DW to be offered only on-line

[Dagger 21]

after reading the announcement that Battlefront will be doing the honors I read the sim will NOT be available in stores but from www.battlefront.com ,this could make it interesting to say the least.

[zzzspace 2]

after reading the announcement that Battlefront will be doing the honors I read the sim will NOT be available in stores but from www.battlefront.com ,this could make it interesting to say the least.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Not necessarily, see this:

 

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OK, guys... I'm going to explain ONE MORE TIME...

 

There are two phases to Battlefront's business model:

 

1) DIRECT SALE PHASE: This period of sales are from Battlefront's site only. The majority of the selling price is directed towards the developer (i.e. Sonalysts). There will be fewer sales, yes, but we don't have to sell as many copies as we would in retail during this period and MOST IMPORTANTLY we are not competing with ANYONE for shelf space during this phase - there are no shelves . We can stay in this direct sales phase for as long as we want (over a year even). However, sometimes Battlefront has profiled their sales and realize that their sales are a little "light" in some areas and can choose to mobilize with the retailers of that region and go retail there (they've done it before with their Combat Mission games, so it's not new to them).

 

Advantages: Huge manual for the customer, better revenue sharing for the developer and publisher (no sharing with the "middleman" at retail).

 

Disadvantages: Not as many sales, you don't reach the casual customer.

 

 

 

2) RETAIL PHASE: After the direct sales have flattened out and together we (Battlefront and Sonalysts) agree that we are going to go to retail. At this point the retailers have seen the reviews for the game (which we hope will be favorable), they see that the community is rallying around the game and that it will have legs for a long time (as most sims and wargames do). The retailers realize that there will be a portion of potential sales that are now lost to them that were obtained through the direct sales portion, but they also acknowledge that the risk is very low for them and that the game is a proven commodity. So Battlefront will go to their distribution partners (CDV, etc.) and begin to push it into retail. Now even if we don't make any significant improvements to the game from the time it went to Direct to Retail (other than patches) it will still sell as many sales in retail as it ever would have. Of course, if we are fortunate enough to do an expansion pack or an "Admiral's Edition" (or something smile) then perhaps it would be more appealing to retailers, but most often they don't care (they just want "good products"). Now the lifespan of a product in retail is decidedly shorter and within 2-3 months we may want to reduce the price, but because Battlefront has no pressure to lower the price - we don't HAVE TO do that. In other words, the game is still going to be available for purchase on-line at www.battlefront.com during the retail phase, so there really is no pressure for them/us to try and maximize our profits in retail - retail is just "icing on the cake" in their business model).

 

 

Advantages: Gives us access to the more casual gaming market. Covers customers that were previous hesitant to buy on-line. Additional exposure for the game is possible (which lengthens the "buzz" for DW).

 

Disadvantages: Unlikely for there to be a large printed manual included for the customer. Higher costs of goods (potentially) and distribution costs. Vastly decreased revenues for the developer and publisher (50% less!).

 

 

 

SUMMARY: It really is a good idea, guys. For example, Battlefront is still selling their original Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord (released in 2000) in many retailers... Why? Because the retailers still want it! Battlefront doesn't try to push 10,000 units down a retailer's throat during those first two months because they don't have to do that. The retailers feel no risk in at least giving us a chance with a small volume of units and to see how DW does on the shelves. So they find shelf space for it, and if they sell them, great! They can ask for more... All the while, the game is still available on-line, it's growing and getting better (additional content, improvements, community mods, etc.) and those factors make it EVEN MORE "appealing" to the retailers... It really makes a LOT of sense if you think about it.

 

This is a direction that most niche genres are going, guys, it would be my suggestion (for what it's worth) that you warm up to the concept... It's the best chance for developers of less "mainstream" titles to stay in business and continue to make the game that you love to play... yep

 

Any questions let me know...

_________________

- Jamie Carlson

(Sonalysts Inc.)

 

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