Availability

[unmerged(185)]

From reading the posts I see that the game is planned to be release in Europe first, specifically Scandinavia. Not to sound too stupid, but does that mean that it will be available to the rest of Europe even later? I hope to be visiting GB in the fall and wondered if I would be able to purchase the game there (if the release date holds). Also, will the English version play correctly in the US? In other words, what will be the differences between the US version and the English version?

On a related note, if the above is not a workable option, how long after the initial release in Europe will the game become available in the US?

 

[Johan]

Currently we have only a publishing deal for Scandinavia, as said in our press-release in March.

/Johan

 

[unmerged(184)]

Originally posted by Johan on 06-13-2000 02:06 PM
Currently we have only a publishing deal for Scandinavia, as said in our press-release in March.

/Johan

And what about putting it for sale in your website, as has already happened with other games which are only available through Internet?

Best regards.

Martin

 

[unmerged(168)]

A request to Scandanavian Forum members:

Please post a url for a scandanavian web-based software retailer when the game is released. That way we can order it for special delivery outside of Scandanavia.

That should satisy all of the die-hards.

And non-Beta die hards, stop bugging them about a pre-release. This is a piece of intellectual property that Paradox has invested heavily to produce.

Have patience and faith that they are working as hard as they can to get this game ready for release. After all, they can't start making money until the product is ready to sell.

 

[unmerged(161)]

Sorry for offering to pay them up front for the not yet finished game for being allowed to use the beta....

the Dutch guy who just became single again and desperatly needs a good game to keep him busy

 

[unmerged(168)]

Actually, they probably appreciate the offer. However, don't get upset when they don't take you up on it.

It seems that some of the posters are getting angry and depressed that they can't buy the Beta version.

It is not personal, Paradox has good marketing reasons to hold the game close to home until release. They don't want to spread alot of buggy, imperfect code around.

BTW - Marc, I am just as anxious to get my hands on this game as you are.

 

[Doomdark]

Please post a url for a scandanavian web-based software retailer when the game is released.

I would be happy to oblige - if such a retailer existed! Unfortunately, that is not the case, to my knowledge (at least not in Sweden). The retailers that exist only ship within Scandinavia. After all, why would anyone want to order anything from the land of crushing taxes?

If you still wish to try, I can recommend www.boxman.se and www.dustin.se . Of course, you might have some trouble navigating them.

/Doomie

 

[unmerged(168)]

Thanks Doomie,

Do they have a phone #?

Also, even if I have to pay 200% more than usual, it is OK.

I usually only like 1 out of 5 games I buy. (I define like as more than 20 hours of enjoyable gametime) That means an average cost of $200 - $250 per good game.

This one looks like a sure winner, so a cost of $50 in shipping/taxes would be OK with me.

 

[unmerged(161)]

Perhaps even a few scandanavian poster to this list would be willing to buy the game and send it to those a little further away???

If not, i might have to take a boat or a plane...it isn't that far from amsterdam to oslo or stockholm

The Dutch guy, still more in need of a game than ever

 

[unmerged(185)]

Johan: 'Currently we have only a publishing deal for Scandinavia, as said in our press-release in March.'

Your statement has confused me. I thought the initial release would be in Scandinavia and subsequently it would be released elsewhere; Europe, US, etc.

If I am to understand this correctly, the game is only going to be sold in Scandinavia? Are there no plans to sell elsewhere? How is this game going to be marketed; store retailers, on-line game companies, or direct sales from developer/publisher? Is the game going to be in one language (which one) or will it be available in several languages?

 

[Doomdark]

Do they have a phone #?

Tell you what, when the game comes out I will check around and tell you where to get it. (There is no possibility of pre-ordering it right now anyway.)

Perhaps even a few scandanavian poster to this list would be willing to buy the game and send it to those a little further away???

Perhaps even that, if he got the money first.

I sympathize with your pain, believe me. In the meantime, why don't you check out another Swedish game that just got released: Ground Control, published by Sierra in the whole wide world. Heheh.

/Doomie


[This message has been edited by Doomdark (edited 13-06-2000).]

 

[unmerged(164)]

Having some personal experience with the U.S. Software industry and how it works I will say this. When software is released it is genearlly released in a region (U.S., Europe or Asia generally) as you well know. If the software package is successful then it ships to other markets with some changes made depending on nationality/language issues.

Here is the rub. Paradox/Johan can't let us have the software becuase it would be all over the internet before it was ever released as a completed package. Paradox would lose their entire investment pretty much. Yes I acknowledge that some people would buy the game but a gaurentee that a great deal more would just pirate it. As someone above correctly stated you don't want a buggy beta floating around turning people off to the program because it doesn't work properly.

On the release situation. I suspect because of the games very nature that there will be some difficulty selling the millions of boxes needed to light up distributors eyes. So two things must happen. One Scandanavia needs to embrace the game so the volume of sales is noteworthy for the region, thus making it so other european distribution houses want to pick it up and maybe a U.S. company will as well. Secondly it must be clean (bug free for the most part) so that there aren't any reasons for the buying public to not buy it. I suspect that is why it is being so heavily tested now.

I can't too strongly recommend that Paradox or Johan find an ear at Talonsoft and get them interested in this product. Obviously there is an English working version of this game, time to add a Talonsoft Beta Tester to the group. I realize SSG & SSI are part of the evil software empire (Hasbro) now but I think they still have functioning offices in California (SSI) and Austrailia (SSG) and getting marketing to make some calls to them would probably be a darn good idea too.

I would also recommend that a playable Demo of the first 5 years of the game or a scenario be released 30 - 60 days before the game goes Gold. The people can play it a bit to get the feel of it and give it broader acceptance.

Hope that helps...... Dean

 

[unmerged(168)]

Thanks again for the helpful ideas Doomie,

Actually, I don't need to figure out how I am going to get a copy now. I am very resourceful and will find a way when the time comes.

In the meantime, it sounds like there are a few months to go in testing and finishing. Paradox may still wign a wider distributor deal yet.

This game is clearly a winner and I think it will fly around the world in no time.

 

[Greyshaft]

Originally posted by Dragon on 06-13-2000 10:28 PM
... I realize SSG & SSI are part of the evil software empire (Hasbro) now but I think they still have functioning offices in California (SSI) and Austrailia (SSG)

SSG is an Australian company run by a couple of Aussies (Roger Keating and Ian Trout) with a USA office. They have no corporate links with SSI except for allowing SSI to rebox a number of their older games into a combined wargames package that was on the shelves a few years ago.

SSG are a great company. When their Battle of the Bulge game wasn't too successful they pulled it off the market and put it on their website as a FREE download. They are remaking 'Reach for the Stars' which is one of the first(maybe 'THE' first 4X space game... Xplore, Xpand, Xploit, Xterminate).

They are certainly not in the same league as SSI and from my brief acquuaintance with them, they don't want to be. They are happy little Aussies just programming late into the night... as doubtless Johan and his merry crew do also.

/Graham

 

[Doomdark]

Dragon,

Paradox/Johan can't let us have the software becuase it would be all over the internet before it was ever released as a completed package.

This is all too true. Even worse, this is going to happen as soon as the game is released in Scandinavia, meaning that Paradox should hurry up in distributing it to the rest of the world.

evil software empire (Hasbro)

Argh, don't mention the name!

Hasbeen is right up there with Microsoft, Disney and Steven Spielberg in the 'Evil Empires of America' league.


Graham,

They are remaking 'Reach for the Stars' which is one of the first(maybe 'THE' first 4X space game

SSG is a truly great company. Who can ever forget Warlords? I am greatly looking forward to the soon-to-be-released RFTS 2. However, the first 4X game was probably a nifty little ASCII game called Conquest, which was I think was originally created for UNIX back in the late seventies. (Just like Rogue, which is the ancestor of Diablo. )

/Doomie

[This message has been edited by Doomdark (edited 14-06-2000).]

 

[unmerged(184)]

Originally posted by Dragon on 06-13-2000 10:28 PM
I realize SSG & SSI are part of the evil software empire (Hasbro)
Dean

Dean, I agree completely with everything you say. However, there is something I do not quite understand and I would appreciate that this was clarified to me, either by you or by any other forum members:

The question is: why is Hasbro an evil software empire?

Yes, I imagine that some of you must be retching all over the place (eh, Graham? )
but I make this question in all innocence. I know nothing about the inside working of the computers world industry, and I would honestly like to know what has this company done to deserve this title... even if it is in order to not buying any of its products in the future!

Thanks a lot in advance and best regards.

Martin

 

[unmerged(164)]

I will give you a little of my background and then explain my Hasbro stance. I have been playing wargames since 74 (age 10) and computer gaming since 82 (age 18) I got a computer for graduation = ) . Obvious what my passion is (outside of my wife and kids) Computer Wargames. I have at one time or another owned nearly every game that SSI ever put out and I have owned a good many SSG games as well.


SSI & SSG were the two premier Computer Strategy game companies of the 80's and most of the 90's (predating Talonsoft). In the mid 90's Microprose bought both my favorite companies. They didn't become the evil empire because they also put out some damn good games (Sid is an exceptional thinker and yes I even bought Covert Action). It should be noted that the hardcore wargames became few and far between once the take over took place and some of the very good wargame design talent left because of the insistance by Microprose that everything be like Panzer General =(. Then along came Hasbro.....A TOY COMPANY, A company that thinks Axis and Allies is a grand strategy game! This is VERY scary for me. Three companies who's products I truly loved and who put out games not necessarily designed to sell a million copies are now under the umbrella of a company I fear only looks at the bottom line. I am definately not advocating not buying Hasbro products. They have released Imperialism II and are supporting the Warlords. They have signed up Sid to help them on another Civ for them at some point and time. Anyway they might not be all bad but they can potentially kill three companies that I liked a great deal.

 

[Dark Knight]

Speaking of Hasbro, does anyone remember Avalon Hill? Last time I checked, their website is now promoting all of ONE actual Avalon Hill game (Diplomacy), ONE game that was at least owned by Avalon Hill (Acquire), and TWO Hasbro children's games (Axis and Allies and Stratego). Hasbro, of course, fired Avalon Hill's entire design staff following its takeover of the company and has shown no interest in most of its products.

Not to mention that Hasbro also benefits from creating and exploiting card fads through its purchase of Wizards of the Coast and has helped run TSR into the ground. An Evil Empire indeed...

 

[unmerged(164)]

Poor Avalon Hill, have tons of their games too, never really thought much of their computer games, but the Stategy Board game industry has certainly suffered a horrible fate.

 

[Zagys]

I don't understand why Hasbro is going after hardcore strategy game companies in the first place, they're obviously not interested in producing quality strategy games.

Maybe Hasbro saw those companies as competitors in the strategy game world, but that doesn't make sense because their products were aimed at completely different sectors of the gaming market.

What really bugs me is that out of the hundreds of computer 'strategy' games produced in the last few years, there is not one decent strategic WW2 game in the bunch, nor one being produced currently, nor one planned for production anytime in the foreseeable future.

I have this game called Clash of Steel by SSI, maybe some of you have heard of it. Although it does have some flaws, and is slightly out of date, it seems to be the only computer based strategic WW2 game worth playing. I have searched long and hard for a more modern one, but the only thing I could find is - big surprise - Hasbro's Axis & Allies.

What if Hasbro buys Paradox before EU is released? They'd of course have to make a few 'minor' changes to give it 'broader appeal' and make the game 'fun for the whole family'. Kind of like a colonial era version of Axis & Allies. NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!