Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (
More info?)
John Lewis wrote:
> On Fri, 27 May 2005 18:44:41 +0100, Shawk <shawk@clara.co.uk.3guesses>
> wrote:
>
>
>>From UK PCGamer mag:
>>
>>"In an effort to stop the nonsense spreading, here's a little
>>clarification on some of the choicer distortions - Aftermath will be in
>>the shops - Uh no, it's 100% Steam"
>>
>>I'll wait to see what Valve say...
>>
>
>
> If really true, the retail-purchasers of HL2 that only have dial-up
> (or have to pay extra for large broadband downloads) should be ready
> ready to puke all over Gabe. Would be difficult to miss....
>
> Here is my PREDICTION on a winning 'retail'strategy for Valve
> -absolutely necessary for those with dial-up or bandwidth-limited (or
> expensive per MByte) broadband. Also, important for 'casual' retail
> exposure. Getting in bed with any distributor or trying to use the
> current distribution/retail models will definitely not work.
>
> <<PREDICTION ON>>
>
> Valve will directly mail to big retail chains worldwide boxes of
> encrypted DVD disks of their new games, possibly including an
> unencrypted demo or video on the disk, each disk in a pretty cardboard
> envelope (just like a magazine cover-disk) at, say, $1 cost-price or
> maybeeven free! Plus a bunch of pretty posters. The retailer would
> then be free to sell each DVD for, say, $3 -5 ( like today's demo
> disks whose price is discounted when the full game is purchased ).
> Very nice retailer profit for no exposure, other than a small box full
> of disks behind the counter and a big poster.. If Valve feels
> generous (??) that retail 'price' would be discounted from the on-line
> price when the DVD version of the game/expansion is
> registered/decrypted over Steam. If a discount is offered,
> each DVD cover would need to come with a unique key,
> exactly like the retail copies of HL2 today.
>
> The change from today's retail model is that the balance in the
> game-price would be paid to Valve directly via Steam at
> registration-time, not to the retailer/distributor......
>
> If Valve decided to give no discount on the "demo"-DVD
> purchase, then the demo/encrypted DVD would not even
> need a key.
>
> Alternatively, should the retailers not play ball, Valve can
> readily get these DVD copies into the retail-channel by offering
> them as cover-disks to PC Gamer and/or the other junk-
> magazines, or mail them directly on request (p&p $5 domestic..
> would not want to lose money..), and again charge full-price
> for the privilege of registration/decryption via Steam. Fortunately
> for Valve, none of their games needs an extensive printed
> manual, so an on-disk .pdf file will do.
>
> <<PREDICTION OFF >>
>
> Hey, Gabe if my prediction is right, can you please fire Doug
> and give me his job ? I have some other $$$-winning ideas for
> your company. Not that I like what you are doing at all --- for
> single-player games, it really stinks -- but I wouldn't mind Doug's
> money and Seattle is a really great place to live...
> ----------------------------------------------------
>
> Nice (for Valve) to have that neat Steam-ringy thingy through
> the customer's nose... The Brave New World of Valve
> ensures sole-supplier, no sale-discounts, no close-outs, no
> trade-ins, no used-game sales, minimal distribution overhead...
>
> John Lewis
>
My post was only about 'Aftermath' - an add-on. Valve are allegedly
finalising a deal with a publisher for their normal games.
--
It's a bit of a jump isn't it? I mean, er, chartered accountancy to lion
taming in one go.
You don't think it might be better if you worked your way toward lion
taming, say, via banking...