I am very lucky... I live in the USA however, because I am an
'ex-Brit' I fly there on a regular basis. I picked up my copy og
MGPRS2 last night from near Heathrow Airport so I had some reading
material for the long flight home. Really glad I did because now I
learn that it wont be released in the USA til February!!
Now.. this is a really crazy marketing decision in my opinion.. Just
handing over the program to all the eager 'pirates' out there who know
there is a huge market for this program outside of Europe and so will
crack and release the game there way ahead of its actual arrival...
In fact I note that PDM released the game earlier today which supports
this idea.
When are some companies going to learn that spit release dates just
simply put.. are a dumb idea. Release the program worldwide and dont
make certain groups of your potential customers wait else you stand to
lose many a sale to the pirates and crackers of this world.
I know that many people would grab the cracked version anyway and not
but it whether it was released on the same day worldwide or not.. but
there are still groups of people who would buy it, would it be
available.. and not succumb to the pirates charms. Also, no matter how
good the program, eventually some people get bored with playing the
same game over and over again.. so if they have grabbed the cracked
copy, by the time the actual real thing is available, they might well
decide against buying it anyhow. (Admittedly.. if the program is good
enough then long term appeal would be there.. but those cases are far
and few between in my opinion.. GPL being one such case)
The above doesnt just apply to Ubisoft and MGPRS2 but also many other
programs (the ever wonderful GPL for example..)
Come on Software companies.. get a clue ... and get these programs out
at least within a week worldwide and stop making the customer wait
long times or have to use inferior (in the most part) pirate copies
please!
Ok.. Ill now stand down from my soapbox...
Zen..
Or put it this way, . . . . .
I bought the IMPORT version of TOCA almost a year ago. Just NOW it came out
in the USA by 3DO! Now, if many other folks like ME bought the Import (and
there isn't a difference I can see, but the USA version has a sound loss
problem during braking), then we won't want to spend the extra money to buy
the version sold here. Meaning that 3DO NEEDS to sell lots of TOCA to be
interested in also getting TOCA2 and Colin McRae to sell here. But if we all
bought the Import, then 3DO won't get the sales they need, and thus might
not buy the other Euro games to sell here. STUPID! There is a MAJOR need to
release the games worldwide at the same time!
Quoted text (41 lines)
>I am very lucky... I live in the USA however, because I am an >'ex-Brit' I fly there on a regular basis. I picked up my copy og >MGPRS2 last night from near Heathrow Airport so I had some reading >material for the long flight home. Really glad I did because now I >learn that it wont be released in the USA til February!! >Now.. this is a really crazy marketing decision in my opinion.. Just >handing over the program to all the eager 'pirates' out there who know >there is a huge market for this program outside of Europe and so will >crack and release the game there way ahead of its actual arrival... >In fact I note that PDM released the game earlier today which supports >this idea. >When are some companies going to learn that spit release dates just >simply put.. are a dumb idea. Release the program worldwide and dont >make certain groups of your potential customers wait else you stand to >lose many a sale to the pirates and crackers of this world. >I know that many people would grab the cracked version anyway and not >but it whether it was released on the same day worldwide or not.. but >there are still groups of people who would buy it, would it be >available.. and not succumb to the pirates charms. Also, no matter how >good the program, eventually some people get bored with playing the >same game over and over again.. so if they have grabbed the cracked >copy, by the time the actual real thing is available, they might well >decide against buying it anyhow. (Admittedly.. if the program is good >enough then long term appeal would be there.. but those cases are far >and few between in my opinion.. GPL being one such case) >The above doesnt just apply to Ubisoft and MGPRS2 but also many other >programs (the ever wonderful GPL for example..) >Come on Software companies.. get a clue ... and get these programs out >at least within a week worldwide and stop making the customer wait >long times or have to use inferior (in the most part) pirate copies >please! >Ok.. Ill now stand down from my soapbox... >Zen..I can only agree with every single point you make.
Paul
