cost of buying from matrix

[animaluk]

I cannot understand why your games are so exspensive. i have bought many of your titles but now paying £40 +tax here in the uk they just dont seem worth it.why so expesive what as changed.

[Joshuatree]

Same here animaluk. Reason I don't buy that many games is that physical delivery + taxes + blablabla makes the game costs more then 60€, that would be like 80 bucks or so. I still buy them because a good game is worth it.... but I sure don't buy them easily.

[Hertston]

What has changed is principally the exchange rate. I've tried to explain the following on a couple of occasions;

that not adjusting to what we see as 'standard' prices makes Matrix products uncompetitive to UK/Euro buyers (particularly the former)

that slavishly sticking to straight currency conversions is not compulsary (Steam doesn't, for example)

that profit from the UK market would increase if the current policy was changed

and that US customers wouldn't somehow lose out, as they would pay exactly the same as they did before, the idea being that UK/Euro customers also pay much what they are used to paying, and still do buying from UK retailers.

Despite the example of Steam, Matrix don't seem able to grasp the concept. At least they are polite in saying 'no', which is more than can be said for the fanboy contingent who will now doubt drop in and accuse us of being whiners (a 'serial' one, in my case) and not 'supporting developers'. To be honest m8, it just isn't worth it. I'll buy a couple of Matrix titles this year, release dates permitting.. just not the half dozen or so I usually buy.

[JudgeDredd]

Well, I agree they are expensive, but that's only relative. I mean, bang for buck (it's been said many times) you get far more playing hours out of a wargame (decent one) for the price than probably any other hobby.

I was actually looking to buy Wacht Am Rhein the other day, and the physical + download + vat was pushing it towards £45...and I simply couldn't justify it because the game probably won't hold my attention for that long (I'm basing that fact on my purchase and experience with Cross of Iron).

So I agree...however, the wargaming industry is like evry other...it's got to turn a profit!

I don't mind paying £40+ for a decent wargame, but I am being more and more prudent nowadays (big shock for me). I still impulse buy, but a game has to be of particular interest to get over £30 from me.

[V22 Osprey]

NWS Online gaming store FTW.

Crown of Glory Emperor's Edition(physical Copy), 50 bucks plus 5 bucks shipping. [:D]

I dont need Digital Download, plus I pay 15 bucks cheaper than if I bought directly from Matrix.

[Greybriar]

The $10.85 Digital River charges for shipping and handling charges for Gary Grigsby's War Between The States to an address in the lower 48 U.S. states seems a bit excessive to me. [:(]

[V22 Osprey]

ORIGINAL: Greybriar

The $10.85 shipping and handling charges for a game to an address in the lower 48 U.S. states seems a bit excessive to me. [:(]

I do too, at first when I saw the charge I though I had accidently selected a different country.I think 11 bucks for shipping a DVD box to a place in the SAME country as the publisher is really, really steep.Like I said, NWS is the best as it sells most of Matrix games for 10 bucks less than than what matrix charges.Plus shipping is only 5 bucks.

[Joshuatree]

ORIGINAL: V22 Osprey

NWS Online gaming store FTW.

Crown of Glory Emperor's Edition(physical Copy), 50 bucks plus 5 bucks shipping. [:D]

I dont need Digital Download, plus I pay 15 bucks cheaper than if I bought directly from Matrix.

Five bucks? 27 hard earned dollahs for us you mean [:D] gosh.

[Greybriar]

I just took another look and found that Digital River charges $8.95 for shipping and handling if you choose the Economy Postal Mail option.

[V22 Osprey]

ORIGINAL: Joshuatree

ORIGINAL: V22 Osprey

NWS Online gaming store FTW.

Crown of Glory Emperor's Edition(physical Copy), 50 bucks plus 5 bucks shipping. [:D]

I dont need Digital Download, plus I pay 15 bucks cheaper than if I bought directly from Matrix.

Five bucks? 27 hard earned dollahs for us you mean [:D] gosh.

Oh, you are in the Netherlands, sorry.[:(]

But its a good buy for US customers.

[cdbeck]

FWIW, Steam and Gamersgate charge the exact same amounts of Euros as they do dollars. So if a game is $9.99 in the US, it is 9.99 Euros in France (which equates to more like $13.22). Now Steam and Gamersgate no longer add the VAT, so I don't think you are seeing that much of a difference in price (weeellll... other than how freedom loving Americans don't have to pay that VAT [;)]). I often have my Dad in the US "gift" a game off Steam to me, so I don't have to pay the higher Euros cost. Gamersgate won't let you do that, so you just have to pay the higher cost (although GG will let you use Paypal and use American $$ to pay the Euro price - something Steam's security won't allow).

IMHO, Impulse is the most competitively priced of the whole bunch, they actually DO translate the dollar cost into Euros and do NOT add a VAT. It's pretty great actually!

I agree with JD though, Matrix games tend to "stick" on my Hard drive more than games from other places. You do get a lot of bang for your buck (the SSI decisive battle series notwithstanding - sorry, I don't care for these). I do think that Matrix should do more sales (like the Blitz sale now) to help gamers who can't afford the premium prices (I know, I know, it sounds silly to argue that people should be able to buy games easier in a recession, but entertainment is one way people cope and not go crazy). Shrapnel Games has done this, and I think that they should be praised.

Still, I don't see the Matrix account books - so they must think their pricing plan works for them. If so, then I guess the proof is in the pudding.

SoM

[Hertston]

ORIGINAL: Son_of_Montfort

FWIW, Steam and Gamersgate charge the exact same amounts of Euros as they do dollars.

On the subject of those two, let me illustrate my point regarding UK purchasers. Prices are 1st Gamersgate, and then Steam, all in £UK, VAT included.

Fallout 3, £40.46, £26.99

Elven Legacy, £26.99, £24.99

Tom Clancy's EndWar, £44.96, £34.99

Braid, £13.45, £9.99

etc, etc, etc. I've tried to pick typical titles across a range of prices, none of which are currently on any sort of special offer. The Steam price is pretty much the store price in the UK for Fallout 3 and Endwar. Elven Legacy is actually a fiver more expensive, Braid is online only. I'll let you compare $US prices yourselves.

Question, where is the average UK gamer going to buy his games? OK, the situation isn't analogous to Matrix as in their case there is rarely competition for the same products, but there is still competition for leisure time and,. these days, very limited money.

[Perturabo]

Blah, costs of buying strategic games from the west is ridculous. Too bad that the days when one could buy a decent strategic game in a store are over...

[Erik Rutins]

Exchange rates have been all over the place since we were founded and started selling games. IIRC, the current exchange rate is not the worst it's been by a long shot when it comes to UK customers. Our pricing has remained the same over the years, to price our games for gamers around the world at the same price we charge our US customers, given current currency conversion rates. We don't update these daily, so sometimes that works out to your advantage and sometimes to ours, but it's generally a trivial difference and we feel this is simply the most fair pricing policy for all our customers.

Please note also that the vast majority of our games are not retail releases, are not sold in the quantities that retail releases are and have to be priced at a reasonable level to earn back the development cost to justify future development. None of this is new. My assumption is that the main reason we're seeing some comments now is three-fold:

1. Times are tough and everyone's watching their spending (gaming is still one of the most economical forms of entertainment when it comes to that)
2. Some retail PC game prices have come down, whereas ours have largely remained stable (totally different economies of scale)
3. There are far more online game stores now than when we launched ours and they compete for gamer dollars by selling already oversold retail titles at steep discounts

Now I might add that our digital download option has always been a very affordable way to get a quality wargame. If the cost of shipping or the box bothers you, just go for the download, you can still burn it to a CD, print out the manual and you'll be just fine. We've also decreased prices on a number of our games over time and added a $19.99 and Under section to our store to highlight the most affordable ones.

Most of our new releases are in the $39.99 for a Download range, which we feel is a very fair price considering the small market and the development cost and the fact that these games are not generally available in retail or secondary markets (with the exception of a few legitimate dealers we do sell to, like NWS).

We do try to relieve price pressures periodically. For example, we're currently running a 35% off 3-day Blitzkrieg sale on three truly outstanding American Civil War wargames. If you check in here frequently enough to catch those, such sales and deals can also help defray the cost of owning our games.

Regards,

- Erik

[PunkReaper]

Talking of your 3-day Blitzkrieg sale I have to say they really annoy me. Oh I love the discount and I've just picked up Forge of Freedom, but as someone who regularly checks your site and who buys your games I get really annoyed when I am away/busy for a few days and miss these sales...[:@][:@] Is there no way to flag up that a sale will be occurring soon so that loyal customers can take advantage of it?

[Hertston]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Exchange rates have been all over the place since we were founded and started selling games. IIRC, the current exchange rate is not the worst it's been by a long shot when it comes to UK customers.

It dipped about a cent and a half below the current rate for a month in 2002. Other than that, the rate is the lowest since 1985. source

The reason you are seeing comments is that, in real terms to us, your games are nearly 40% more expensive than they were a year ago. Games in stores are 0% more expensive. Of course, rates do go up and down, and that of a year ago was particularly favourable (I bought a lot of games). But a 40% increase is not 'trivial' by any means. Anyway, point made. I'll be buying BftB and WitP:AE if nothing else!

[madgamer2]

Is this why earlier this year I wanted a hard copy+manual and storage case for ROTK !! because i had realoblems with both the download sites from the Koei site. I had a friend in England buy the game from amazon UK in British money and sent him by wire American. Even with the cost of sending by wire the game was about $50 American.
If by chance there was a game here on disk with manual and storage case that he wanted that was not available there It would cost him more because of the exchange rate. Could I buy the Hard copy+manual and storage case here and ship it to him and have him pay me in British money(which I would exchange at the bank) and would we both come out ahead?

only somewhat confused
Madgamer

[madgamer2]

Where I live here In Iowa USA there is a town about 19 miles away. Both my town and there town have regional post offices. I send a letter to a friend in MY town and it goes up to there town and then comes back. This is also true for them...I love the American postal system/

Madgamer

[madgamer2]

I live in the good old USA and the cost of the computer War In Europe game plus shipping $72 (plus $5 for priority mail) To justify this I have at least 2 games lined up but I will have to do the learning curve thing as I am reading the manual at the moment.

Madgamer

[V22 Osprey]

I would rather buy something like JTCS twice than spend 50 bucks for Call of duty World at war with a campaign that I could beat in a day a couple multiplayer maps when for half the price I could have multiple campagins, editors, Battle generator, plenty of scenario which gives unlimited replayablility and gameplay hours.

I think the matrix games are worth it unlike these games today that are all about graphics and not about gameplay and replayability.