Why will it take MONTHS for the game to come to Europe?

axi · October 1, 2001, 06:35

Even Colombus crossed the Atlantic in just weeks!

Are they going to ship it by Trireme, or sth? And then bring it across Europe, into Greece on foot? (since of course it will take the at least a couple of months extra for that...)

I can't get it! Everybody is talking about huge delays and I'm asking WHY?

Plus there is nowhere I can find official information about non-USA release dates and publishers. What kind of irresponsibility is this? Civ3.com does an exceptional job of hiding any useful information behing tons of useless fluff.

Roman · October 1, 2001, 06:44

Quote:

Originally posted by axi
Even Colombus crossed the Atlantic in just weeks!

Are they going to ship it by Trireme, or sth? And then bring it across Europe, into Greece on foot? (since of course it will take the at least a couple of months extra for that...)

I can't get it! Everybody is talking about huge delays and I'm asking WHY?

ROFLMAO,

but I agree the delay is frustrating.

Grim Legacy · October 1, 2001, 07:16

Order online?

BeBro · October 1, 2001, 07:27

Quote:

Originally posted by axi
I can't get it! Everybody is talking about huge delays and I'm asking WHY?

Probably because of the other language versions (French, German etc.)

And yes, everybody who cannot wait can simply order the US version

shm · October 1, 2001, 08:04

Ordering directly from America can be expensive. On top of the price of the game and postage/packing, you normally have to pay your own countrys VAT (in Denmark 25 % - which the Danish postalservice charges about 7 Euro for calculating!) and possibly import duty as well. Thus I don't care to order from outside the EU anymore. Besides mail from America can take weeks to arive.

It probably is possible to order it in Europe and get it at the same time it is released in America. At least this is the case with DVD's. It may be a problem finding a shop (online or not), that will import the game, though.

I checked eb.uk.com a few days back - they charged £ 35 or so and said ETA 16. nov. Didn't seem very reliable though (the name of the game was not spelled correctly, and there was little information about the game).

Does anyone know of alternative on-line shops, that have lower prices / earlier delivery?

Gangerolf · October 1, 2001, 08:25

Quote:

I can't get it! Everybody is talking about huge delays and I'm asking WHY?

Where did you hear this?

At least the English version should be released at the same time world wide. Can't be that bloody difficult.

Roman · October 1, 2001, 08:49

Slightly OT - The DVD region coding is one of the worst monopolistic practices by the enterntainment industry yet. I hope the US Justice Depertement and the EU Monopolies and Mergers Commision do their job and put an end to these criminal practices.

rixxe · October 1, 2001, 09:03

Quote:

Originally posted by shm
Does anyone know of alternative on-line shops, that have lower prices / earlier delivery?

I'll order it from amazon.com, they only charge $7 or so, for the shipping, and if they send it on the US release day, i'll receive the game around the 5th of november,...

Quote:

VAT (in Denmark 25 %

Unlucky, in Switzerland VAT is 7,6%

,and you only have to pay it when you order for more than CHF100 ($70)

axi · October 1, 2001, 10:02

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Where did you hear this?

Everywhere in this forum. And this thread verifies my fears.

Quote:

Probably because of the other language versions (French, German etc.)

But here we won't get ANY other language version, only English.

Civ2 had all versions included in the same CD anyway, didn't it?

faded glory · October 1, 2001, 10:33

Easy axi

The answer to your question is extremely simple.Most of the profits to be made will from the U.S. of A

Mads Raven · October 1, 2001, 10:37

I have already preordered Civ 3 from the USA, I can´t wait until the game is beeing released in Europe. But they should release the game worldwide on the same day, that would be most fair to us all!

faded glory · October 1, 2001, 10:39

Life isnt fair. And it shouldnt be fair, it should be practical

Deathwalker · October 1, 2001, 10:45

Personally I think the delay is carp

The port to Engish is not going to require a major rewrite yet there is a delay. And who's stupid idead was it to release it after christmas in England

What type of ****ing date is 28/12. If they had release it at the beginning of december there sales would have been a lot higher in England.

Earthling7 · October 1, 2001, 12:54

I ordered it already, from Amazon. Cheap shipment charges (see other thread). I'm not sure I'll be able to get the LE in this part of the world.

And why does it take so long? Probably because they have to manufacture it over here for copyright reasons, redesign the case (ugly cheap DVD case for Europe) and redesign the manual to fit into ladies underwear (or a DVD case). They probably need to translate the tiny thin euro-booklet too, to make sure that people understand that they have bought a game, not a DVD.

LaRusso · October 1, 2001, 13:52

they hate us eurocoms

by the way, is it better to preorder sooner or it does not matter?

Haphazard · October 1, 2001, 14:25

Quote:

Originally posted by Deathwalker
Personally I think the delay is carp

The port to Engish is not going to require a major rewrite yet there is a delay. And who's stupid idead was it to release it after christmas in England

What type of ****ing date is 28/12. If they had release it at the beginning of december there sales would have been a lot higher in England.

Woah! 28/12? I hear 30th November. A month is bad, yes, but not awful. There are plenty of games released in the UK that didn't appear in the US for 2/3 months (Hostile Waters/Op: Flashpoint). Releasing Civ on the 28th Dec would be silly, but many games do great sales in January....

Roman · October 1, 2001, 15:07

I don't have a credit card, so I cannot order the game from the US when it comes out.

Ralf · October 1, 2001, 15:33

A clickable link to the source of this or that updated info, is always a good idea. Just a hint.

Inverse Icarus · October 1, 2001, 15:57

you really should get someone to come to the states and buy it and sell it at cut throat rates.

Earthling7 · October 1, 2001, 16:12

Quote:

Originally posted by LaRusso
by the way, is it better to preorder sooner or it does not matter?

If you want the LE, then sooner. I guess if you don't mind the SE, then it's just a matter of patience...

Kc7mxo · October 1, 2001, 22:24

duh!

dey haf to tranzlete dat gum to yooropeeean!

dont yooz no nuttin?

LaRusso · October 2, 2001, 03:34

Quote:

Originally posted by Earthling7

If you want the LE, then sooner. I guess if you don't mind the SE, then it's just a matter of patience...

Hm I guess LE is too geeky (except for the tech tree) to shed additional bucks. I am highly suspicious that 'Magyar' custom officers will rip me off anyway.
I have a bus. trip booked for Nov 30 to Baltimore. Unless I soil my pants (read: another major **** happens) I might wait until then and buy it on the spot, playing it all the way (well until batteries last) over the ocean

Keygen · October 2, 2001, 07:08

Axi, I think is matter of marketing. All companies in computer industry with rare exeptions release their products in their counties first and then to the rest of the world. I guess they expect to see the consumers reactions from the sales and if they decide that there is a success they release it in the other countries and/or can make more precise arrangements with importing companies in those countries if they do not distribute them themselves. Other reasons to might come together but I do not thing that they do not care or don't have the ability to release worldwide if they want to.

Besides a pirate copy will always be available for sail 2-3 days after the US release so you can spend a few bucks to have it and after a couple of months or more when the official product will be available to buy it. Or just (pre)order it from the US and pay some extra money.

Or just keep playing Civ2 or CTP until it is released in Greece

Provost Harrison · October 2, 2001, 07:15

Well the game delay best not be too long, or warez it is until the game is released, unpopular as that decision may be, I stick by it; how can you steal something that is not available to steal?

Skanky Burns · October 2, 2001, 07:24

As long as you actually do buy the game, i doubt Firaxis or anyone here will care that you're playing the game '3 weeks before Infogames says you can'

Provost Harrison · October 2, 2001, 07:43

Well buying the game is a sign of approval and shows that I am keen to invest in Civ4 and it's production. I downloaded CtP2 but never bought it because I thought that it wasn't worthy of my money...but on the other hand, I never continued to play it. I just thought it seemed like they tried too hard to be different, and has convinced me that coservative changes to the underlying mechanics of civ are the way forward, and I approve of how the game has progressed. So it is most probable that I will buy the game.

axi · October 2, 2001, 13:14

Quote:

I don't have a credit card, so I cannot order the game from the US when it comes out.

ditto

Quote:

Besides a pirate copy will always be available for sail 2-3 days after the US release so you can spend a few bucks to have it and after a couple of months or more when the official product will be available to buy it.

If I get my hands on a pirate copy, I won't buy the game. So Infogrames or whoever is selling the damn thing better be quick!

Games sell most in the first days of their release or when they're classics. The rest of the time, pirates have the upper hand.

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Or just keep playing Civ2 or CTP until it is released in Greece

What bothers me most is that THEY will be all over the place talking about it and WE will be clueless.

Sabre2th · October 2, 2001, 13:25

Quote:

Originally posted by axi

If I get my hands on a pirate copy, I won't buy the game. So Infogrames or whoever is selling the damn thing better be quick!

Even if you like the game? Firaxis should get something from you if you're addicted to their game. A game like civ3 doesn't come out of nowhere.

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What bothers me most is that THEY will be all over the place talking about it and WE will be clueless.

America is great

More seriously: That THEY makes it sound like Americans are the enemy

axi · October 2, 2001, 13:39

Quote:

More seriously: That THEY makes it sound like Americans are the enemy

More jokingly: Look here, we'll make a deal:
You give us Civ3 - we give you Bin Laden.
Fair trade.

--------------------------

Aheem, seriously now: It's not that I want to pirate the game, I just stated a sincere fact: If I pirate the game, I will not buy it, because I will not need another copy.

But I bet that I will buy the game way before I find it pirated.

Sabre2th · October 2, 2001, 15:55

Quote:

Originally posted by axi

More jokingly: Look here, we'll make a deal:
You give us Civ3 - we give you Bin Laden.
Fair trade.

Quote:

Aheem, seriously now: It's not that I want to pirate the game, I just stated a sincere fact: If I pirate the game, I will not buy it, because I will not need another copy.

But I bet that I will buy the game way before I find it pirated.

Just because you don't want 2 copies of the game doesn't mean Firaxis shouldn't get something from you. They deserve something for their hard work