Hexed Gamer
Posts: 561
Joined: 6/24/2004
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Some times a legit source can actually give you a legit game at a legit price.
It is rare, but not impossible.
As has been mentioned before though (or at least I have seen it posted, maybe not always to this thread though eh), the moment a source makes a sale to a secondary source (ie retail outlet) the secondary source owns the item.
Now unless you have a verifiable written contractual deal stating that secondary source has to sell it at a specific price, really, it is the privilege of the secondary source to do with it as it pleases.
Well that is my take on it, you likely could pay a lawyer to make a federal case out of anything eh.
I like to support the originator of a product, makes sense eh. If they go under, they ain't going to be making any other games any time soon.
But I also have spent most of my time (where computers are concerned) being a johnny come lately.
Hmm I am sure I have bought at least 1 game that was a day one release. But I can't think of the name at the moment.
I spend most of my cash, reluctantly, but often inevitably, through suppliers like CD Access.com. They are often my only choice (or have been on several occasions).
I had to jump through some pretty darn impressive hoops to get my copy of TOAW CoW eh. It's a legit copy, right from Take2. And boy let me tell you, finding the actual page where that game is listed takes some detective work.
You go to their normal homepage, and scan their games on sale, good luck seeing TOAW CoW mentioned. You would almost think they DON'T want you to see it.
Generally when asked, I often tell people "no, they don't sell TOAW any more". Heck I often wonder if the link I use to the game is even valid.
Paid 80 bucks (Canadian) to get my copy through Take2. But not before I had to give blood finding it, it seems.
It's a lot more than just the actual dollar amount involved eh.
Take Matrix Games. How many clicks does it take you from standing stop Matrix Games home page to actually be looking at a complete list of the games they are actually selling right now?
If you google "Matrix Games", you see the link to their home page first page.
Listed on the page, with game graphic of box art inclusive you have
Tin Soldiers
Battles in Normandy
Steel Panthers Generals Edition
That's as good as it is bad.
Now Playing sounds cute and all, but the newcomer will wonder, is it just those three games?
One click on the store tab, one click on relevant flag gets you inside to a bit more detail.
Now I realise they are also selling
War in the Pacific
Starshatter
Of course I wonder, is Steel Panthers Generals Edition being sold in the store?.
It's only when the very careful observant person really studies the page, that they realise, the small word near top right "Features" means this isn't a full listing.
Without wanting to sound mean or overly critical. but I think the page is overly clever.
Matrix Games has a sum total of 21 items in the Genere search category of All Games.
Or put another way, the browser gets to scroll through the whole lot in 2 pages and one item on a third.
Given a choice, I would think just listing all 21 titles by default, and not fussing with a pointless Genre seach list would be simpler.
Not to mention, we wargamers already expend enough energy deciding what is and what isn't a "wargame".
Needless subdivision is really just that, needless subdivision.
My idea of a pefect homepage, would be the page that results from selection All Games, and have that proudly appear as it does, right in the middle of the page, immediately upon typing in the initial Matrix Games homepage url.
But that's just me.
Nothing ever beats clarity eh.
In two pages, a person sees all 21 titles on sale.
It would likely be easier to design into the page, a flag function drop down menu that allows for the showing of relevant prices. And just display the default US price initially.
Anyone that thinks that the listed base US price is the end of the story, is dim (yeah I called some of you dim, get over it).
Sometimes the biggest obstacle to doing business easily, is the business itself not making doing business easy.
< Message edited by Hexed Gamer -- 10/8/2004 4:18:50 PM >
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