In the future how about paradox have a order + download option

[David Comnenus]

I am personally inclined to suggest that the download method would be preferable to chasing down the fifteen-odd publishers needed to get the game widely published as of now. My suggestions:
1) Universal online sales. Plus: Release it when you're ready, not when each of the publishers are ready. Also probably cheaper to buy. Minus: No store sales.
2) Mixed method(Online and in stores). Plus: Release is the same, but handles the annoyance of having sporadic publishings. Also allows one or two publishers to be used(for example, one country for the US, Canada, and Britian and another company for Europe) as opposed to a patchwork of them. Minus: Probably make the publishers wring their hands, and would possibly make it more expensive for a few countries(though the online availibility should handle this).

I prefer the second, from a personal and business stance. Personally, it allows me to get a box to go with the game. Also it prevents a major problem at SF or any other publisher from delaying the release a ridiculous amount of time(a major gripe in Poland, or so I've heard). From a business stance, it prevents avalibilty issues from causing trouble in various places, makes more money if the theory here is right, and keeps the possibility of a leak down to some extent.

One quick question: Why is a publisher used if the game can be produced and run off by the game developer(GalCiv reference here; never played it, but they seem to have done it)? Is it because the publisher pulls the strings and gets the game in the stores, or just the manufacturing side of things, or added pr?

 

[Syt]

Originally posted by David Comnenus
Is it because the publisher [...] gets the game in the stores, or just the manufacturing side of things, or added pr?

Yes, yes, yes. As far as I know. Although I like to think these boards is one of the best PR gigs Paradox can have. Without a publisher you have to manage those things yourself, and I *think* that publishers, placing orders for CDs, manual printing, ad campaigns for many games gets more favorable terms than as if the developer handled it all by themselves, not to mention they'd have to hire a few more people for that.

 

[Darkrenown]

Yes, but couldn't Paradox get a publisher AND offer direct sales? As someone has already stated in this thread SF were ok with StarDock selling galciv directly while they published and sold it.

 

[Oblomov]

I'd also love to see a pay/download method. As people mentioned multiple times, it worked fine for GalCiv. Publishers don't have that much to lose anyway, they could handle payment/site for example, and charge the same as a store (maybe ship CD/manual later). Besides, if out of tens of thousands (hopefully hundreds of thousands) people who buy Victoria a few thousand bought it through a download, nothing terminal would have happened.

Patching and manual updates could also be handled through the same method. Oh, the sweet manual updates, how we've missed you! (in EU2)

 

[unmerged(3352)]

Wont happen in the forseeable future. My 5c.

 

[Dunderdon]

i want a handsigned version!!!

 

[mkjhartmann]

Seems to me that Paradox titles are niche software aimed largely at an older (well, older than the FPS crowd anyway) audience. As such I think most customers have credit cards and some access to higher speed access; at home or work. I am all in favor of the download model, I often buy downloadable software on impulse, but am not willing to wait for it to be delivered.

I think that the model of selling information products through brick stores is long term doomed to decline, or even failure. Look at the RIAAs fight to protect their distribution channel. Those people don't invent anything, they market other folks intellectual works, and for that they should be ELIMINATED. I have no problems with the creators making a BUNCH of money, I just don't want the suits to clean up because they have connections, but know little else.

Mike

 

[Jayavarman]

Originally posted by mkjhartmann
Seems to me that Paradox titles are niche software aimed largely at an older (well, older than the FPS crowd anyway) audience. As such I think most customers have credit cards and some access to higher speed access; at home or work. I am all in favor of the download model, I often buy downloadable software on impulse, but am not willing to wait for it to be delivered.

I think you don't want me here.

 

[mkjhartmann]

Mike

I think you don't want me here.

Why do you say that?! Is politcal correctness so great no statistical truth can be expressed without expressing an individual?

I do want you here,but I would guess you fall outside of the so-called bell-curve, which is what sales are marketing focus on.

 

[irishpony]

Originally posted by Phillip V
I think you don't want me here.

Ive been feeling this sentiment for awhile dont worry Phillip we will be alive when they all die And it sucks not having a credit card i never buy anyhting off the internet.
Look at that im 11 days older than you "Shouldnt you be at school sonny boy"

400!!!(Jeeze kinda OT for a milestone oh well)

 

[unmerged(21790)]

Downloading a game via the internet is a great idea, but, Paradox must still have the publishers and shops in various countries to sell the game for them, otherwise they would need to invest in an entire sales division at the office.. and that costs.. So, for Paradox to actually be able to sell their games via the internet, they would have to charge MORE than what the shops do in order not to compete with them.. No store buys a game from a company that they would need to sell for more than the company do.. thats capitalism for you :/

 

[TheDarkside]

I think it would be great. I recently bought a game like this, they had an option to download the game for a certain cost, or have a CD shipped to you for a few extra dollars- plus you can also download the game. I chose the latter so I can download the game and play immediately yet still have a CD/paper manual later.

Like people said, Strategy First for north america is rather lazy. They dont promote the game at all. I don't think there is even a registration option where you can apply to a mailing list? Maybe there is but I just skip it to quickly play the games after installing, but Im pretty sure there isn't. I really would never have known about Victoria until one day pretty recently I was looking at the paradox forum categories and saw "Victoria" and wondered "WTF is that?". I wish I got an email one day stating something like "Paradox is now developing an exciting new grand strategy game set in the Victorian era with enormous diplomacy options, a military system as good as HoI, and an ingenius trade/industry model!"

 

[Owen]

Originally posted by Peter Ebbesen
Despite all the bad things one can say about Strategy First, they are usually outweighed by the one big positive:

They publish niche strategy games. Not many publishers do.

I have another big positive Peter.

They are not Dreamcatcher. See Pax Romana (or not, more likely) for why this is a good thing.

 

[unmerged(11507)]

Originally posted by Ravenstar
... So, for Paradox to actually be able to sell their games via the internet, they would have to charge MORE than what the shops do in order not to compete with them.. No store buys a game from a company that they would need to sell for more than the company do.. thats capitalism for you :/

yep, capitalism/distribution at work.
The market may be small but I am willing pay more for a direct sale. They still deserve some compensation for the really underpriced EU2 considering the amount of fun i got out of it and getting it today would also be worth it.

Sascha

 

[Grosshaus]

Originally posted by TheDarkside
I wish I got an email one day stating something like "Paradox is now developing an exciting new grand strategy game set in the Victorian era with enormous diplomacy options, a military system as good as HoI, and an ingenius trade/industry model!"

That's like the worst case scenario for me, I get enough mail already I don't read. Mail ads should be delivered only on request, i.e. when registering to some pages you get an option to receive/not receive advertisement via e-mail.

 

[bmk1st]

Originally posted by Ravenstar
Downloading a game via the internet is a great idea, but, Paradox must still have the publishers and shops in various countries to sell the game for them, otherwise they would need to invest in an entire sales division at the office.. and that costs.. So, for Paradox to actually be able to sell their games via the internet, they would have to charge MORE than what the shops do in order not to compete with them.. No store buys a game from a company that they would need to sell for more than the company do.. thats capitalism for you :/

Not to mention that Paradox might have to upgrade their bandwidth and get new servers to support large numbers of people downloading. Costs a lot of money. Think of poor servers! 500 people around the world download 500 MB a game at same time. That would put a lot of strain on machines!

 

[TheDarkside]

Originally posted by Grosshaus
That's like the worst case scenario for me, I get enough mail already I don't read. Mail ads should be delivered only on request, i.e. when registering to some pages you get an option to receive/not receive advertisement via e-mail.

Exactly, that what I was trying to say. It would be by request in one of those registration screens we get one most games.

 

[Oblomov]

"Downloading a game via the internet is a great idea, but, Paradox must still have the publishers and shops in various countries to sell the game for them, otherwise they would need to invest in an entire sales division at the office.. and that costs.. So, for Paradox to actually be able to sell their games via the internet, they would have to charge MORE than what the shops do in order not to compete with them.. No store buys a game from a company that they would need to sell for more than the company do.. thats capitalism for you :/"

Explain Galactic Civilization to me then. It was $39.99 to download, and it was $39.99 in stores. Stardock sold it directly through the website and Strategy First distributed it throughout NA. So, this model clearly works at least for one company.