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Digital Downloads: Why it sucks to be European

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  • 18-09-2008 12:24pm
    #1
    Maximilian
    Legal Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 5,400 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    I've had a bee in my bonnet about this for quite some time now.

    Why is it Europeans get screwed completely when it comes to buying games digitally. Last one that pissed me off was Assassin's Creed on the PC. You simply could not buy the game as a download anywhere unless you were from North America. It's the same thing with many other titles on Steam, Direct2Drive or whatever.

    Now I find today that The Witcher: Enhanced Edition is available on Steam, D2D and Impulse but only if you are from the States or Eastern Europe.

    I hate buying dvd versions of games. I want this game but I can't be arsed going into town to buy it and I won't, in protest.

    I know it comes down to distribution rights & agreements but it's extremely annoying for me.

    Any thoughts?


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    #2
    witnessmenow
    Registered Users Posts: 7,153 ✭✭✭witnessmenow


    you could buy it online?


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    #3
    johnny_ultimate
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 29,460 CMod ✭✭✭✭johnny_ultimate


    It sucks yes, but you do have to remember that Europe has always been the annoying wart on the face of the games industry when it comes to release dates, prices and so on. Theres still a lot of digital distribution right issues: hence why the Americans can download films anywhere yet our Itunes only contains a couple of Pixar shorts. And TV channels offer their stuff for free in the US online sometimes (just saw Twin Peaks is available in its entirety) but again broadcasting rights and so on mess it up.

    Its annoying, but until distributors stop being a regional beast (e.g. with American, Japanese and European sections largely seperate entities) Europe will stay an afterthought.

    Edit: I do still enjoy the trip to town to pick up a game though.


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    #4
    Maximilian
    Legal Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 5,400 Mod ✭✭✭✭Maximilian


    Sure but what strikes me, and I suppose this touches on some of the other threads going at the moment, is that this does two things.

    1. It lose companies revenue; and
    2. It encourages rampant piracy.

    You can bet your ass that people will download this game to hell, not just for the usual reasons but also because they are pissed off (hell I'm tempted to out of spite) or have no other convenient way of getting it.

    I wonder if VPN tunneling or whatever would work?


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    #5
    armour87
    Registered Users Posts: 848 ✭✭✭armour87


    Are there no other options for download except Steam & D2D?


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    #6
    tman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,339 ✭✭✭✭tman


    Couldn't you just buy the original Witcher game and download the free patch which transforms it to the enhanced edition?
    Seeing as you don't want a hard copy of the game, it's not like you'll be missing out on any of the extras...

    It does indeed suck though, I have the same kind of issue when I try to buy certain region locked tracks on beatport or whatever... There's no other way for me to get my hands on them other than piracy, so the label loses out on a sale.


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    #7
    Maximilian
    Legal Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 5,400 Mod ✭✭✭✭Maximilian


    armour87 wrote: »
    Are there no other options for download except Steam & D2D?

    None, although in fairness, someone from the Developers posted on the Steam forums (as well as their own) to say they are "working on it"
    tman wrote: »
    Couldn't you just buy the original Witcher game and download the free patch which transforms it to the enhanced edition?
    Seeing as you don't want a hard copy of the game, it's not like you'll be missing out on any of the extras...

    It does indeed suck though, I have the same kind of issue when I try to buy certain region locked tracks on beatport or whatever... There's no other way for me to get my hands on them other than piracy, so the label loses out on a sale.

    Yeah, I will probably do that. I think the patch is available from tomorrow. I think you can buy the orginal from somewhere.


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    #8
    Mr Bloat
    Registered Users Posts: 1,234 ✭✭✭Mr Bloat


    Maximilian wrote: »

    Yeah, I will probably do that. I think the patch is available from tomorrow. I think you can buy the orginal from somewhere.

    You can download the original from here but it's 25GBP and you'll have nothing tangible in your hands afterwards! Arrgh! :)


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    #9
    thelordofcheese
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,368 ✭✭✭thelordofcheese


    Mr Bloat wrote: »
    You can download the original from here but it's 25GBP and you'll have nothing tangible in your hands afterwards! Arrgh! :)

    Yeah, what if it sucks after all that?
    You'll have nothing to set fire to, except maybe your PC.......


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    #10
    Cuddlesworth
    Registered Users Posts: 13,995 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    thelordofcheese wrote: »
    Yeah, what if it sucks after all that?
    You'll have nothing to set fire to, except maybe your PC.......

    I was told pubes go up lightning fast. Theres always an option c.


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    #11
    Mr Bloat
    Registered Users Posts: 1,234 ✭✭✭Mr Bloat


    Cuddlesworth wrote: »
    I was told pubes go up lightning fast. Theres always an option c.

    Sure, you were 'told'.

    :)


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    #12
    Azza
    Moderators Posts: 5,558 ✭✭✭Azza


    Yeah Europe get the rough end of the stick with regrads release dates, digital distrubition and prices. Although I will point out that in same cases games on Steam are only available in Europe and not the rest of the world but this is not normally the case. Another example would be Battlefield Heroes which will only be available in North America and Europe when it launches so gamers from New Zeland and Austraila get shafted.

    Gamersgate is anothe digital download distrubition system I have used and its pretty good and works well. Unfortantly its game selection is small but its growing rapidly.

    Its funny Europe is a much bigger market than Japan and recently Ubisoft said it was bigger than the US. You would think a greater effort would be made to at least cater for all regions equally.

    I would urge to get a retail copy of this game to support one of the few developers who went out of the way to a good game great even though they where no under obligation to do so. I hope they start a trend that other developers will copy. If you wanted to buy the orginal you will probably save money, the patch you will need to download will be about 1GB in size.


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    #13
    Maximilian
    Legal Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 5,400 Mod ✭✭✭✭Maximilian


    Azza wrote: »
    I would urge to get a retail copy of this game to support one of the few developers who went out of the way to a good game great even though they where no under obligation to do so. I hope they start a trend that other developers will copy. If you wanted to buy the orginal you will probably save money, the patch you will need to download will be about 1GB in size.

    To be honest that's a factor in my deciding to buy the game - I like to support these kind of developers. My rationale is what if companies like Looking Glass had been better supported, maybe they would have been around today. Just think of the games those guys would have made.

    Anyway, I have to run off now and see what happens when I douse some tanglible spare pubes in petrol and attempt to burn a music compliation onto them.

    Edit: Anyon scntifically mindd know off hand what th mlting point of silicon is? xcus th spllng, some kys ar fusd to my thumb


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    #14
    Zillah
    Registered Users Posts: 17,371 ✭✭✭✭Zillah


    armour87 wrote: »
    Are there no other options for download except Steam & D2D?

    Heh, piracy once agains proves the superior product.


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    #15
    Maximilian
    Legal Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 5,400 Mod ✭✭✭✭Maximilian


    Zillah wrote: »
    Heh, piracy once agains proves the superior product.

    Which is what many will do now. Atari must be nuts.


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    #16
    mewso
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 8,950 Mod ✭✭✭✭mewso


    Maximilian wrote: »
    My rationale is what if companies like Looking Glass had been better supported, maybe they would have been around today. Just think of the games those guys would have made.

    It might have been called Bioshock maybe. I still have a giggle when I see COD4 on steam for $69.99. Distributors are idiots.


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