This is going to be way too long for such a silly thing but here goes. I guess I'm getting bummed that we are 6 weeks out from release and I haven't seen a pre-order available for a physical copy of Thief on PC. Yeah they show a picture of it on thiefgame.com, but you can click any of the pre-order links and find only digital downloads for PC.
I'm fine with Steam, that's where most of my games are anyway, but I've got a shelf full of Thief game boxes and I'd like to stick a new one up there next month. Sort of a collector's itch I guess.I asked the guys at Gamestop if their system showed anything as far as a PC box copy. The first thing they said was they don't receive any PC copies unless they are preordered. Okay I get it, most people don't want to build and maintain a high end PC anymore and opt for consoles because it's less expensive and more-so right after a next gen system comes out. I'm fine with reserving a copy and standing in line at midnight to pick it up, it's always exciting to be one of the first people to get a new much-coveted game.
The guys at the game store also said sometimes, depending on the game, when someone pre-orderes a PC game all that they receive anymore is a download card, the same kind you can get on the rack at Wal-Mart and other various retailers that has a scratch off activation number key and download link.I don't really see the point in this unless you are a grandmother buying a game for a kid that likes to chew on compact discs or use them as coasters or frisbees. Every console has an internet connection now, so the people who want to download it will download it, don't punish the people with PC's just because it costs $1.50 to print a label and burn a disc.
I'm still cautiously optimistic that a PC box copy will surface before release, maybe even a special edition box copy, but they would typically be announced by now or at least be available for pre-order. I'll wait a couple weeks and if I don't hear anything I'll go ahead and pre-order the master thief edition download, maybe they are just gauging how many people are reserving the PC version before they place an order for physical copies.And I don't care if I have to install it into Steam off of a DVD or two from a boxed copy, but if I show up at Gamestop at midnight on release day and someone hands me a little download card for Steam, then someone at Eidos is gonna take a blackjack to the face...or maybe a strongly worded letter... either way I am unhappy thus far, am I alone here??
I always buy physical copies. Much rather installing off a disc than downloading and having it on my bookshelf. The PC version has a physical.copy, should be easy to get. The store I go to will have them even if you haven't pre-ordered, and the pre-ordered comes with the extras. Don't know why any store would sell just a download code.
Saw this on the official forums. I know it's a New Zealand site, but maybe it's an indicator that we'll see similar things in our area(s) of the world:
http://www.mightyape.co.nz/product/T...ition/21495520
Boxed copies of PC games are becoming harder and harder to come by as more and more games require Steam or Origin. At best they'll have an outdated version of the game on disc; often, they'll just have a download code.
That's not to say they don't still do it -- my copy of Arkham Origins is definitely in a box, but my aunt (who got it for me for Christmas) complained that she couldn't find it in any stores, and I explained it to her that they don't really bother with PC games in physical locations anymore. Why would they? They can sell Steam cards and keep the inventory space for console games.
But then publishers are missing out on selling crazy freaked out massive Collector's Editions which include tins, cards, action figures, masks, comics, statues, art books, maps, and a whole lot of other nonsense that most fans have absolutely no use for.
But you know there are some crazy ass Thief fans out there that would just lap that shit right up. I'm thinking something along the lines of this:
http://www.amazon.com/Titanfall-Coll...or%27s+edition
or this:
http://www.amazon.com/Witcher-Assass...or%27s+edition
or this:
http://www.amazon.com/Diablo-III-Col...or%27s+edition
No they're not. It's just that they're selective on what games get a physical collector's edition. I think it may depend on visibility -- Dishonored got one because it's a Bethsoft publication (same as Elder Scrolls and Fallout), Bioshock Infinite certainly got a ridiculous one. Publishers don't really throw money at collector's editions unless they're an absolute honest-to-god sure thing. Thief isn't one of those, even if you discount the weirdos who hate it out of principle, but Deus Ex HR was.
Thief is getting a digital Master Thief edition, however -- and only on PC as far as I can tell. Hmm.
I have no idea wtf is going on in your countries, but I've been able to get boxed copies of anything I've wanted to buy, and I buy hundreds of games atleast a few a week. You get the box, disc, activation code, and any extras. I can't imagine any store not doing this. You will usually still need to download some of the game, because the version on the disc is before any updates.
I have even seen boxed copies of games on the shelves that are not even out yet, and games that are downloadable content. There were Battlefield 3 boxes months before the game was released, and there were Blood Dragon boxes too.
I do have one useful piece of advice for you though. Do not pre-order. Try out the game for free at first, and see if you want to support the direction that the developers took with it. If you pre-order, you basically accept anything that they throw at you, and you say you want more of the same. It doesn't matter what you think of the product once it actually arrives.
Just try out the game for free to see if the full game is worth full price plus the pre-removed DLC ransom. If it is, then buy it. If the full game is only worth the full price, wait until it actually costs that, then buy it. (Full game = the incomplete game + pre-removed DLC) Deus Ex HR was the same for me. The game was good, but not worth paying extra for content that should have been part of the base product. So I dind't pay for the game until I got the full product at a reasonable price.
Do not allow companies to artificially inflate the price of their products and treat you like an idiot. You can make them pay for that. If you don't, they will continue to taff you over. Actually I take it back... You can't make them pay for anything, you can just make yourself not pay for the crap they try to get you to accept. You can't steal anything from them in return of them trying to rob you.
Where are you guys? I'm in the UK and although I haven't bought a physical copy of a PC game for ages I do go to Game to get PS3 games and there are always boxes of the latest PC games.
I was going to download Thief but actually I do want the box now because of what you said Phantom. I'll investigate next time I'm in town.
You are basically advertising "try before you buy" piracy. I'm pretty sure that's a no no here, if not an actual rule. And anyway it's kind of a douche move. A lot of people pirate stuff, but it's just not polite to talk about it.Originally Posted by Platinumoxicity
He never said anything about piracy, it could be a lot of things, like trying it on friend's steam account. Developers are just making checking out games harder without releasing playable demos. Besides EM has been really poor with releasing actual gameplay footage.
Okay, I didn't expect that. I guess I'm too old-fashioned. Well, to me the concept of "multiplayer" still means several people sitting on the same couch with controllers in their hands. If kids these days wanna insist on calling this thing "software piracy" -then I guess that we can retroactively rename the ol' "going to a friend's house" with a new name too. "Hardware piracy". You didn't pay for that physical copy of the game, so you must have "downloaded it illegally" from your friend's shelf. You can't expect to be able to play someone else's game for free. That would be like your family being able to be passengers in your car without the manufacturer being compensated.
Apparently, not only are playable demos becoming more and more rare, but the actual concept of trying products before investing seems to have become associated with illegality.Game promotion is deceptive, and consumers are discouraged to buy after reviews by content being taken away if they don't buy in advance. There's something very wrong with the market. Back in the old days, devs thought that their games were so good that they couldn't wait to let people try them so they put a little (or a lot) extra effort into producing demos. Today, devs think that their games suck so bad that they can't let anyone form an educated opinion on their products before buying, because they absolutely know that opinion is going to be negative, and purchase non-existant. So demos are out of the question, and sensible consumers need to be extorted with pre-removed content to be included only in a blind purchase.
Oh, and since someone did associate trying games with piracy, let's think about this... The concept of trying before buying piracy would be an universally, objectively positive thing. The devs don't need to lift a finger to give concerned consumers a gameplay demonstration, whereas in the old days they needed to produce the demo. Good devs who make a good game will be compensated when the player's expectations are met, and their direction and style is supported. Bad devs who make a bad game do not recieve anything, and their direction and style is not supported. Good guys win, bad guys lose, and natural selection makes the industry better for everyone. And absolutely free of charge.
Come on man, you know it looks like you're advocating downloading and trying it first and your whole "what multiplayer means to you" has nothing to with this.
If you meant trying it at a friends house just say that.
I've heard your pirate-try-before-you-buy argument. I'm not sure about it.
Yeah, usually when someone uses the phrase "try the game for free" they don't mean checking it out at a friend's house. But the wording was vague enough that I don't think any of the mods here would care anyway.
Heck, they'll probably have the thing on demo at the local Best Buy, so that'll be another way to check it out. But in the end, I think people who post frequently here and on the Eidos boards will more than likely pick up a copy anyway, despite all the posturing about demos and agreeing with the direction of the game. Normally I'd agree with the "Do not pre-order" stance, but most Thief fans are too anxious to play it first hand and see if it measures up at all to the originals.
It'd be admittedly nice to have a physical box next to the other 4 games in their boxes on my shelf. That might mean more to me than actually finishing it (depending on how good the missions are).
Yeah, I'd like a physical PC copy as well. It's no deal-breaker if it is download only, but I'd love to have a 'complete' set.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
There's no way I would purchase this or any other game without trying it first.
Really, any game? Seems a bit excessive. And how do you propose to try all these games out for free before purchasing them?
It's bad enough people abstractly suggest pirating; we don't need to give them an engraved invitation to talk about it.If you want to have something to discuss, complain about the dearth of demos these days when you want to try a game before buying. It's not like it's an unreasonable thing to want by itself.
I really wasn't even suggesting piracy was involved in any way. I was really just saying it's incredibly unrealistic to think you can actually try every single game you have interest in before you purchase it. More often than not, you end up having to rely on reviews, word of mouth, and youtube vids.
Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose on these things. In recent memory, for AAA games, I consider DXHR, Skyrim, and Dishonored wins, and Bioshock Infinite a loss. You try to be be as informed of a consumer as you can be, but at some point you just need to take the plunge. I have 200 games on my Steam account - who would have ever had the time to try each one before purchase?
Bioshock Infinite was a major disappointment, and I say this as someone who generally prefers Bioshock 1 over System Shock 2.
If you pre-order, you basically approve of any changes or features instantly, regardless of whether you love them or hate them. It's like you just don't care. You threw money at a product, and at no point did you care if it's even any good. Sounds pretty crazy to me. Isn't it called fanaticism when you insist on getting more of something, and you are totally apathetic about what you're actually going to get? When you buy something, you are making a statement that you want more of the same. There is a disconnect between sales and developer feedback. You buy games without knowing anything about them, but the developers still work with the assumption that you bought the games because you like the features, not because of your ignorance and the effectiveness of the deceptional promotional campaign.
Nonsense. Pre-orders are motivated by faith and reward.
A pre-order is more faith than other options, but not necessarily a lot more. I don't think a halfway-decent demo would've kept me from buying Bioshock:Infinite; the game takes kind of a slow-motion nosedive, but it's got its good parts. Meanwhile, there are plenty of games out there I wouldn't waste my time playing a demo of.
But I pre-ordered BS:I because, in addition to a few cents off the price, it came with XCom-Enemy Unknown, which I was planning on getting anyway.
I never finished either game, but I feel like I got my money's worth.
Now that release is almost here, I've been thinking about the distribution method as well.
I would have hoped that the Master Thief Edition would come in something nice; not super fancy, since that's reserved for high-profile games, but perhaps a nice box like this one:
Perhaps we'll get it if/when a Game of the Year edition (with hypothetical DLC) comes out?
But I do want all the extras that come with the MTE...
well, if we don't get anything else - save that Thief card!when someone pre-orderes a PC game all that they receive anymore is a download card, the same kind you can get on the rack at Wal-Mart and other various retailers that has a scratch off activation number key and download link.
I don't think it's developer confidence or laziness, but production timelines; the games you're likely thinking of from back in the day were made by studios with a "when it's ready policy" which is much rarer nowadays. A date is announced, and the devs scramble to get everything ready on time - not even on the disc, but in time for day-one patches. Making a demo (with a tutorial and custom shell for the level, that will work on multiple computer systems (to say nothing of console variants)) on top of that would likely cause other areas to suffer.Apparently, not only are playable demos becoming more and more rare, but the actual concept of trying products before investing seems to have become associated with illegality.
Oh, and since someone did associate trying games with piracy, let's think about this... The concept of trying before buying piracy would be an universally, objectively positive thing. The devs don't need to lift a finger to give concerned consumers a gameplay demonstration, whereas in the old days they needed to produce the demo. Good devs who make a good game will be compensated when the player's expectations are met, and their direction and style is supported. Bad devs who make a bad game do not recieve anything, and their direction and style is not supported. Good guys win, bad guys lose, and natural selection makes the industry better for everyone. And absolutely free of charge.
Another possibility is the shift from indie developers to Hollywood-style studios: instead of passionate people being in charge of the game, there are layers of managers telling them what to do. There still are plenty of indie developers, and many of them still create demos, but the major studios are much more like the film industry, deciding that customers 'will buy it and like it.'
Don't get me wrong, I'm not happy about it; that just seems to be the way the industry (aside from Blizzard) works these days
Anyway, I'm sure members of our creative community will make wonderful case sleeves for those of us with a need for physical objects to print at home
Does anyknow know (is there some info available?) whether the boxed PC Version will be multilingual?
From the latest trailer I see that the english audio seems to be way better, but I would like the option to play in german (if I want to).
In case I go with Steam (which is quite unlike since I do not wish to do so, nor did I ever bother to buy a game online) are you typically able to switch languages or do you pay per download (=language) ?
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote