Don't ShrapnelGames *want* Dom3 to succeed?

[kasnavada]

I think moderation meant that the European shops will buy gmaes from US for X dollars, and sell those same games for X euros.

The bad thing is that it's not just games. Most of computer stuff and advanced electronics follow the same rules. Just to give an example : the Iphone costs 400 euros here. It's worth 400 US$ on the other side, and you need 1.5 or 1.6 dollar to make a euro...

So a number of us just buy abroad, because it's much cheaper.

[Zeldor]

Yeah, electronics in US are really really cheaper than in UE. And tax difference [around 5% in US and 15-22% in UE] doest not justify that. Sometimes things in US can be half the price or less.

And when we are talking about prices. China is amazingly expensive country. Pretty much all things 'made in China' are here more expensive than in US. And they have also invented some extremely inefficient ways of selling almost everything. But funny thing - walmart here is much better than in US. Quality closer to Target.

[llamabeast]

I live in the Netherlands and I ordered the game from the official store here. It took about a week to arrive. I paid $62,45 for the product plus shipping, the price in euros was �40,36.

[/quote]

Interresting. Got an link for that store?

[/quote]

I'm fairly sure he meant the shrapnelgames store, i.e. this website. 1 week sounds about right, I never had to wait very long (I've ordered several copies and they were all pretty quick).

[atul]

This customs-claim appears every now and then, but never from anyone who's actually bought the game. At least according to my dom-buying experience customs to EU have amounted to 0 euros.

And I've got my games mailed faster than 1 week, I'd guess it's just up to luck how mail-plane flights match.

[Griefor]

Yes, I meant the Shrapnel Games store, just click the "our store" link on this website.

And the 1:1 dollars to euros conversion is my experience in brick and mortar stores, not online stores. What I meant is: If a game costs $49.95 at a shopping mall in the US, it will cost �49.95 at a shopping mall in the Netherlands.

I'm not really sure what the current laws on customs are and whether they got changed or something... I ordered some games online 7-ish years ago and had to pay a huge amount of import tax, I ordered dom3 a month ago and had to pay no import tax at all. Besides that I try to order from dutch online stores, so I don't have more data than that.

[Meglobob]

I ordered from shrapnel themselves, got dom3 in less than a week, I live in the EU and nothing extra to pay at customs.

It was a good deal really, as after currency conversion paid a little less than I would for a full price game where I live. Three cheers for the weak dollar.

[Innocence]

Zeldor said:tax difference [around 5% in US and 15-22% in UE] doest not justify that

Heh, try 25% VAT here in Denmark (EU). Then add the customs import tax (??%) on top of that.

Griefor said:What I meant is: If a game costs $49.95 at a shopping mall in the US, it will cost �49.95 at a shopping mall in the Netherlands

OK sorry I misunderstood

I'm not really sure what the current laws on customs are and whether they got changed or something...

Officially, anything with a value above some 10 Euros is subject to import tax. However, whether or not they "catch" your package and slam a VAT/import tax bill on it seems random, although I recon they go for the big packages foremost (wouldn't you? ). I'm unsure how large this bill could be, but with a 25% VAT I'm probably looking at some 37% extra (and for whatever reason this tax is applied for the entire sale transaction, meaning including delivery!?!?). So Dom3 at $55+$12 shipping+37% tax=$92, roughly the same price as buying at 50 Euro overprice directly at an EU reseller.

Can't beat the system

[Zeldor]

Nah, you pay only customs, but they may be around 30%. VAT is 22% in Poland. Customs I don't know.

With dollar exchange and prices over there it would be a good idea to go on a shopping spree Go for 2-4 weeks, rent a room, car and buy a whole container, pack with goods, ship it back to Europe Even with customs it would be worth it.

[JimMorrison]

To be honest, I think that in order to "succeed" in the sense that the OP meant, perhaps the best option would be to reduce the price of purchase through Shrapnel.

Here is why I think this, and it's something sad that I've noticed is rampant - I purchased this game new and shrink wrapped from Amazon (not from a private party, but through them, retail) for $50. Here is the problem that I tend to see, by relying on outside retailers such as this, a company is telling me two things. First, I feel bad about having bought through Amazon when I could have purchased through Shrapnel, as I know Amazon made at least $10 on the sale (most likely), and this situation is even worse if you buy from a department store or such where you can be sure the publisher saw no more than half of the sale price. You see, when you talk about value on a 50-60$ game, you are really talking about value on a 25-30$ game, because THAT is at most the revenue generated by it. The second thing that I am being told by this, is that the pricing for direct sale is a bit exorbitant. The thing is, if someone can sell their game to a retail outlet for $30, why can they not cut me a break on their website? It seems that the digital distribution ills and whatnot are totally ameliorated if you stop letting someone else reap the rewards from your efforts, and price competitively only through your own distribution network.

I know things are a "little" more complicated than that, as some of the value lost on selling to retail outlets is made up in the form of greater visibility and whatnot, but it may be important to note that if the game were sold only through Shrapnel at say $40, word of mouth could do wonders at this point. I know I am happy to sing the praises of Dominions - and the fine people who produce it - to anyone who will listen.


Of course, the point is ultimately that it is somewhat a "niche" game. No amount of wishful thinking can change that, the bulk of the gaming community is VERY visually oriented, and without a team of 20 working on the graphics, you get a game that has a quirky charisma to it, but nonetheless looks like it's 10 years old. Compound that with the fact that most gamers can't wrap their heads around this level of strategic complexity (they want something fast, FPS and RTS), and you have a well defined niche - the "not so graphically dependant hardcore turn based strategy game".


Anyways Illwinter, I love you guys, if any of you read this, it is all meant constructively and supportively. <3

[Dragar]

I ordered online from Australia, cos me I think USD$11 extra in shipping, that's it. Covnerted to the aussie dollar it was still cheaper than most games here. It arrived in about one and a half weeks, really not a problem, I got good value out of the demo in that time period.