Marc, are the back up cds the same as what we would recognise as a commercial offering ie professionally labelled article?
I only ask, because getting a cd that was burned on the fly without a decent professional label might not seem like enough to some.
If there is no difference between a burned back up cd for say Desert Fox, and the original marketed version ie original is a silk screened (I assume that is how it is done) labelled item, then it begars the question why not just sell the item in the same old way?
I can relate to how it will be difficult to get a physical item to an overseas customer, whereas it might be cheaper to sell that same program as a download.
Question is, how much cheaper will it be?
I don't have any examples handy, so I will ask for some details which you might be able to generate faster. Plus, it would sound more convincing coming form your post than mine.
Could you tell us what it would cost to send a copy of say Desert Fox inclusive of all costs ie shipping, taxes all those wonderful add ons that were not mentioned in the original price, to say Austria.
Then tell us the same costs involved to merely sell the download to the same customer, inclusive of all considerations.
I feel that that would likely be the decisive argument for or against downloadable as opposed to buying it as a physical item.
I bought Mega Campaign Lost Victories through a friend in Texas. It was shipped to her, and incurred normal shipping for inside US. She then put it in regular mail to me as personal mail. That resulted in a meager 2 dollar (rounded up calculation) postage cost. Therefore I only incurred the base shipping cost a regular mainland US resident would see, plus 2 bucks.
There was no duty, no cross border shipper handling costs, none of that. Might not be totally legit to do it that way, but like I care (my government soaks me enough in taxes, they can lay off my wargames frankly as I see it
).
What I want to know, is if I had ordered the same item today, as a download, what would get added on to my cost once I had clicked and started the order process?.
The site lists it as $24.99 (US of course), I am given an option to order cd backup and it appears this option costs me another $10.95 (is that correct?). I clicked on the obvious buttons, and I seem to get a final price of $24.99. I clicked on the box suggesting I had asked for the cd back up but that is not reflected immediately in the bill on the next page (I think it should though), and the page continues to suggest $24.99.
The process to add the cd is not very clear (it took me a while to realise I had to also click that "add" button below (which seemed like a redundant action after the initial page).
The order then results in a cost of $35.94 (again US).
That is significant to this discussion I think.
People getting told sure we can sell you a back up cd, might not be aware that to get it, they are going to end up paying a hefty additional expense in the process.
24.99 becomes a great deal more a great deal faster suddenly.
I know myself, if I was told that the cd option was just an option, and would not incur ANY additional fee, I would not have any problem. But being told, my cd copy was going to suddenly signifcantly increase the cost of my purchase, I sure would be concerned.
That's why all those other hidden costs (shipping horros etc) to foreign customers is important.
Yes I think MC-SE will be worth every cent of the standard costs we have associated with the other MCs to date.
But $35.94 US plus shipping and all the rest, that is going to drive a very large stake through the heart of that MC before it is even finished.
The online menu for billing implies that shipping is free. Hmm I would like to believe that eh, honest I would.
Does that truely mean that $10.95 for the cd is going to cover every aspect of the cost incurred to ship it from Point A (that being Matrix Games) to Point B (that being Joe consumer living in some other country)? Including all those annoying hassles like customs, and the courier service etc?
Because we have all heard the tales of the dude that ordered the item, only to get told it had this cost and that cost added on, till his $24.99 cd was going to cost him near 100 bucks in his money.
I'll pay 100 bucks (Canadian) willingly for Combat Leader when it appears. Because it will be a completely new game. It will be a major step forward.
But am I wrong thinking there will be a lot of call for a MC that requires a game that has been in existence for several years, and costs nearly an insane sounding expense?
I love Steel Panthers immensely (which is no real secret I guess). But that's me.
All my thoughts are directed with the intent of possibly addressing the concerns of joe gamer in some foreign country deciding, "well that MC sounds cool, but I don't have broadband, and I can get this other game for 1/3 the cost, and it looks ok too".
Downloadable needs to be able to do it better than physical in some way.
I would even be so brazen as to suggest, that instead of $24.99, the price be significantly lowered to maybe $15.99. If we are going to get people to switch, to go the effort of "finding" a way to get that download if need be, then we need to make the option just to attractive to pass up.
35.94 plus shipping taxes customs etc converted into Canadian dollars, I don't even want to contemplate it.
Sorry for the long post here guys, I hope it has stirred some thoughts.
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