Price

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 9:09 am

10 years ago we'd have had this game sold at retail and done very well with it. Now retail wont touch it in most countries. Sadly the audience for this type of game is very limited these days. Dropping the price does little to increase sales and just means there is less cash to fund the next game - i.e. the developer shuts down.

alaric318 · Post by **alaric318** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 12:42 pm

greetings, just say my opinion, what is, that given what "turn based strategy/war-simulation" genre have been published by this year, that is very few titles, and given the overall quality of the product what is good for a first release, again, in mi opinion as i do not play real time strategy titles, for players of turn based strategy, this title is Worth very well the pricing it have, main problem with turn based is that people that like it is entering age and left off play, new generations want to play something easy, something not time consuming and real time strategy genre fits on this priorities very well, as a side note i think also Commander - Europe At War is good at this, this morning i have play for 5 hours and "moved" the game two!!! years of time scale play, something difficult to achieve with others turn based games in proportion to the deep and scope of the game, it is for me posibly one of the most solid titles for this year, i think that sarge is right, and if you like strategy war games and like turn based games i think this title worth the princing very well,

with best regards,

alaric.

Redpossum · Post by **Redpossum** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 8:16 pm

Note the trend here.

Those who have bought & played the game are saying, "Yes, it's worth the price."

Those saying "it's too expensive" haven't bought the game.

Not one single person has posted in this thread to say "I bought the game and it wasn't worth the price I paid."

James Taylor · Post by **James Taylor** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 8:31 pm

Sorry, being an advocate of the SC series there seems to be to much duplicity here, well for $50 anyway, and what...with no demo...I'm suppose to trust y'all??

The money is really no object and eventually I may surrender to a go, but that's a ways down the road. It is a pretty package, I like the manpower, oil, and convoy features and even the combat model looks novel.

Original SC was $25 with a demo, which is really what hooked me and later HC's commitment embedded my feet in SC concrete. Then there was the forum community and the H to H games...tourneys and finally the editor which has evolved to a work of art ala TOAW.

A lot of legacy for an initial $25. Time will tell, but as I add years I get a little more discriminating, a lot more skeptical bordering on cynicism, and so far $50 is a lot for a glass of koolaid.

vypuero · Post by **vypuero** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 10:13 pm

It is a good game you will enjoy it, and I am still looking for tcp/ip players no one appears to be around my time zone or much available.

zxy · Post by **zxy** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 3:42 am

Yeah, I actually like a lot of the design choices I've read about, I'd much rather have convoys and supply issues than diplomacy. But I took a vow many years ago to never again spend $50 on a game again, and I've never regretted it. The game may well be worth it, I certainly understand the economics of that price point - if you're only selling 20k copies you need to make enough to pay the bills. But the key issues to swing me from watching and waiting from the sidelines will be playing a demo and getting a consensus review of the AI. I want a game I can pick up and play whenever I have a little time, not in an uninterrupted stretch online or once a day w/ pbem.

Redpossum · Post by **Redpossum** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 9:48 pm

seamonkey wrote:Sorry, being an advocate of the SC series there seems to be to much duplicity here, well for $50 anyway, and what...with no demo...I'm suppose to trust y'all??

The money is really no object and eventually I may surrender to a go, but that's a ways down the road. It is a pretty package, I like the manpower, oil, and convoy features and even the combat model looks novel.

Original SC was $25 with a demo, which is really what hooked me and later HC's commitment embedded my feet in SC concrete. Then there was the forum community and the H to H games...tourneys and finally the editor which has evolved to a work of art ala TOAW.

A lot of legacy for an initial $25. Time will tell, but as I add years I get a little more discriminating, a lot more skeptical bordering on cynicism, and so far $50 is a lot for a glass of koolaid.

Tell me, what year was it, when you bought SC for $25? Have you forgotten about a little thing called inflation?

Back in 1971, SPI sold games for $10-20 too. But I don't expect to pay that today.

Prior to the 1973 oil embargo, gasoline was 38 cents a gallon. But I don't expect to buy it for that today.

Maybe you need to wake up and smell the 21st century?

James Taylor · Post by **James Taylor** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 3:31 am

Hmmmm.......interesting that my SC CD just happens to have a 2001-2002 copyright date on it.

Smells like the current century

Oh well.......back to sleep.........dreams of SC WaW, the third installment....err expansion.

Visions of CEaW status ...same as SC initial release....6 years ago. Now why would I pay for something that is predicated on a level 6 years past..

Been there done that.

Moved on to greater things....like SC2...a current wargame.

Something tells me I'm not the one hung up in the past

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 9:10 am

If you think games like this sell 20,000 copies then you are very badly mistaken!

You are an order of magnitude out I'm afraid!

zxy · Post by **zxy** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 4:57 pm

Oh, sorry, I don't really know what the market is. Actually that's kind of crazy. 20 crappy WW2 RTS games get made every year and there aren't 20k people to support turn based? Well, $50 is a psychological barrier for me, but this is the kind of game I'd like to play. I'll probably bite once I feel assured the AI will be good enough to give it $50 worth of longevity.

lesthesarge · Post by **lesthesarge** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 4:57 am

possum wrote:
seamonkey wrote:Sorry, being an advocate of the SC series there seems to be to much duplicity here, well for $50 anyway, and what...with no demo...I'm suppose to trust y'all??

The money is really no object and eventually I may surrender to a go, but that's a ways down the road. It is a pretty package, I like the manpower, oil, and convoy features and even the combat model looks novel.

Original SC was $25 with a demo, which is really what hooked me and later HC's commitment embedded my feet in SC concrete. Then there was the forum community and the H to H games...tourneys and finally the editor which has evolved to a work of art ala TOAW.

A lot of legacy for an initial $25. Time will tell, but as I add years I get a little more discriminating, a lot more skeptical bordering on cynicism, and so far $50 is a lot for a glass of koolaid.

Tell me, what year was it, when you bought SC for $25? Have you forgotten about a little thing called inflation?

Back in 1971, SPI sold games for $10-20 too. But I don't expect to pay that today.

Prior to the 1973 oil embargo, gasoline was 38 cents a gallon. But I don't expect to buy it for that today.

Maybe you need to wake up and smell the 21st century?

This post was quite funny actually

I like Seamonkey, have had a lot of connection with SC. Anyone that knows me, knows I have repeatedly said that Hubbert really scored big time making a killer simple easy to use interface.
I'm also aware, that it was very common prior to the release of SC2, for the fans to suggest Hubert greatly undercharged for his game, suggesting 25 bucks was well below what they would have paid him for it.

"duplicity" hmm I guess the word looked nice when he typed it. I think you might have meant "duplication".
But, aside from the lack of unit stacking, this game isn't a duplicate of SC at all.

SC was and still is a great game, Still as playable as Panzer General. Just as superceded as Panzer General though, by something better.
And I know what SC2 is like. This is no SC2 duplicate. If it was, it would require an eye killing grid that actually causes real headaches for starters. The AI in SC2 isn't better, merely different. The graphics of the units in SC2 are just different icons nothing more. Just be glad they weren't drawn by the same person that did Gary's for GGWaW.

But this thread is about price, it's always been about price. And so far, it seems the only defense has been to quote the cost of a game 20 years ago.
Man, I wish I cold still buy board games with 1980 prices too. Have you seen the prices of board games lately? If you don't have a collection like most of us old grognards, to bad, it's too late.

Some games are always worth the price, and some games were never worth the time, let alone your money.

I could rhyme off a nice list of games I wouldn't want if you gave them to me free. Free crud remains crud eh.

SC has a hard core faithful, there's no reason Commander doesn't deserve a hard core faithful. It's earned it, it's a solid game, it will not roll over and die in a couple of months time. You might see a few patches come out. It won't mean that the game was less of a product prior to those patches. It will have just acquired a bit more shine from the polish.

I'll share a pearl I was taught in business school (yes I have formal education in business).
If you make a product worth 50 bucks, and you charge 25 bucks for a product accepted as being worth 50 bucks, the customer WILL ponder, what's wrong with it, why are they only charging 25 bucks for it.

There's nothing wrong with the game it's going to cost you what they have it priced at too

James Taylor · Post by **James Taylor** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 4:56 pm

Fair enough Les, and the respect is mutual. Its very refreshing seeing you weigh in on CEaW.

Actually that's one of the prominent reasons I keep coming back. I put you on to SC and the Panther boys, you're turn to return the favor. Keep telling us about the merits of CEaW, its still in my radar, just not in the present state.

After a patch or two, maybe another installment and passing the true test of time I may become a fan. You know us older gentlemen are in no hurry, you have the same patience that exists in me.

Perhaps in a year or two if this game is still alive, I'll switch allegiance, we'll see.

Oh ...and Les....graphics are really inconsequential...I know you know that...sorry, I never get a headache playing SC2, only exhilaration.

Its all about mechanics and SC2 does an outstanding job of providing a WW2 atmosphere to explore the "what ifs", not to mention the always delicate fleeting balance that provides a victory for either size. PBEM and TCP against humans is unsurpassed.

I have a feeling CEaW is a long way off from duplicating these features

aspharanx · Post by **aspharanx** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:41 am

The game just costs to much. Period. From my point of view slitherine is losing possible buyers just like me. Considering that the game costs 39.99 euro ($55.20), and then we still have to pay 15% tax giving a total price of 45,99 euro ($63.48) for the game. Considering that PC games cost around 50 euro in the shop, and that includes printed manual and boxart etc. There are even new games coming out that cost 45 euro, the price we have to pay for CEAW but then a digital version. Without the tax it would have been ok, I was buying the game, entered my credit card information and suddenly the whole thing added taxes, and that's just to much to pay for a game, especially for a digital download. Perhaps game price should be lowered so that 39.99 euro is the price included tax!

just my 2 cents, and if prices don't drop. I won't buy it...

Happycat · Post by **Happycat** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:14 pm

Well, I don't think an additional 11 euros (sorry, Canadian, don't know symbol for Euro) is justified just to get "box art" and a manual. Switching gears here, to Canadian dollars, this download is cheaper than buying a comparable game in EB or Future Shop. The price is not out of line imo. HOI2 cost me $79 Cdn at EB when it first came out, and I have played CEAW more, so on an hourly basis, I am way ahead already.

mustang23 · Post by **mustang23** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 2:40 am

Matrix has just released Guns of August, a turn-based, grand strategy WW1 game. Early reports are that it has great gameplay, but some players report game interface and/or screen resolution issues. Frank Hunter is the lone designer (he does not work for Take Two or EA). The digital download price is only $35.00. Any parallels to Commander-Europe at War?

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 9:20 am

Sorry I know nothing about the project so can't comment! Maybe he has a retail release planned and has to price match. There are many factors that effect price and we have no idea what the decision is based on.

bagpuss1966 · Post by **bagpuss1966** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:23 am

Can I just add ..
This is the dearist PC game I ever bought ....£40.15 I got the boxed posted version ...

Im a newb to Hex gaming , last game I played was Panzer General years ago which I loved ...
so when I found out about this I dived in an ordered online first time ...lol
usual get my FPS/RPG type games from play.com at very cheap prices £24
anyway Ive not been disappointed its a cracking good game just needs a bit of polish an will be a classic

Ps , looking forward to the very clever tech guys/fans who can do some good mods as well

aspharanx · Post by **aspharanx** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 4:06 pm

iainmcneil, can you pleasy reply on the price. Like I said before the price of the game (digital download) for Belgium is 45,99 euro atm (including VAT), I take Ghost Recon 2 Advanced Warfighter by example, the game got released about two weeks ago and sells for a price of 44.99 euro, that is a boxed game. If I would like to buy Commander: Europe at War boxed version, the price including VAT brings me to 54,44 euro. Sorry but that is just to much. 99% of the pc games that come out are cheaper than Commander: Europe at War. The price you are asking is about the price of a console game. So I was wondering, altough the prices you are asking would be ok, is there any chance the prices wil lower so that for example the digital download costs 39.99 euro including VAT, the same for the boxed version, so that it costs 44.99 euro and not more. Those prices would be a lot better and fair. Asking a higher price for a digital download than a boxed version we get here in the store is just a rip of to me.

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 4:29 pm

There is no plan to lower the prices as this would just penalise the fans who bought on day 1.

Happycat · Post by **Happycat** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 6:03 pm

iainmcneil wrote:There is no plan to lower the prices as this would just penalise the fans who bought on day 1.

Yeah, no kidding! This topic is becoming tiresome. Those who don't like the price; don't buy it. This isn't a flea market or bazaar.

At the risk of being repetitious, this game is much better than other games that I have paid much more for. I can't speak for the European market, but in terms of the Canadian market, this d/l is appropriately priced.

'nuff said.