5$ more for the digital version compare to the retail version?

That puzzle me. I'm a little low on money right now (wife is not working) but I'm really interested in the game. Now it will retails at 39.99$ in store but if I want to get it, I have to wait for them to get the game (and in Canada, it's often 1 or 2 days after the US street date).

I'm considering buying it from Stardock, but it seems they are charging 5$ more for the same game, digitally, than the retail version which comes with a DVD, box and manual?

am I missing something?
93,116 views 69 replies
Reply #1 Top
Retailers tend to get pissed if you price match or undercut them, so we have to charge the full MSRP. Even if we did sell the standard edition box, we would have to charge $44.95 plus shipping & handling.
Reply #2 Top
Or it could be the digital version cost more , due to the tubes of the internets being so full... :d
Reply #3 Top
lol, damn internet  :LOL: 
Reply #4 Top
There are 2 main reasons why I am going to pre-order it soon through Stardock. The first one is for the the early available for me. Instead of waiting till mid-April for the Australian release. The other is that the money goes directly to Stardock and Ironclad. More profit for them in the long run.

I will be spending $20(AUS) more than the retail here which is around $69.95(AUS). But for that extra money I get the Collectors Edition and instant access to the game via Download cutting out the long 2 and a half months wait till local release.
Reply #5 Top
exactly! tubes on the internet clogged with the hopes and dreams for a better life!

Damned CLOGS!
Reply #7 Top
ahh the buddy system.

Wonder if it will ever go back to meaning watch your partner's back :SURPRISED: 
Reply #8 Top
I love Collector's Editions, and canceled my local preorder to get the CE from Stardock instead. To me the digital download is just a bonus :)
Reply #9 Top
I wonder how the servers gonna handle us when we all download at same time ? :P
Reply #10 Top
It was a plesant surprise for me when I found out the people who preordered automaticaly get the CE.
Reply #11 Top

It was a plesant surprise for me when I found out the people who preordered automaticaly get the CE.
End of quote


Pre-Ordered the Digital Download only ?
Reply #12 Top
I just wish the shipping to Canada wasn't so crazy. 5-10$ more than retail for getting it one or two days earlier than the stores up here will I can handle, but 25-30$ shipping? =/ i can order games from ebgames.com and have them delivered to me next day in canada for 10$ less than that =(
Reply #13 Top
well, maybe they should have made the commemorative kol a scale model, instead of shipping a full-sized one. :LOL: Or maybe it's the manual, which contains more than enough pages to cover Rhode Island. :d
Reply #14 Top

I wonder how the servers gonna handle us when we all download at same time ?
End of quote


Zoomba must be praying about that... I hope that this weeks bad luck is deducted from next weeks store.
Reply #15 Top
I preordered the CD.
Reply #16 Top
Retailers tend to get pissed if you price match or undercut them, so we have to charge the full MSRP. Even if we did sell the standard edition box, we would have to charge $44.95 plus shipping & handling.
End of quote



Hopefully this won't come out bad but here it goes: How come, any, all other website/services distributing games on release through the Internet either sell for the same price or sometimes lower than retail? Don't retaillers get pissed at them? I don't think so since I constantly see their games on those same retaillers's shelfs.

Let's take Steam as an example, the Orange box was priced the same for retails then getting it from Steam. Same with a LOT of other games. Steam is an alternative to your distribution service (and I think you guys should consider, even though they are compititor, to distribute your games there as well as let's face it, they have a way larger customer base and visibility).
Reply #17 Top
The big names have a lot more muscle to get their stuff published and sold as well, so they can afford to do that stuff. As one might have seen from our trouble getting a European publisher for Sins, we can't.
Reply #18 Top
I haven't seen this brought up much, so I thought I'd mention:

If you buy the Direct Download only with TGN Tokens, it costs the equivalent of $35 ($70 for 10 tokens, 5 for the game), or $32.50 if you already have a TGN membership and just need to buy another pack of 10 ($65 for existing members). Sure, it's $70 total, but you could pick up GC2:TA and Space Rangers 2 with it, or whatever strikes your fancy.

$32.50 is a pretty good deal for no box, if you ask me. But I've never been particularly attached to the physical box/media/etc, I just want the game.

Am I misunderstanding?
Reply #19 Top
No, you aren't :P TGN tokens give it a pretty big discount.
Reply #20 Top
If SD/IC had their game released in all major/usual countries world wide within a short period of time after release, then i'd start *****ing about the extra $5.

But this game seems to be slipping under the radar and the europe market is cut off due to stupid publishers(yes, i believe they are stupid for believing space games don't sell anymore). SD/IC need an edge, and making the publishers more happy is one way of doing it.


BUT GIVE A REASON WHY YOU ARE CHARGING $5 EXTRA!!!!!!!!!

-edit- and put the reason on your store page -edit-

Few are going to take the time to make a thread like this, or even skim the forms/news looking for a reason, they will say "$5 extra for jack ****, screw you guys". You guys may not like how that is worded, but that's what i was thinking before i looked the answer up.
Reply #21 Top
I am betting they are contractually obligated to honor a lower price point for storefronts. It is very similar to hotels. While you may see a lower price at places like Orbits and expedia the hotel itself cannot undercut the wholesalers. The benefit to the publisher (or hotel) is that these places that push the game buy in bulk.
It is just how the world works although I do hope the beta testers that signed up wrong *raises hand* get some kind of discount for changing to a hard copy or CE version but I will find out closer to teh release date.
Reply #22 Top

We've already given our reasons in this thread and several others. ;)  If people choose not to accept it, that's their decision - it's not going to affect the price one way or the other. We're perfectly happy with people buying the game from retail.

Reply #23 Top

We've already given our reasons in this thread and several others.   If people choose not to accept it, that's their decision - it's not going to affect the price one way or the other. We're perfectly happy with people buying the game from retail.


End of quote



What I'm trying to get at is that people will look at the extra $5 and just leave. It's not my problem, it's yours.

It's in "your" best interest to explain where it can be EASILY found by people looking to buy the game with no previous participation in the forums/viewing the news why you charge the extra $5.


If you feel this information will turn away more people then it brings in, it is your call. But IMO it would bring in more people and make you look better instead of "greedy *******s" to the casual observer.




Reply #24 Top

Retailers tend to get pissed if you price match or undercut them, so we have to charge the full MSRP. Even if we did sell the standard edition box, we would have to charge $44.95 plus shipping & handling.
End of quote


You're ignoring the question. You guys are charging $44.95 for the digital download of the game. MSRP is $39.99. You guys are not charging the full MSRP for the digital download, but $5 more.
Reply #25 Top
Some of you may not realize but it's been the same for other Stardock games like Gal Civ 2. $5 more thru Stardock directly and for the same reasons. Didn't hurt sales of any of those games. :D