Massive Price Drop!

[Nordmann]

Originally Posted by thyro

Is UBI playing the "price game" to cut the losses...

I suspect it's the retailers, rather than Ubi, as they have already bought the game from Ubi's distributors. It would suggest that in order to shift their stock, they are having to slash prices by almost 50%. I suppose that gives you some indication of sales.

Originally Posted by thyro

But for me if could well go cheaper than that it could well reach £1 but with DRM is a no go for me.

If you're only paying a £1, I doubt DRM is even an issue any more. It probably doesn't exist.

[Sonarman]

Originally Posted by Nordmann

Still, Ubi have already made their money from the retailers who have purchased stocks of SH5 at trade prices, thus this retail reduction only affects the seller, not Ubi.

You could be right although it's depressing to see how many retailers didn't pick it up in the UK, in the fairly sizeable town where I live, neither ASDA or Tesco brought it into stock, GAME had one copy on release. And on the mail order front although Amazon & Play.com picked it up Gameplay did not.

[Nordmann]

Originally Posted by Sonarman

You could be right although it's depressing to see how many retailers didn't pick it up in the UK, in the fairly sizeable town where I live, neither ASDA or Tesco brought it into stock, GAME had one copy on release. And on the mail order front although Amazon & Play.com picked it up Gameplay did not.

To be honest, most high-street stores are pathetic when it comes to PC games, and when said games are simulations, you might as well be looking for a needle in a haystack! I stopped buying my games from shops around six years ago, and haven't looked back.

[thyro]

Originally Posted by Nordmann

If you're only paying a £1, I doubt DRM is even an issue any more. It probably doesn't exist.

I did mean even if UBI offered me for free SH5 in a gold package and the manual in full coloured hand made... if it contains DRM as it stands I would have refused it.

I want a game... not a service.

Therefore I'm happy to open my wallet to a game at any price even if it was above £70 but not to a service. Cheers.

[TDK1044]

I think what it says is that the 'casual gamers' it was targeted at are not buying it, and neither are a lot of subsimmers who are angry over the DRM.

Now all we need is for Ubisoft to make an executive decision not to waste any server time with this game, and we'll then get a patch to play it offline.

At that point, we can really start to mod and play it.

As for future games in the Franchise...who knows? Looks unlikely though.

[Sonarman]

@ Nordmann
Our local GAME store now only has one small floor unit devoted to PC games where last year it had two wall bays and two large floor standing units, looks like they are out to kill off PC gaming in favour of the consoles altogether.

[Nordmann]

Originally Posted by thyro

I did mean even if IF offered me for free SH5 in a gold package and the manual in full coloured hand made... if it contains DRM as it stands I would have refused it.

I want a game... not a service.

Therefore I'm happy to open my wallet to a game at any price even if it was above £70 but not to a service. Cheers.

I understand what you meant, and I agree. What I was saying, is that by the time the game drops below £5, Ubi will have removed their 'service' as there is no longer any need to 'protect' what is essentially an old game.

Originally Posted by Sonarman

@ Nordmann
Our local GAME store now only has one small floor unit devoted to PC games where last year it had two wall bays and two large floor standing units, looks like they are out to kill off PC gaming in favour of the consoles altogether.

Well, of course they do. The average PC game weighs in at around £20, whereas console games sell for anywhere between 35 to 45 pounds! Which one makes them the most money, and sells most often?

[Coldcall]

I think its good news for future subsims. Ubisoft are getting spanked commercially and they will either get their crap together or another company will take the subsim market away from them.

Law of the jungle, long let it be that way.

PS: In fact if they just swallowed their pride and released a patch to un-DRM the game i am sure they'd get another rush in sales. But they wont because they have the typical corporate mentality which is to never admit you screwed up, just blame someone else.

[thyro]

Originally Posted by Sonarman

@ Nordmann
Our local GAME store now only has one small floor unit devoted to PC games where last year it had two wall bays and two large floor standing units, looks like they are out to kill off PC gaming in favour of the consoles altogether.

That is quite true but they have and carry one reducing PC area, and also noticing today on their website, they have a "download" thing to burn your own DVDs/CDs... but hey... what GAME store lacks others stores cover the market and in my small town I have other store that has increased the PC offer.

But the chances are that in few years time, PC games will be like Mac were and are, only few games and brands remain resisting.

[Coldcall]

Originally Posted by The General

Well, it looks like we won't be getting another Silent Hunter. I hope you're all very pleased with yourselves

Are you taking the proverbial pee? Whose fault exactly is it that the game is failing to sell?

[Nordmann]

Originally Posted by The General

Well, it looks like we won't be getting another Silent Hunter. I hope you're all very pleased with yourselves

That is not necessarily the case. What they will do, is weigh expenditure with income, if the latter outstrips the former, then we will get more games, if the former outstrips the latter, then yes, this may be the last (from Ubisoft in any case).

But this has been on the cards for some time; given the niche market nature of Silent Hunter, the limited audience, and a tougher economic climate, I'm surprised SH5 was even produced.

Edit: What's that, his post is gone, guess that answers that!

[The General]

@Nordmann

What "Income"?! The price has just been dropped to virtually zero! They're practically giving them away! This can only mean one thing.
____________________________________

You do realise that this means they'll be no more Subsims of any quality for the PC? That's it, it's over! They'll be no competitors of Ubisoft to come along and pick up where they left-off! The console market is just that much more lucrative, all resources for the big software companies will now be targeted upon that. There will NEVER be a decent subsim for a console. I hope the Jackasses who posted bad reviews on Amazon are happy, because SH5 is the last one and the horrible irony is, it's probably the best!

[Nordmann]

Originally Posted by The General

You do realise that this means they'll be no more Subsims of any quality for the PC? That's it, it's over! They'll be no competitors of Ubisoft to come along and pick up where they left-off! The console market is just that much more lucrative, all resources for the big software companies will now be targeted upon that. There will NEVER be a decent subsim for a console. I hope the Jackasses who posted bad reviews on Amazon are happy, because SH5 is the last one

Let's recap. Who made the game? Who is responsible for said game? Who is responsible for said game having issues, that put people off buying said game, and writing bad reviews of said game? Let's see, I wonder who that could be!

Originally Posted by The General

@Nordmann

What "Income"?! The price has just been dropped to virtually zero! They're practically giving them away! This can only mean one thing.

*Sigh* I have already explained this several times. Ubi (well, their distributors) have sold the game to the retailers, who in turn sell it to us. The price has been reduced by the retailers, not Ubi. Ubi have already made their money off the retailers who bought the game, to sell in their stores. It is the retailers who, if anything, have made a loss. If anyone stops selling Silent Hunter games, I would think it would be said retailers!

[Dave]

As a keen SH3 player and a SH4 player i have decided to purchase SH5 at the reduced price. I was holding off in view of the various negative comments that have been made but have now decided to go ahead. I think however tha UBI have done themselves no credit in selling an unfinished game, and expect "Subsim" modders to make the game workable.

It is a great pity that they didn't just update SH3 to current graphic standards and am sure most people would have been happy apart from the DRM problem.

I have a good IT connection and wait with interest to see what happens when i try to connect to UBI( assumming that it is working). Any problems and the game will be returned

[The General]

@Nerdmann

I can't believe I gotta waist my thousandth Post to show you the error of your ways

SH5 1.2 is the best subsim there has ever been. That's right, I said 1.2!

For you to create a thread that serves no other purpose than to gloat the demise of a great franchise for Subsim fans is reprehensible. If this was my Website, I'd simply boot you off.

Don't condescend me by suggesting that I don't know how the system works with regard to sales figures. If the game is available for practically nothing, less than one month after release, they'll be no more and that's the bottome line!