I'd buy this game, if...

[Sad Panda]

...there was a physical copy. I'd even splurge on an overpriced collector's edition. But I don't buy from PSN so I guess I'm going to give this one a pass.

[NorseFTX]

Ack...! I was interested in this game as well; I didn't realize it was a PSN-only game.
Isn't the PSN, like, in some pretty serious trouble right now? It's been down for almost a month now (since April 20th?), from what I've heard. I don't use it that often myself, but I'd imagine that this affects an enormous number of people, especially since it's been down for so long.

[blastm]

Ack...! I was interested in this game as well; I didn't realize it was a PSN-only game.
Isn't the PSN, like, in some pretty serious trouble right now? It's been down for almost a month now (since April 20th?), from what I've heard. I don't use it that often myself, but I'd imagine that this affects an enormous number of people, especially since it's been down for so long.
well, if you want to play online, buy something from the store, save your trophies and so on.. yes, you weren't able to do any of that.
doesn't mean it will last forever; and surely you can still play games you purchased before.

wyzardy is a single-player game, so if it was released and if you had purchased it before the psn went down, there would've been nothing stopping you from playing it.

[Wyrdwad]

Hasn't been released yet, though, so people will pretty much need to wait until PSN is back up before they get a chance to play it, unfortunately. :(

And while I'm also a fan of collecting physical game releases and displaying them on my shelf, digital-only distribution is sometimes unavoidable, especially with niche titles like this one. Most of the time, when a company releases a game solely as a digital download, it's because that's the only option available: it's digital exclusive, or no release at all. And if the digital copy sells well, THEN maybe a physical copy could become viable.

It really comes down to necessity, though. If you want to see Wizardry released on disc... then you'll need to buy it digitally, to show your support. And if you want to see other games like it released from us in the future... then, again, you'll need to buy it digitally. It's sort of the catch 22 of being a small publisher with big dreams -- if we want to release the games we love, and the games we think YOU'LL love, sometimes we have to make a few concessions.

I do feel understand where you're coming from, though. I'm hoping that Wizardry sells well on PSN so that we'll ultimately be able to release a physical copy of it one day, and I can add it to MY shelf, too. ;)

-Tom

[Tiamat]

Unless it is released on both formats it is impossible to make everyone happy. I think it is closed minded to not get a game just because it is download only. It's no reason to miss out on a good game. Like it or not this is where 2D games are now, it's all on portables or download only.

[Eon]

So how many copies do I need to buy to get a physical copy :p:rolleyes: ?

Really I agree with Tiamat, nothing wrong with buying a downloadable copy. If the game is not protected in some way you can back it up to a USB stick from your PS3. That's not as good as a CD and a nice manual but at least it would be a backup copy.

[Ghaleon]

Why is a digital copy bad? The price will be much cheaper, and you aren't going to lose personal information for purchasing it that you wouldn't have lost anyway for having a PSN account at all. If you're worried about Credit card information because you haven't purchased anything on the PSN at all, you can still buy those pre-paid cards.

I'm not 100% sure, but I AM pretty sure that if you dl a copy and have to format your PS3 HD or something, you can still re DL it again for free provided you are using the same account, can't you? If anybody knows for sure feel free to correct/confirm that claim, but yeah, I asked that myself before my first PS3 online purchase and had a few people confirm I could, and not a single person disputed that, so I rekon it's true.

[Wyrdwad]

Yep, that is absolutely correct.

-Tom

[Ghaleon]

I like buying Doujin games because I know nearly, if not all of my money is going to the game developers, and not being sucked up by CD production factories, liscence holders, etc like music CDs (where the actual bands get peanuts for cash) and to a lesser extent, commercial game CDs(DVDs, shoot me).

I realize throwing money figures is probably something a NDA prevents people from speaking much of, but if you puchase a game via the PSN store or whatever, is it safe to assume that the game devs/localizers get a bigger cut of the profits? I imagine they do but can't say for sure.

[PurpleDoom]

I know that on Steam developers get a larger cut of the profit, although I'm not sure whether that has more to do with Valve setting it up to be that way or due to the nature of digital distribution itself.

[Ryos]

I know that on Steam developers get a larger cut of the profit, although I'm not sure whether that has more to do with Valve setting it up to be that way or due to the nature of digital distribution itself.

While I haven't the foggiest idea what the profit margins are for PSN, logically there would be much higher potential for profits because you only pay Sony and the licensor for each copy (depending on the licensing terms, of course). You don't "lose" gobs of money on bargain bin (or worse yet used) copies of games that don't sell as well as expected. While physical retail will sell more for various reasons, the question is is it enough to make that route more profitable given all the extra overhead (media, manual, the case, and XSEED swag)? I'd rather have this game in a physical version, but given the choice of no English version of Wizardry and a downloadable version of Wizardry, I know which I prefer.

[Shizuka]

Buy this version, spread the word and hope it seels enough for XSEED to release the double-pack.

[Wyrdwad]

I like buying Doujin games because I know nearly, if not all of my money is going to the game developers, and not being sucked up by CD production factories, liscence holders, etc like music CDs (where the actual bands get peanuts for cash) and to a lesser extent, commercial game CDs(DVDs, shoot me).

I realize throwing money figures is probably something a NDA prevents people from speaking much of, but if you puchase a game via the PSN store or whatever, is it safe to assume that the game devs/localizers get a bigger cut of the profits? I imagine they do but can't say for sure.

Honestly, since I don't deal with the monetary side of things, I can't say for sure either... but I'm pretty certain you're correct! It only stands to reason, after all. ;)

-Tom

[Sad Panda]

Unless it is released on both formats it is impossible to make everyone happy. I think it is closed minded to not get a game just because it is download only. It's no reason to miss out on a good game. Like it or not this is where 2D games are now, it's all on portables or download only.

Excuse me, but you don't know me or my reasons. Especially considering how Sony just demonstrated how safe these services really are, don't you think it's a little bit hasty to draw the conclusion I just must be close-minded?

I'm very well aware of why Xseed made this decision and I don't hold it against them. I know it's very easy for me to ask for nice things on the Internet when I don't have to worry about the finances. But I also have the right to refuse using a particular service if I so choose.

I posted here just to give feedback to Xseed, not because I want to read "U R STOOPID" messages, thanks.

Good day to you.

[Nomad_Soul]

I can understand caution after the unfortunate data breach that occurred. That said, there are some ways to more safely utilize the PSN store.

For starters, you can buy a pre-paid PlayStation Network Card at local brick and mortar stores and simply not use a credit card. You can purchase the cards in $10, $20, and $50 denominations at Best Buy, GameStop, 7-11 and other retail stores. If the card number is stolen it can only be used on the PSN Store and any loss is limited to the value of the card.

Also, quality credit card providers / banks offer a feature called "shopsafe" or similiar. You can google this for more info if desired.

A good read:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20064084-245.html



Good luck.

[Ghaleon]

Excuse me, but you don't know me or my reasons. Especially considering how Sony just demonstrated how safe these services really are, don't you think it's a little bit hasty to draw the conclusion I just must be close-minded?

I'm very well aware of why Xseed made this decision and I don't hold it against them. I know it's very easy for me to ask for nice things on the Internet when I don't have to worry about the finances. But I also have the right to refuse using a particular service if I so choose.

I posted here just to give feedback to Xseed, not because I want to read "U R STOOPID" messages, thanks.

Good day to you.

Don't take this as offensive please, but rather constructive criticism.
I think you're being overly sensative here. Nobody is saying you're foolish or stupid, not even the person you quoted, they simply think that one single decision was wrong. Heck, I said myself that this very game had a bad decision (IMO) when it comes to hiding technical data from the player, but I'm still excited about and am expecting to greatly enjoy the game.

So don't be offended if someone thinks one decision or opinion of yours is short-sighted >=).

That said, as I already said, and as the previous poster said, there is absolutely no risk to you purchasing this game via the prepaid cards, at least none that already wouldn't have been compromised already (and still remains as much at risk after the purchase as before, whether you buy the game or not all the personal data there is to steal is still there, the only new thing is the card number, which has absolutely none of your information, credit card numbers, or bank account numbers associated with it at all).

If you buy the game using such a card and you get your identity stolen or something, it would have been stolen anyway, the card would not be the culprit, I hope I made that clear >=P.

Anyway, fret not, nobody thinks lesser of you, we just want to see you purchase this game, and can honestly say there's no extra risk if you use a prepaid card to do so, we want everyone happy >=)

[Sad Panda]

Thank you. Unfortunately, this does not help. The thing is, I live in Europe. This is not a problem with physical copies since the console is region-free and I already import games, but buying stuff from the US PSN requires jumping through more hoops that I'm willing. That's also not the only problem: my PS3 connection is so slow and unreliable that downloading anything that big would be a pain. Not an unsolvable problem I'm sure, but it would still require more work and money than I'd be wiling to spend over one game. It's too bad I'm going to miss it, but there are more good games out there than I have time to play. I'll live.

[Ghaleon]

That reason is reasonable enough for me >=P. I hope a more convenient purchase comes out for you soon! (though, I admittedly doubt it, I'm very jealous of you Europeans for many reasons...But not videogames, HAH suckers! (hey let me have my one thing >=P)). Seriously though, that's a good reason, I hope you understand though that it's pretty normal to expect that most people would be squeamish about an online purchase about the whole PSN hack issue, I expect such a person to simply want to try and convince you otherwise (and guess incorrectly), so please don't be offended by them.

I too am reluctant to go thru the hassle of getting a JPN PS3 account, despite many people with similar gaming tastes doing so. While I would if I was needing games to play, the number of games I find myself promising to try is growing much faster than the time I have to actually try them, so I really shouldn't >=P.

[Sad Panda]

I too am reluctant to go thru the hassle of getting a JPN PS3 account, despite many people with similar gaming tastes doing so. While I would if I was needing games to play, the number of games I find myself promising to try is growing much faster than the time I have to actually try them, so I really shouldn't >=P.

I hear you. I once started to count how many games I buy vs. how many I play, and realized I'll not be able to clear out my backlog in a biologically normal lifespan if I continue to buy games like this. :-) It makes it harder to justify new game purchases. So far my excuse has been that I won't be able to buy the games I want to play after they run out of print, so I'd better get them to my backlog when I still can... I can't use the same excuse on digital download games which don't do out of print, so there's yet another reason why I don't buy them.

I'd like to apologize if I came out strong in my earlier comment. It just happens to be a pet peeve of mine how people make assuptions and jump into negative conclusions about people they don't know.

[SpaceDrake]

There's something else to consider: for a lot of smaller publishers, physical releases are actually starting to make less and less sense at all.

Consider: for a physical release, you have to press distribution discs (or cards on most handhelds, which are ten times worse), design a box and inserts, press those, keeping in mind that all of this gets more expensive per-unit the fewer units you press (but at the same time, if you press too many units you'll eat a massive loss), convince retailers to buy the copies wholesale, pay to have the copies shipped, and you are then competing for shelf and ad space with huge titles, who can afford to out-print and out-presence you.

When Carpe Fulgur was working on Recettear and considering a physical release, I put those numbers into my calculator, they made a sad face. (http://www.portal2sounds.com/169#p=1&q=Calculator&w=Cave) Even now, with the game having sold a ton of copies and us being able to afford a print run ourselves (never minding getting help from an existing publisher), I'm still not convinced it'd be worth all the effort.

On digital, meanwhile, your distributors generally give a plate of bacon about you and have a vested interest in seeing every title succeed, you'll always get at least a bit of front-page presence on release day if not for a longer period of time, and the only costs are between the distributor and the publisher (and then the developer). Simple, easy, happy faces.

For smaller publishers, digidistro is only going to get more prevalent, not less, because the economics make about ten times as much sense. You are probably going to have to get used to getting games from DD services, unless you want to abandon smaller releases entirely.

[Sad Panda]

For smaller publishers, digidistro is only going to get more prevalent, not less, because the economics make about ten times as much sense. You are probably going to have to get used to getting games from DD services, unless you want to abandon smaller releases entirely.

That's not really a problem for me personally. There is more than enough good games out there on physical media.

As I said earlier, I understand perfectly why Xseed is doing a digital release. Unfortunately understanding their POV doesn't make me obliged to jump through hoops and use services I don't want to, in order to support their business model. I already support Xseed and small print-runs as it is.

[Ghaleon]

I'd like to apologize if I came out strong in my earlier comment. It just happens to be a pet peeve of mine how people make assuptions and jump into negative conclusions about people they don't know.


I soooo know how you feel. People on the internet are scum. I mean the saying is "there are no girls on the internet", but IMO it should be "There are no decent humans on the internet".

People seem to think anonymity means that everyone else is that old bully they hated with a passion and is willing to bash/criticize in every way possible. Either that, or they think it's their opportunity to do things they cannot get away with IRL. Either way, so many people are jerks that I have less respect for than my old highschool bullies (less because at least in the high school bully's case, they were young and legitimately physically immature).

however, despite this, online I think it's safe to assume people say things in the wrong way and mean things in the most constructive/appropriate manner you can imagine possible given what they say, not everyone is as proficient with every language after all.

I wasn't offended, so there is no need (on my part) but apology accepted, I just didn't want you to be hurt is all >=P


When Carpe Fulgur was working on Recettear and considering a physical release, I put those numbers into my calculator, they made a sad face. Even now, with the game having sold a ton of copies and us being able to afford a print run ourselves (never minding getting help from an existing publisher), I'm still not convinced it'd be worth all the effort.

sorry, but your link doesn't work. If your content wasn't appropriate I'd think you're an ad bot actually. Please fix it. When Recettear was released, I bought it in a heartbeat not because I thought the game sounded good, but because I wanted to support doujin games on steam with every method I could, so the link is VERY interesting to me. Right now it shows some completely unrelated blurb about Portal 2.

[SpaceDrake]

Right now it shows some completely unrelated blurb about Portal 2.

It, uh, is a blurb about Portal 2. A quote from the Portal 2 soundboard. I was making a Cave Johnson joke. http://www.carpefulgur.com/gallery/emot-v.gif

[Peytral]

lol "There are no decent humans on the internet."

Right now, this thread seems incredibly silly. If you don't want to buy it, then don't. If you do, then do.

[Sad Panda]

The reason why I started this pointless topic is, that if nobody says anything, the assumption easily is that customers are fine with this distribution model. That in turn makes it easy to assume that if the game doesn't perform as expected, it is just because people are not interested in this type of game. I don't think I'm the only prospective buyer who is interested in the game itself, but won't buy it digitally. Just throwing it out there. Also, one vote for pumping money from a physical release by throwing random crap with the game, calling it a "collector's edition", and overprice it for better returns. I'd be fine with that, I like random crap with games. :-) Smaller companies than Xseed have done the same with some indy releases.

Not pretending to understand Xseed's finances better than Xseed themselves, just letting them know this customer's preferences.

[Wyrdwad]

Thank you. Unfortunately, this does not help. The thing is, I live in Europe. This is not a problem with physical copies since the console is region-free and I already import games, but buying stuff from the US PSN requires jumping through more hoops that I'm willing.

You do realize we have every intention of releasing the game on European PSN as well, right? It won't be anytime soon, since we've never released a PS3 game at all until now, much less in Europe... but it's coming, and hopefully by summer.

...Not that that solves ALL of the issues you listed, but it does solve one of the biggest!

-Tom

[Shizuka]

And that's a remarkable feat. Most companies use to ignore Europe.