Matrix Games Limits Retail and Expands Direct Sales

[David Heath]

ORIGINAL: BulletMagnet

Will there ever be a product with all of the Mc's on one cd? I currently dont have any of them and would be interested in getting them all at one time.?

Yes its being setup now in the new store layout. Sorry its taken longer then expected.

[Tomus]

Thanks for the Switch update.

So I'm ready to go can i order HTTR and all the other goodies now.

Please I want HTTR now I'm not prepared to wait till my birthday! Release me now...[:D]

[*Lava*]

Hi!

To be perfectly honest, I'd like to see a move towards downloadable games directly from the Producer. To be quite honest, I could care less about the box, and most times I don't even read the manual.

Ray (alias Lava)

[David Heath]

Hi Ray

Just keep watching the news at Matrix.

David

[Les_the_Sarge_9_1]

Downloads is impulse buyer friendly too

Hey I have x dollars, hmm think I will download me a game.

So I don't get a shiney box and a printed manual.

I like the manuals, but I reeeeeeally don't need them enough to merit the inconvenience.

[David Heath]

Hi Guys

We just been approved for Solo bank cards used in the UK. Expect to see if available online very soon.

David

[Sarge]

Well it was only a matter of time. I dont have a problem with it ,as have you seen the shelves at Bestbuy or Compusa [8|]. I have yet to see any of Matrix games at the one I go to here in Chicago land. Its all the big movers (FPS) for the most part. If I am going to pay over 40 bucks for a game atleast give it to the guys and gals doing the work. Remember 1 game bought from Matrix online = 2 to 3 off the shelf im sure. Which will = more quality I hope [;)].

[degen]

In response to David's original comment about shrinking retail space for PC games, I have not seen that here in Sacramento. The downtown EB has its back wall dedicated to PC games--about a third of the store's display space. Among the many titles displayed the rack today included HTTR, Massive Assault, and a another Matrix title.

However, the buzz in that store is more focused on the console games, which seem to sell at a higher volume. I think the real threat to PC games is the continued and growing popularity of console games although the games do appeal to a different audience.

[ravinhood]

That's because the consoles are for the poor man's gaming. The rich and the famous still buy PC games, because we all know the rich and famous get the best quisene.

Plus there are four or five different console machines so it looks like the console market is better, but, games for each machine are limited and usually pretty crappy beatemups or platform kiddie games. Many of them are repeat titles of the same games. PC dominates overall and of course has ALL the games on one system that are the best.

[Les_the_Sarge_9_1]

You guys just don't want to accept a very real detail.

Kids play console games, and old wargamers play PC games plus console games.

Kids didn't grow up with board games, and a lot of the better wargames are essentially speaking ramped up graphically enhanced board games.

Some wargames are not really wargames as a wargamer uses the term in the strictest sense. A shooter is just a shooter. It is a 21st Century arcade experience. I used to love arcades, was quite addicted to them in fact.

But then again, I liked arcades when I was guess what, a youngun. But arcades were around before all these fancy console machines.

Console games are really just the modern equal to arcades. You ain't playing by the quater anymore is all. Now you pay by the rental, or you take the plunge and buy the game itself. But in the end, it is still just a modernised arcade experience.

I got bored of arcades.

But I am also a long time board gamer.

Trouble is, kids remain kids, and 20 somethings remain young adults wanting what is relevant to their time.
And today's kids, with no background in board games, have no real connection to them.

Naturally though, todays kids will in time become tomorrow's old people.
I hope I live long enough to see consoles usurped by the next technological breakthrough, if only to have the pleasure at laughing at their dismay.

20 years from now might see almost anything occur. It is possible our grognard hobby will shhink and shrink and shrink till it just becomes something you read about.
Or in 20 years, people might eventually realise, the hobby will always be there, but just unable to ever be anything beyond a small niche.

Console gamers are just todays kids doing what is the thing to do for today's kids.

So, if Matrix Games wants to market old school wargames to an old school market, they really just need to keep track of where the old school wargamer wants to buy their old school wargames (or PC games in general).

To date, I consider EB just a software store. The first thing I usually see when I enter em around here, is the new release section in the front entrance area (and not a small one either). They are still giving PC games the sweet spot of best location when you first enter the store. That says to me, console games might require a lot of floor space, but they still ain't king of the hill defacto.

But with 3-4 console platforms out there, and each platform trying to sell THEIR games, it is inevitable PC titles take up less room. Because PC games will generally speaking play on any PC if it has the needed components inside it.

[tiredoftryingnames]

The EBs in my area are mostly console games, action figures and hint books.

[Frank W.]

i saw KP in a EB in my town !

even quite good price ( 34,90€ i believe )

hope i can buy WITP also there for a
good price. would be better than ordering
over the net or download.

but if a download would be much cheaper
i also would consider this.

[ravinhood]

Yeah I can see the savings in downloads already. If I order Screamin Eagles on CD it's $10 more than the download. Now if I can just get someone to tell me how LARGE the download is for Screamin Eagles I might just pay and download it. Having dialup, large downloads aren't going to be favorable to me. And I can't see paying $30 a month for cable just to download a game every once in awhile to save $10. Dialup is $9.95 and some places it's even free. I mean I know I gotta pay something for internet capability, but, paying $30 a month isn't cost effective if games I might be interested in are coming out every 6 months or so.

[Fallschirmjager]

ORIGINAL: ravinhood

Yeah I can see the savings in downloads already. If I order Screamin Eagles on CD it's $10 more than the download. Now if I can just get someone to tell me how LARGE the download is for Screamin Eagles I might just pay and download it. Having dialup, large downloads aren't going to be favorable to me. And I can't see paying $30 a month for cable just to download a game every once in awhile to save $10. Dialup is $9.95 and some places it's even free. I mean I know I gotta pay something for internet capability, but, paying $30 a month isn't cost effective if games I might be interested in are coming out every 6 months or so.

Its under 100mb
I cant remember the exact number

[Les_the_Sarge_9_1]

This is just me reporting the size of the MC-SE Mega Campaign folder once installed.

I have it as 64 megs (give or take a KB) installed.

So it stands to reason it won't be that large shipped as a download.

Does that assist you in any fashion?

[David Heath]

I will have the store place the download size on under game specs. It really should be there its just something I over looked.

David

[ravinhood]

Ahh thanks LES, yes that is helpful. Anything around 100mb or less is not a problem for download on dialup as long as I can use DAP and have "resume" available if something happens during the download.

And you too David, it will be helpful for those of us ole grogs to dialup! heh

[YohanTM2]

ORIGINAL: David Heath
Less then 4% of EB sales in the US last year were PC games.

wow, Now I even feel like a board gamer again <eg>

[bradfordkay]

David, please NEVER switch to only digital download sales. There are those of us who only have access to very poor dialup lines (bad conditions in my neck of the woods). Besides that, I just happen to prefer having an actual disk in hand (hard drive crash anyone?). I'll accept the Kinko's option on the manual, especially the way you set it up for UV. Please consider a continued following of that route. I do not mind paying a little extra for the disk.

Thanks for listening.

[Marc von Martial]

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

David, please NEVER switch to only digital download sales. There are those of us who only have access to very poor dialup lines (bad conditions in my neck of the woods). Besides that, I just happen to prefer having an actual disk in hand (hard drive crash anyone?). I'll accept the Kinko's option on the manual, especially the way you set it up for UV. Please consider a continued following of that route. I do not mind paying a little extra for the disk.

Thanks for listening.

For all digital downloads you have the option in the store to get it shipped to you on a CD too.