What time today ?

[sabre100]

Erik I like the release plans you laid out also, my vote is yes.  No reason to have customers who want the digital download version only wait until the phsycial comes in.  Also since you can order physical and download as well this will please every one.  You can get the download when ready and if you want the phsycial order that option so you can play right away and wait for your physical to come in.

[cato13]

i plan on gettin EE online anyways so the quicker to better[:)] whats the chances of an online release before this weekend? the wait for empire total war is killin me.

also, has pricing been decided?

[Steely Glint]

^^^^

What he asked.

[Steely Glint]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

We're working on the gold master now, whether it will take another day or a week depends on how things go, but we're very close. After that would normally be the wait for physical production, but we're considering doing an asynchronous release and allowing the online release to precede the physical release (all options available on release, just a delay before physical copies are ready to ship). Any opinion on that from the audience? As long as you guys could order Digital + Physical to get the game right away by download while you wait for your boxed copy and printed manual to arrive, would you be happy?

Regards,

- Erik

Erik, please, please, please do an asynchronous release. That would make me - and I would bet many others - extremely happy.

[cdbeck]

Asynchronous release is fine by me, I will be getting it digitally.

SoM

[Banquet]

ORIGINAL: Son_of_Montfort

Asynchronous release is fine by me, I will be getting it digitally.

SoM

Me too

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: hadberz

That is awesome, I wish all games did this. Will the help text be editable outside of the game, that would be nice to write notes in it.

Yes, it's in orderinary HTML files. I've been able to make changes with Dreamweaver just as if I'm using a word-processor.

[Fullervc]

Seems like my question earlier sparked some activity!  I guess it does pay to be an old Cav Guy!
 
Scouts out!

[hadberz]

Very nice, thanks Gil.

I will buy digitally, so the sooner the better. [:)]

[Zer0_2121]

Add me to the list of people who will pick up the game digitally as soon as it is available. [:D]

[Erik Rutins]

Let me ask another question. Making the physical options available right from the get go could be challenging time-wise. I'd like to also get a sense of the public as far as how a "digital only" launch would go over if the physical options were added a few days later.

Basically, we have two options - go for an earlier release (digital only) to make sure people "notice" COG before ETW coverage swamps the bandwidth, or take our time to get the physical ducks in a row and go for a post-ETW fully synchronized release. I can see advantages to both methods, but I'd like to hear from you all. Keep in mind that if you order a "digital only" copy, we have no way to later "upgrade" it to also include a physical copy and an early release will likely have a few days of "digital only" based on the latest estimates.

Regards,

- Erik

[cato13]

im gonna hazard a guess here n say i reckon most people, me included, would go for the digital download if that means gettin to play it earlier.  everygame ive bought from u guys have been digital.  u can always release a physical version at a later date.
 
i also see u cunningly avoided my release questions[:)]  just how soon r we gonna see a digital release if u decide on that option?
 

[Zer0_2121]

Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are getting at Erik.....but wouldn't it be possible to launch a "digital + physical" order choice with a note stating that the actual physical product will not ship until XX date?  That way people who want to order a digital copy can order early, and then eventually receive their physical backup sometime down the road.

Also, if for marketing purposes you would want to stay with a set simultaneous release post-ETW you could allow those who "pre-order" the physical + DL product to gain early access to the download. That way you could advertise a set release date, while adding a bonus to those (namely us) who would preorder. Make sense?

Having your cake and eating it too!

[Mrtyphoon]

I think for most here sooner rather than latter will always win the day. Then again I'm biased I have at least 10 Matrix games and they are all digital download have not gone for the physical copy option yet.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: Zer0_2121
Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are getting at Erik.....but wouldn't it be possible to launch a "digital + physical" order choice with a note stating that the actual physical product will not ship until XX date?  That way people who want to order a digital copy can order early, and then eventually receive their physical backup sometime down the road.

Unfortunately, it's not that easy. That's exactly how I'd like to do it, but the setup time for the "Digital + Physical" version is much longer than for the "Digital" version alone. The debate is whether it's worth getting out there before ETW with a download only version and make the physical versions available to order a few days later or just wait until after ETW's release and do everything at once.

There are customers who strongly prefer the physical versions and I'm just trying to get a sense of how many in the current crowd waiting for COG:EE would prefer one option or the other.

Regards,

- Erik

[mullinFOAD]

I'll be waiting for the digital + physical option. So, whenever that is available I'll be a-buyin.

[Panama Red]

I always order the "digital + physical" because I want a hardcopy of any game I buy. As a result, if you release a digital only early, I'll just buy ETW and wait till you have the "digital + physical" option available later before I buy CoG:EE.

[Zer0_2121]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Unfortunately, it's not that easy.

Darn....well, for what it's worth I think it is really cool that you are polling your customers directly and take the time to take their suggestions to heart.

[Randomizer]

I intend to wait for both digital + physical as well and understand that it will be ready when it is ready.  Am optimistic that CoG-EE will avoid the issues all too often seen with games released prematurely.

[dude]

I've done both in the past... just download and on some games digital + physical.  Right now I really looking for a game to play and I'd just get the digital.