Global Release

[Lord_Daris]

Now whether this has been covered before or it is too late I don't know but I am thinking that relic with thier great community support may or maynot listen to their gaming community. Now I am sure many of you would support a global release me being one of them as with the current estimated release dates there are many problems such as:

-Bug reporting. now with the US gettign the game first they will discover bugs and imbalances alot faster then everyone else meaning that when "WTF THIS SUXS!!" threads go up it will put people off and possibly prevent others from even getting the game.

-The US players will gain a massive advantage over the Euro,Asian and Aus players this will inturn cause the ladder to ge loaded otu and alot of people will get worked up when they join games only to be beaten senseless by more experienced US players before thery get a chance to test out thier race on the new tech trees.

these are just a few of the problems that can come from not choosing a global release date.

[Gordon]

Im sure we would all of loved a global release date but its quite obviosuly too late given they are shipping on the 9th. This would needed to have been posted at least a month ago if not longer to have any chance.

[Lord_Daris]

2 days till shipping so it has a chance..a slim chance but a chance non the less

[panzerd18]

If there is a global release date the product will be delayed. Think about it. If its ready to be shipped in the USA on the 9th and ready to ship in Australia on the 15th, do you really think THQ should hold the USA release date back until all the stock has arrived in Australia?

[Lord_Daris]

yes actually as everyone else has to wait it's really only fair that they do aswell should a global release date be the case

[Szminsky]

well... It's ok how it stands right now (Arriving here on 27t). What plagues me though is that people on the other side of the planet will be playing the game 3 weeks before me :(

[Lord_Daris]

exactly it causes massive problems for online play as well as 1337-ism

[Adonis]

The game is due to start shipping within the next 48 hours and now you're coming forward with this plea? This is very much a last-minute thing here. Also, the 1337-ism you speak of has, and is always going to be there, regardless of where and when they launch the game.

Lots of game companies, as well as other businesses, do this. It's nothing new. The company isn't going to hold back sales just because some store outside of North America doesn't have it's preordered copies of the game.

[ir0nside]

This is one instance in which I will actually fall in line with the other naysayers and proclaim that, "This thread serves no purpose."

Release date is, as Adonis said, roughly 48 hours away. You'll get what you get.

[[AF]purple]

Us players probably need the advantage :P
no offence...
... honest

[ir0nside]

Us players probably need the advantage :P
no offence...
... honest

"Us" players? Referring to yourself and others, yes? Because, as I'm sure you know, the word "us" is the objective case of "we", used as either a direct or indirect object.

It's a good thing you didn't capitalize the "s", as you'd have been posting a clearly inflamatory and inciteful post, by claiming that players in the United States are somehow inferior than those in other locales. But, seeing as you didn't capitalize the "s", you're merely discussing how you and your fellow players need an advantage to compete.

I mean, you'd never insult every United States DoW player like that, right?

[Lord_Daris]

The game is due to start shipping within the next 48 hours and now you're coming forward with this plea? This is very much a last-minute thing here. Also, the 1337-ism you speak of has, and is always going to be there, regardless of where and when they launch the game.

Lots of game companies, as well as other businesses, do this. It's nothing new. The company isn't going to hold back sales just because some store outside of North America doesn't have it's preordered copies of the game.
well It's not a case of having pre ordered copies so much as the fact there's 3 weeks difference and the 1337-ism is generally going to occur with people from the US bannign anyone new to DC wihc will be more or less everyone but them.

[Moe]

So basically you're saying that if US players get the game 3 weeks before the others, they will forever be the best players on the block?

[Lord_Daris]

for a short period of time they will be the best. but the thing is there will be 1337-ism from US players saying they don't want "noobs" in thier games. noobs being the people everywehere else getting the game 3 weeks later

[Adonis]

Daris, retailers are not going to hold back sales simply because of the "1337-ism" factor. They could care less about that. And even if they did, they would lose money because they'd be holding product in storage. They're not making money by keeping it in the back of the store nor are they going to wait for every store in the world to have copies.

[Eararaldor]

No offence but time zones also come into play. I dout ill be fighting any Americans, as there either be asleep or ill be asleep, due to time zones.

[Metathiax]

Daris Just incase you didn't know the big wigs that make the decisions on when to ship and how to release, don't work on saturday or sunday(to busy counting money playing golf and sailing) so your SOL on this one best to let it go.

[Sanctum]

First of all, I fully agree with Eararldor (despite the fact my schedule is quite inverse and most of the time I game with Aussies; I'm by no means a 1337 player at DoW, though). Second, the game is due for shipping on the 9th, and if they forced the stores to hold off selling them/giving out the preorders until the 27th or so, well, I'm sure a lot of Americans would be royally pissed and also the stores would likely be sitting with dead weight for awhile. I doubt they'll enforce the American stores to not sell the product when they get it in. Plus, there's always the option to import it if you want it that bad, though by the time you get it via import you've paid a lot more and will get it a week or two later anyway.

[Metathiax]

Game companies can't "Enforce" a release date Mortal Kombat proved that. The converstation goes somthing like this.

Game Company: "you sold our game early!!!!"

Store: "yup"

Game Company: "well then we are going to have to fine you for breach of contract"

Store: "OK we will stop carrying all of your merchendice in all of our stores worldwide"

Game Company: (realising this is EB, or Walmart) "Nevermind have a nice day"

[redforth]

I don't think THQ cares about someone's opinion's on their shipping dates. And honestly I'm not gonna have my game delayed because Afghanistan stores dont have copies yet, a global release wsould delay the game for quite a few countries, not just the US .

[Tesla]

all this will do is cause people that technicly have the game, to not be able to play it, ladders can be reset but 20 odd days cannot be given back, there is no over reason i can see apart from spite

im in the UK btw

[Eararaldor]

Perhaps relic and THQ, should look into selling future games via a download route (e.g steam) then post the box itself after. Would keep so many people happy that way.

[runab0ut]

@Eararaldor
Opens a whole can of worms, i'd say.

[MasterBravo]

Not claiming anything here, but what about the piracy factor?

I know a later release date will not support piracy, and I never would, but isn't it going to have a more negative impact on sales in Europe and others that get the game a month later?

Just a thought.

[Adonis]

People will use many excuses to justify their actions for warez. This is just another excuse they'll use. It's still illegal, end of story.

No more discussion of warez please.

[killtank]

Ofcorse, I would love to get it the same time as everyone else in the world but thats not going to happon seeing as the UK date is the 27th and the US one is much before then.

[Eararaldor]

@Eararaldor
Opens a whole can of worms, i'd say.

Half Life 2 was distributed fine via download. I dont see (with a little planning ahead) how any other game could have problems through a legitimate download scheme, offered through THQ.

I mean even EA is offering this option now.

[({x})PhoenixDog]

Maybe.

Simply because sometimes when companies choose to do a global release, the regular release to the close proximity retailers (in Relic's case, NA), can lose out on getting it.

For example, say Relic decided to do a global release, those located in NA might not see the game until later in October, instead of early next week.

So if releases didn't get pushed back, I'd say go for it. But don't leave half the world hanging that could all ready be playing the game, to make the other world happy.

[Orao]

Ok but then what is a commercial strategy on holding the UK release day ? Man I'm from France and I buy all my games in UK because I don't like how they dub games here. We don't even have choice it is all or nothing.

So why hold the release date of the UK, why put it on 27th like every other EU country ?

It is some kind og global shipping on region level or what ?

[Typhoon GX]

So why hold the release date of the UK, why put it on 27th like every other EU country ?
Because not everyone at THQ is smart...

[Metathiax]

Half Life 2 was distributed fine via download. I dont see (with a little planning ahead) how any other game could have problems through a legitimate download scheme, offered through THQ.

There was a direct2drive discussion and it was locked because the mods thought someone might say somthing that would get them banned.

At any rate it would be a good solution but it isn't going to happen for this game. The deal is signed and distribution underway, boxes are being packed up as we speak and will be on the trucks and rolling tomarrow.

[({x})PhoenixDog]

has nothing to do with "Commercial Strategy". Overseas shipping has always taken longer than same-continent shipping. There are far more reasons why games are delayed per continent, but I'm not aware of all of them

Why are people whining that Relic is the first company in gaming history to not have magic powers to instantly transport a game from British Columbia to the United Kingdon on the same day. 75% of the time, thats the case. Suprised people arn't used to it yet. Sorry to say :/

Wish you could get it the same time, but publication and distrobution cross-continent is a fickle mistriss.

[Znail]

They could have done a worldwide release with minimal organisation. Its not like all the game copies are made today, they have been producing them alll the time since the 'gone gold' message. So what could have been done is loading the copies for diffrent continents and sent on boats so that they would arrive just in time for the release. Then used the last copies made after those was sent for the US+Canadian release. This wouldnt have cost anything extra, infact it would have saved money as now they had to store the entire stockpile of games until the global shipping date. But its far to late to change this now.

Now, the main advantage with a global release is that it removes one temptation for people to aquire the game by illegal means. This one can be mitigated by alowing mail order that use first class air packing. I dont know if this is possible right now, sometimes companies limit sales to one country, ie this copy may not be sold outside of xxx. I hope this is not so for DC, but we will see.

[Skullcap]

I think its kinda pointless to go over the same point now considering that tomorrow is the shipping date, everything has been finalized and going over it bit by bit adds nothing more to this discussion nore does this poll actually have any relevance now since everything is already set in motion.

[mean2u]

Yes, being that there would be more players online. If you look at the GameFAQs PC page, Dark Crusade is one of the top 10 message boards there. That must mean lots of people are interested in the game, and if we all buy at the same time, it'll be more fun.

[Metathiax]

They could have done a worldwide release with minimal organisation. Its not like all the game copies are made today, they have been producing them alll the time since the 'gone gold' message. So what could have been done is loading the copies for diffrent continents and sent on boats so that they would arrive just in time for the release. Then used the last copies made after those was sent for the US+Canadian release. This wouldnt have cost anything extra, infact it would have saved money as now they had to store the entire stockpile of games until the global shipping date. But its far to late to change this now.

If Relic (well THQ) had done a tiered release they would have shipped it to Canada and the United States first then overseas like company of heroes. So I guess you can choose which method one you like better. They aren’t going to starve the local market to supply overseas It doesn’t make sense because they will see revenue faster from there markets closer to home.

[Eararaldor]

At any rate it would be a good solution but it isn't going to happen for this game. The deal is signed and distribution underway, boxes are being packed up as we speak and will be on the trucks and rolling tomarrow.

At no point did I demand that DC be put up for direct to hard drive download. I know the game ships tomorrow and there no way on earth they could pull that off in time.
I was saying for future releases they could at least think about it, as there clearly a market growing for people to buy games of the internet.

In fact in my second post, half way on page 2, I even stated FUTURE games.

[Adonis]

Well, there's really no sense in debating this further. The game is due to ship within 24 hours. Perhaps in the future, a topic such as this could be brought up sooner. Though good points were made, it really doesn't make sense to discuss something like this so close to the ship date. But for now, we'll be getting a great new game to play over the next few weeks. GG everyone.