that I want the download on day one and still get the pre-printed manual with the actual CD.

BUMP!

[Titanwarrior89]

The price doesn't bother me.  I am just wondering if it'll be worth the price..[&:]  I stopped waiting on this one along time ago.   [X(]  But the Matrix team do develope excellent wargames.[:)]

[morvwilson]

For me, the board game was the best napoleonic campaign game I have ever run across. I will be buying this Nov. 28.
I will also post my opinions of the game once I have played a few times.
Looking forward to my first try!

[Spartan07]

Guys,

lets support this game and pay the extra $10. Surely we can find that amount for such a great game:)

[Naomi]

If prices are already final, could we have a look at the manual now while in wait? *(^o^)*

[SamuraiProgrmmr]

Three things......


*******

One thing to think about.... (at the risk of being flamed)

It is pretty likely that the consumer base for a game like this is much smaller than the consumer base for games like Civilization and any of the various Mario titles.  I am unsure how the development cost compares.  I suspect that the cost of tons and tons of spiffy 3D graphics outweighs the programming cost on many titles. Even so, due to the smaller group of likely consumers, we should expect to pay more.

If we want quality computerized versions of our favorite wargames, we need to encourage such development by being willing to pay the premium cost.  No matter how badly someone wants to produce a game, they have to earn a living.  Either we help provide that living by paying the right price or we do without the game.

Clearly it is a personal choice, but the success of games like this and several others will have bearing on what games are done over the next few years.

******

Something that was posted earlier gave the impression that those who purchased the Download+Physical option immediately upon release might not receive a printed manual. I certainly would not expect that to be the case. Could someone please confirm or deny?


******
Could we get a look at the manual now???  I seem to remember that there are elements of EIH mixed in with this version of EIA.  I have been trying to decipher the rules to EIA and am constantly wondering what applies and what does not. 



Other than that, congratulations to all for reaching this milestone!

Dean




(edited to reaarange paragraphs ---- That will teach me not to preview)

[tgb]

ORIGINAL: SamuraiProgrammer


It is pretty likely that the consumer base for a game like this is much smaller than the consumer base for games like Civilization and any of the various Mario titles. I am unsure how the development cost compares. I suspect that the cost of tons and tons of spiffy 3D graphics outweighs the programming cost on many titles. Even so, due to the smaller group of likely consumers, we should expect to pay more.

If we want quality computerized versions of our favorite wargames, we need to encourage such development by being willing to pay the premium cost. No matter how badly someone wants to produce a game, they have to earn a living. Either we help provide that living by paying the right price or we do without the game.

Clearly it is a personal choice, but the success of games like this and several others will have bearing on what games are done over the next few years.

There are many fans of the boardgame who have been waiting for this for many years and no doubt will pay any price. That is all well and good.

OTOH, there are also hundreds (thousands?) of potential purchasers like myself who came to wargaming via the computer, and have never played the boardgame, and are not sure if this is right for them. Given that Matrix has an apparent policy of "no demos", the $60 price point turns what would have been an automatic purchase into a "wait and see".

It's not that I can't afford the extra $10 - it's that for many, $49.95 is the "sweet spot" for pricing a game, and one that's hard to get past.

As I posted before, if they even offered a $10 discount for orders placed before release, I would jump on it like dead on Elvis.

(Edited because grammar are fun.)

[SamuraiProgrmmr]

(Please take this in the spirit of open discussion - I'm not really refuting your point, just offering another set of considerations)
 
Point taken about those who may or may not buy it because of the price.  I am not sure I agree (see below), but you may be right.
 
I remember a new copy of the tabletop game (when it was available in game stores) being $35.  Surely the 'computerization' of the product is worth another $25.
 
Furthermore, When EIA (tabletop) was $35, you could buy Star Fleet Battles for $20.
 
Ultimately, the price has to be set according to several criteria.
 
1)
 
(Cost of Production + Expected Profit (production, wholesale, and retail) ) / Expected Sales
 
2)
 
More, if the public will pay.
 
Price setting for intellectual property is a very interesting problem.
 
Thinking about what the public will pay...
 
Lets consider Civilization 4 --- one game - two expansion packs.  I don't remember what price it came out at for sure, but I think it was 39.99.  The expansions were 29.99 each (IIRC).  That adds up to almost $100. (Don't forget that was after Civ, CivNet, Civ2, Civ3, Civ3 Expansion)
 
Lets consider Starfleet Command - I think they had 4 products before it was over. The total was easily over $100.
 
What is the likelyhood of an expansion pack for a game like this?  If you expand it, is it still Empires in Arms? 
 
I guess you could add more map sections and have the same game mechanics for the New World, etc.  Maybe it is a candidate for an expansion pack.
 
 
In my mind, the real question is Will people who have not played games like this buy it -- even if it is $20.00?
 
I have no idea what the sales figures were for EIA (tabletop).  I would expect the computer version sales to be comparable... give or take 20%.
 
 
And yes, if the price were $10.00 less, I would happily pay it instead.  If it were $10.00 more, I would pay it as well, but for different reasons than your typical purchaser.   I want to encourage more of the same. 
 
Specifically, I would like to see more turn based faithful reproductions of complex board games with PBEM / Direct Connect / and strong AIs.  You see, I have plans for my retirement.  I want to play all of the games I never had time to play during Real Life (TM).
 
I am sad for what has 'almost' been.  Here is a prime example.
 
Starfleet Command was supposed to be a real-time reproduction of StarFleet Battles.  I was hoping for turn-based but was intrigued by how they adjusted to real time.  (I think they did many things correctly.)  Then the designers decided that the battles progressed too slowly and decided to monkey with damage allocation to make the game more exciting.  This changed all kinds of dynamics that had been carefully balanced over 3 releases since 1974.  I was a playtester for the original (For those who will check, I am listed in the readme but not in the manual because Real Life (TM) got in the way).  I knew it had missed the mark in my opinion.  But I bought it anyway.  Why?  Because it was a step in the right direction.
 
One of my goals is to do what Marshall has done.  Take an old favorite and put it on the computer.  Maybe someday.  Until then, I have to hope that the game producers will do it for me.  The only influence I have with them is my wallet.  (It is, after all, a capitalist world.)
 
So, I will gladly pay what some others may see as a little too much.  I am investing in the future.
 
(Is Matrix Games publicly held?--- If so, what is the stock symbol.. I might buy a share or two [:)] )
 
Again, I am not necessarily refuting your point. You may be exactly correct.
 
Dean
 
 

[Erik Rutins]

To respond to an earlier question, we hope to have physical versions of EIA available for _order_ on release. They won't ship out until later in December, but they will be available to order in the store. All physical versions of EIA will come in a full color wide DVD box with a full color printed manual.

My only concern with all our physical releases at present is that due to printer delays, we are really going to be receiving stock much closer to Christmas than I am normally comfortable with. For this reason, I expect that there will be some folks who, due to the normal Christmas shipping delays, won't receive their physical copy until after the holidays. I would recommend ordering the digital+physical version because of that possibility, rather than the physical only.

Regards,

- Erik

[JimMerson]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

To respond to an earlier question, we hope to have physical versions of EIA available for _order_ on release. They won't ship out until later in December, but they will be available to order in the store. All physical versions of EIA will come in a full color wide DVD box with a full color printed manual.

My only concern with all our physical releases at present is that due to printer delays, we are really going to be receiving stock much closer to Christmas than I am normally comfortable with. For this reason, I expect that there will be some folks who, due to the normal Christmas shipping delays, won't receive their physical copy until after the holidays. I would recommend ordering the digital+physical version because of that possibility, rather than the physical only.

Regards,

- Erik

Well, open up the store!!!!! (picture me as a young child doing the "I gotta go" dance) And I will do just that, order the download with a physical when available. I think the manual will be worth the extra $10.00!!

Jim

[New York Jets]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

To respond to an earlier question, we hope to have physical versions of EIA available for _order_ on release. They won't ship out until later in December, but they will be available to order in the store. All physical versions of EIA will come in a full color wide DVD box with a full color printed manual.

My only concern with all our physical releases at present is that due to printer delays, we are really going to be receiving stock much closer to Christmas than I am normally comfortable with. For this reason, I expect that there will be some folks who, due to the normal Christmas shipping delays, won't receive their physical copy until after the holidays. I would recommend ordering the digital+physical version because of that possibility, rather than the physical only.

Regards,

- Erik

All I know is that if I can buy the digital+pnysical and be guaranteed the manual I don't mind if I have to wait for awhile to get the CD/manual.

I'd rather have a pre-printed manual than incur all of that wear and tear on my printer. Not to mention the cost of ink.

I can play the downloaded version and read the manual in the game file secure in the knowledge that a pre-printed manual is coming my way.

[Marshall Ellis]

Erik:
 
I'll order mine right away