• No Oceans: Call For Worldwide Release Dates
    15 replies, posted
[url]http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RockPaperShotgun/~3/CJV72ZW8c-g/[/url]
Good, really sucks in the case of Japanese developers where they get a game a few months before the rest of the world because of localization.
I'm American, but I agree with this article.
He wants the entire electronic retail department of every store in the United States, the EU, New Zealand, and Aussie land to completely redesign their tally system so that there isn't a three day gap between releases. This isn't a reasonable request. I know it sucks, but it isn't going to happen.
Yeah it's certainly unfair for Europeans and the rest of the world to get shafted on release dates. I especially hate it when North Americans then complain about the reverse happening and people saying, "See doesn't feel good does it?" As if we were the ones holding other people back from getting their games. I for one see no disadvantage over this. Of course local stores get shafted because digital sales get a head-start, but seriously games go gold a month or two before release. It's time developers start shipping things to coincide with the release in North America.
[QUOTE=GunFox;28750140]He wants the entire electronic retail department of every store in the United States, the EU, New Zealand, and Aussie land to completely redesign their tally system so that there isn't a three day gap between releases. This isn't a reasonable request. I know it sucks, but it isn't going to happen.[/QUOTE] I used to work in retail but I've never come across a "tally system"; how do they work and why is it such a challenge to start selling products on the same day?
so who gives a fuck if theres 2 day or week delay? is it really a huge deal
[quote]is it really a huge deal [/quote] In my opinion: Depends on how quickly you feel consumers may get frustrated by an 'iron bar fence' problem. This [i]is[/i] a lot of money we're talking about after all. Consumers, when they get frustrated, have their desire to play the product decreased significantly which will often lead to lost sales. When you let Consumer A through the gate but bounce Consumer B until a seemingly arbitrary amount of time passes, you're appearing to simply be showing bias. Consumers, from my understanding, greatly dislike apparent bias when it comes to whether they can or cannot purchase a product (region restrictions, hardware/platform restrictions, etc.). So, in order to qualify whether it's a huge deal or not, you have to ask the following: * How many people does this effect? * How will this impact their decision to purchase or not purchase the game? * Approximately how networked are the people who are getting frustrated? (Frustration can be socially spread across close contacts after all, which may lead to further lost sales) * How much of an inconvenience in delay will lead on average to one member of your core audience abandoning the game?
like with Steam.
[QUOTE=Firgof Umbra;28752280]In my opinion: Depends on how quickly you feel consumers may get frustrated by an 'iron bar fence' problem. This [i]is[/i] a lot of money we're talking about after all. Consumers, when they get frustrated, have their desire to play the product decreased significantly which will often lead to lost sales. When you let Consumer A through the gate but bounce Consumer B until a seemingly arbitrary amount of time passes, you're appearing to simply be showing bias. Consumers, from my understanding, greatly dislike apparent bias when it comes to whether they can or cannot purchase a product (region restrictions, hardware/platform restrictions, etc.). So, in order to qualify whether it's a huge deal or not, you have to ask the following: * How many people does this effect? * How will this impact their decision to purchase or not purchase the game? * Approximately how networked are the people who are getting frustrated? (Frustration can be socially spread across close contacts after all, which may lead to further lost sales) * How much of an inconvenience in delay will lead on average to one member of your core audience abandoning the game?[/QUOTE] i understand it but to bitch about a 3-7 day wait is pathetic and sad
[QUOTE=gerbile5;28752156]so who gives a fuck if theres 2 day or week delay? is it really a huge deal[/QUOTE] But there shouldn't be a delay, especially on the digital platform, it should all be released on the same day for everyone.
[QUOTE=ChristopherB;28752106]I used to work in retail but I've never come across a "tally system"; how do they work and why is it such a challenge to start selling products on the same day?[/QUOTE] That is likely because it occurs at a high level (Generally nobody below the store manager for a larger retailer is going to care or know). Chain stores run off numbers, so each week they tally sales. In the United States the first day after these sales are submitted is almost universally Tuesday. I'm not familiar with the European system, but from what I've gathered, Friday is the generally preferred day. Releasing the product on the first day of the new sales cycle allows for better numbers and, indirectly, better stock prices. Basically everyone in the chain from the local store, to the parent company, to the stockholders want games to be released on the first day of a new cycle because it is beneficial across the board. It is a ridiculously complex system and I barely understand it. I just know enough to recognize that the scope of what he is asking for in the article is deceptively vast. It seems like such a simple thing to do, but it REALLY isn't.
I never understood why there is a gap, especially with digital distribution systems these days. I mean, how hard is it to get factories to stamp out the game discs on all continents for the release date? I mean, it won't cost too much more if you compare it with shipping these mass of games over air or water. [editline]22nd March 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=GunFox;28753770]That is likely because it occurs at a high level (Generally nobody below the store manager for a larger retailer is going to care or know). Chain stores run off numbers, so each week they tally sales. In the United States the first day after these sales are submitted is almost universally Tuesday. I'm not familiar with the European system, but from what I've gathered, Friday is the generally preferred day. Releasing the product on the first day of the new sales cycle allows for better numbers and, indirectly, better stock prices. Basically everyone in the chain from the local store, to the parent company, to the stockholders want games to be released on the first day of a new cycle because it is beneficial across the board. It is a ridiculously complex system and I barely understand it. I just know enough to recognize that the scope of what he is asking for in the article is deceptively vast. It seems like such a simple thing to do, but it REALLY isn't.[/QUOTE] Interesting. I never knew this.
I can understand the gap with physical releases but why is there often gaps between countries' release dates for digital releases?
Simply due to the fact that retail stores would quit agreeing to stock games from those who effectively are sabotaging their potential sales by allowing the digital release to come before the street release.
I don't mind the gap anymore, only because I use a USA VPN to play games early through Steam.
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