Matrix Games Limits Retail and Expands Direct Sales

[David Heath]

Hi Guys

Let me say this before some asks why? It really very simple, the fact is that the retail stores are moving away from PC Games and to the set price console games. I expect both Best Buy and CompUSA will hold out longer since they have bigger stores and more room to play with. Less then 4% of EB sales in the US last year were PC games. Now that figure should really tell you something. The PC space in most of these type stores is down to one or two racks at best. I have over six stores in my area ( I live in NYC) and not one has more then two small areas of PC games. With that said we will be expanding our online sales services to directly service our customers.

Matrix next week will be opening warehouses in key areas such as the Europe, Australia and even in Asia. Customers outside the US will not need to ship our game from the US to them. This will make our shipping rates very affordable for everyone everywhere including our customers in the United States. After talking to many of our current developers we found almost all want to move from the retail market to the direct sales route. We will still release a very limited amount of titles into retail but for the most part it will on by online and from Matrix Games Direct. Let me say this again some items might end up at retail at some point but do not expect it for a while if at all. We will be handing this on a developer by developer basis. Gamers can expect most if not all of our future releases will be either digital downloads or direct sales only. We also planning to release demos and/or Virtual tours (see Highway to the Rich Virtual Tour) when possible. Our new store with our improve shipping rates will be online next week and we will post it here when its available.

David

[pasternakski]

Highway to the Rich Virtual Tour

Hosted by Robin Leach, perhaps? Or is this wishful thinking?

[David Heath]

HEHEHE No Robin Leach here.....

Check out the Highway to the Reich virtual tour link at the top right of the web link below.

http://www.highwaytothereich.com/

David

[Charles2222]

What came first the chicken or the egg? Maybe PC buyers stopped buying from the EB's because of no selection and/or refusal to patronize a place that was giving PC's short shrift. No doubt the consloes were out-selling them due to more demand, but it being down to 4% has much more to do with PC buyers refusing to go there for fear that what they want won't be stocked sufficiently IMO.

[David Heath]

Well I agree.... EB use to be my first choice now I do not even go to them...

[Les_the_Sarge_9_1]

Once upon a time I could go into a Games alot chain (was local to Toronto area though I think) and KNOW there would be wargames on the shelf.

Times change.

If EB wants to be a console retailer, and all the other options like Futureshop etc wish to downplay the retail of PC software so be it.

15 years ago I didn't have a choice, now I do.

Given a chance, forced to make a choice, if I need to buy from Matrix Games via online, I guess I will.

Currently my only rational source for board games is through my computer. I might just as well accept that my computer games come via my computer.

I don't like console games, I could care less what happens with them.

Oh by the way....where is Combat Leader

[John David]

See Below, sorry for the mixup!

[John David]

I'm sorry that this is the way it's going.

I bought Korsun Pocket a couple of weeks ago from a local EB games here in Toronto. It was great to be able to buy it this way.

When I ordered Uncommon Valor as well as the MC's for SPWAW, I got creamed by my A- hole government with duty taxes on the games! The Canadian government LOVES to stick their hands in our pockets every chance they get.

I learned my lesson, and in future , I will have the game sent to a friend in the U.S. and have him send it to me. This however, is a real pain in the A##!

Is there any chance that some kind of distribution can be set up here in Canada so as to spare us the duty tax?

Being able to download expansions from Matrix like MCSE and Across The Dnepr is much more of an attractive alternative (as I have DSL), then ordering direct. I hope that this option will be available for full version games in the future.

Anyway, I'm sad to see my choices being lessened by the lack of retail outlets, but that's the way it goes.

Thanks for letting us know David.

JD

[ASHBERY76]

Well, in england the PCgames still has massive shelf space.

[EricGuitarJames]

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76

Well, in england the PCgames still has massive shelf space.

True, but it is shrinking. Specialist game dealers have about the same space for XBox and PC games, twice as much for PlayStation and about a third less for GameCube. Non-Specialist stores will have about one rack of PC (if at all) and at least 2 or 3 for each of the consoles.

[David Heath]

Well we plan on doing something special for our Canadian and Australian customers to make it a level buying field for all.

David

[David Heath]

Hi Ashbery

One of our products was just rejected because the PC store chain in the UK is reducing there PC space by 50% by September.

David

[Marc von Martial]

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76

Well, in england the PCgames still has massive shelf space.

In Germany too, but it´s shrinking big time at the media stores, I expect in the rest of Europe it won´t take long before this changes too. I was just today at ProMarkt (big electronics retailer chain here). I still remember the time when their console shelf was holding some 20 different titles and browsing through the PC Game shelf took you almost an hour. It´s the other way around now. In my home town Bonn we have only one specialist PC/Console Game store left (out of 3 last year).

[pasternakski]

I hope you plan to continue pursuing Internet-based retail outlets in addition to your own. There is still an element of "casual impulse buying" on those sites that resembles how people used to shop in real-world stores. You want to make sure, though, that they emphasize your products, as a lot of good things have been submerged in places like Amazon to the degree that you just can't find them unless you are specifically looking for them. "Games" and "software" are very poorly presented categories of merchandise on Internet retailer sites, in my opinion.

See, we want you to travel down the "highway to the rich." That way, you create more goodies for us to play with.

"This is Robin Leach, and tonight on 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,' we visit the opulent French Riviera villa belonging to David Heath, computer strategy gaming mogul."

[John David]

Ok David, That's good to know.

Can you give us some details?

JD

[ravinhood]

Well I guess I will continue to shop EBAY, because I have never liked direct buying, for the simple fact if the game is flawed, all that packaging and being charged shipment back to the vendor is more costly than it's worth. The vendors never refund you for the shipping charges back to them. That's totally messed up in my eyes. At least if I buy a game retail and it's flawed I can take it back immediately and exchange it for another copy.

[Marc von Martial]

The problem is when you shop games on Ebay only you´re not supporting the game company at all. Can you return a "flawed" game on Ebay ?

[EricGuitarJames]

Well, by selling direct Matrix will have to ensure that its games play perfectly (or as close to [:)]) straight out of the box. Not that they don't already of course[:)].

[Fallschirmjager]

I order alot of my games online anyways

I havnt really noticed the shrinking store space for PC games though...
Wal Mart in recent years has actually ADDed space for more PC games

And PC game sales as a whole have gone UP in the last several years, they are just swapmed by console sales

[Les_the_Sarge_9_1]

I am a grumpy miserable old fashion sod...anyone disagree?

Frankly I am an annoying impulse buyer.

But I have had to learn new things.

You can teach old dogs new tricks, you just have to speak their language.

This winter I was in several electronics stores. And all of those stores had
"more" space devoted to consoles than PC. But here is a detail that is being missed. The consoles are not unified. You have XBox, Playstation, Gamecube (are their others I don't follow them so I don't know). Point is, sure cumulatively they occupy more space, but PC means computer. Where as XBox just means XBox it means nothing to Playstation.
Now if all the console space was just one console, then ya, it would mean PC was being given the boot by console.

I saw quite a few military theme games on the shelf. But in the end, I miiiiight have seen 3 boxes this entire winter season I would care a hoot for. I saw Korsun, Panzer Elite and Squad Assault out there. Never more than a single article though.
But the fact of the matter is this, at least in Southern Ontario, PC outnumbers each and every console when each and every console has to match up on its own.

Go ahead give me an XBox or Gamecube. Heck even set me up with a reserved PS3. And the next day I plan to sell it. Because I would have no use for it. I have yet to ever see a title on the shelves for console I would even play if I was given it for free.

Now if I could snap my fingers, and make PC wargames pop into my hand, I can actually think of quite a few I would like. But thanks to crushing lack of funds, its basically tough bananas Les.
I sit here holding out for the grand day when Combat Leader is done.
Hey where's my Combat Leader David? (hey I wasn't kidding when I said I was going to be annoying heheh ).

But hmm, what's the difference between a physical store, and an electronic one?
Well the physical one won't come to me.
I hate to admit it, but hmm customs yeah is a bitch.
But hmm Peterborough, Oshawa, Belleville and Ottawa, all places I sooooometimes end up in due to friends or family, require real expenses to get to.

I can cry stamp my feet and moan about shipping, but I am not really saving money going to the store as opposed to the store being brought to me.
Trip to closest location I like is buddies in Belleville. That's about 40 bucks in gas to someone if not me (buddy often makes the drive because he wants to visit).

Might just as well enjoy shopping here on my computer. Might just as well stop crying about it.
And at least when I go to an online store, the item is likely in stock at that particular moment. But of course if not, not like I wasted my time on a lengthy trip eh.

I am hoping that Matrix Games opens up all the options for purchase though.
Due to my own hardware and internet connection capacities, I would rather buy the software as a download, and let me decide how to put it on a disc.
And no, I don't need a box. I don't normally store my computer games in the original box eh.
And no I don't need a manual. There are neat, but I am getting over that diehard holdout.

Now getting me to give up sex and chocolate, that's a waste of yer time heheh.