Will Notum Wars be in stores?

[________________PMAN]

I'm wondering if NW will be sold in stores, or if it will be sold online only.

The reason I ask, is because I have called all my local stores (Babbages, CompUSA, Best Buy, EB, etc.) and none of them are recieving, or even know about, Notum Wars!

Whats the deal?

[AiymaNeut]

I've contacted Best Buy in Canada, Futureshop (BB's Canadian store), Staples/Business Depot, Compusmart and even Radio Shack, and it's the same story. It appears that EB is the only large retail chain that's carrying it.

So this begs asking - why arent' the biggest and most popular computer stores stocking NW?

[__________Maxtor 1-7]

I can't find any stores that sell it..

[ragingsyph1]

Best Buy, Circuit City, Walmart, Compusa, Babbages and 3 other smaller software stores have never heard of it, dont have it, and dont expect to get it in the Boston area.....:\

[Eyelusion]

I pre-ordered mine through my local store, which is affiliated with www.gamestop.com and I was told release on 11/25, game in store on 11/26. So, I went ahead and paid the full price for the pre-order and, then...

Update #1: release changed to 11/26, game in store on 11/27.

NOW!!!: release still 11/26, game in store on Tuesday 12/3!?!

The local store said there was a mess with getting the copies from the manufacturer and that UPS will not be able to deliver the game until Tuesday 12/3....Tuesday 12/3?!?

This is really starting to remind me of the initial AO release. What a bunch of confusion and another big mess. Yuck!

[krystanova]

And all along the way, Shrouded Isles for DAoC is getting instant name recognition. I find it disturbing when a company with an inferior product in DAoC has an infinitely better marketing machine than we've seen with AO and NW.

My story (the following stores are included: Babbages, CompUSA, CircuitCity, BestBuy, GameStop, and EB):

One store said: "What is Anarchy Online?"
Another store said: "It's not in my computer. Are you sure it exists?"
Another store said: "You actually play that?"
Another store said: "We won't have it."
Another store said: "A booster pack? Is that a card game?"
A final 2 stores said: "Yeah, we'll have it today.... oh, wait, just slipped into next week."

This would constitute dropping the ball, which is a shame for something that has such great promise.

[AiymaNeut]

Originally posted by Krystanova
This would constitute dropping the ball, which is a shame for something that has such great promise.

Given what I've seen thus far, and based on my experiences talking to computer store clerks, I think it's actually the equivalent of spiking the ball before reaching the endzone...

[Szentasha]

This is very sad. My hopes that the greatest feature of Notum Wars would be new players. This delayed release is really going to hurt. I also think it was a mistake to charge only $20. In most game stores in the US, a price like that is reserved for old games that weren't selling well. US consumers will see the low price and be put off by it. They should have charged more and allowed the month to go towers existing accounts.

It is definately going to be very unfair with so few booster packs in the hands of a few players when registration is opened.

[__________Maxtor 1-7]

I still can't believe FCs lack of marketing.

Warcraft III has advertisements in movie theaters for the game (not a Resident Evil hoax!)

I bet Cz informed more people of the booster pack by announcing the delay than all of FCs publicity has by saying "AO BP; NW".
Why is there nothing to say that AO is a decent game at worst other than the box which most stores no longer sell because no one wants to buy AO?

[AiymaNeut]

Given that they've already responded to customer complaints (and flames, and rants, etc.) think it might be possible that they only switch on the bells and whistles, and lock the machines in the tower shops until, perhaps, mid-next week?

That would be the most equitable thing for FC to do, because as it stands, there are vast differentials in availability dates across the world, and with this new crisis regarding pre-orders not being filled until the end of next week, FC stands not only to suffer a PR critical hit and deter new players from subscribing, but also stands to lose a number of existing customers who loyally pre-ordered through a distributor they contracted with and got quite shafted as a result.

Plus, if software in Norway and Europe follows the standard distribution model (i.e., author company -> buyer/distributor (Beamscope is a good example) -> retailer (Best Buy)), you have to wonder how many resellers looking to pad their Christmas and 2003 catalogues will still consider adding AO and NW to that list.

[Thelcia]

To be honest, AO is one of the first MMORPGs that I have played, but I have gotten the impression that owning territory is a relatively new concept and one that hasn't been released as an expansion or booster etc.

Plainly, getting the booster before others is a clear advantage and one that has not been tested with other games.

I do not think that other games when releasing an expansion put those that got it first at such a clear advantage. The fact that it includes owning land and there is a first-come first-served aspect to this, people should not be forced to wait days or weeks before they can participate.

I know that FC was pretty die-hard about not making the booster downloadable, but it seems to me the only fair way to make sure everyone has a chance to get it on time.

However, funcom would have to have a much better system for having thousands of people trying to download a very large file all at the same time...not likely to happen period, much less by Fri.

[_________Silver Girl]

as of noon today, NW has the largest preorder of any expansion pack outside of eq Kunark and eq PoP. You all know what that means?wes about to get a flood of new players. Much to the dismay of store clerks world over, people are noticeing AO, Have any of you seen the awards on the back of the box? All the high scores from mags and ign have made it wanted. Oh, and the DAoC is right behind AC: DM in preordered order.

[Gearbox]

I didn't know that. That's interesting.

As to clerks not knowing about it... that doesn't mean much. They're notoriously stupid. I've had tell me they've "never heard of" things before, and then I find them on the shelves 5 minutes later.

[Stabdude]

Silver girl,

where do you get these statistics? I'd really love to see them on a website somewhere... I don't doubt that they are true - would just be interesting to show to some of my AO-bashing, EQ playing (YEAH - they're dumb ) friends.

[Diddykong]

sounds like everyone really wants Notum Wars lol. I've been all over the Denver area trying to find it.. oh well ill try again tomorrow and the next day if i need to. no way im paying $16 shipping lol

[____________Intrepid]

how much will you pay for gas driving around yesterday and today though.

[________________Sent]

Mail Order it. :P It's the wave of the future.

Big retailers charge a fortune for display space. At $20 for the booster Funcom would get about $1 profit per copy sold.

[________________Sent]

Originally posted by Thelcia
Plainly, getting the booster before others is a clear advantage and one that has not been tested with other games.

I sort of agree with you but I think the reality will be that the large (powerful) guilds will get that they want and it'll trickle down from there .. even if they have to take down towers on the same side.

It'll make for interesting politics and then the real wars will begin.

[___________wrecklass]

Originally posted by Krystanova
And all along the way, Shrouded Isles for DAoC is getting instant name recognition. I find it disturbing when a company with an inferior product in DAoC has an infinitely better marketing machine than we've seen with AO and NW.

I won't argue one way or the other on which game is better. But marketing is always the most important thing. Apple came out first with a superior product. Microsoft came out with an inferior product (anyone even remember Windows 2.0? Uggggggggggggggggggly). But Microsoft's marketing stomped Apple out of existance.

Marketing is all that exists any more. To be honest I thought they had shut down AO until I heard about the 7 day trial. All my friends thought AO was dead and gone last spring, they were surprised to hear Funcom was still in business

[ragingsyph1]

Originally posted by Blue Cat
As to clerks not knowing about it... that doesn't mean much. They're notoriously stupid. I've had tell me they've "never heard of" things before, and then I find them on the shelves 5 minutes later.

LOL!! So true Blue Cat. I called Walmart Wednesday to see if they had it in stock, got transferred to the Electronics dept, told the girl who answered the phone "Hi, I'm calling too see if you have a piece of software in stock"

the reply i got was "huh"

"I'm trying to see if you have a certain software item in stock"

" I don't what you talking about"

"Software!"

"What's that?"

"Software?"

"What's software? I don't understand you dude"

"Oh my god.......a computer program.....a game"

" Oh, hang on let me see if we have that"

"Uuuuuh wait......you don't know what im looking for"

phones already placed down hear her yelling in the background
"Hey! Do we have some game called software?"

me : "Ah chr*st, screw them" hangs up

so yes Blue clerks aren't necessarily the brightest bulbs in the chandelier.

fun story to share but bottom line is, what stores will have it and when? none of the people i spoke to and all major stores and even lesser ones in the area (and not all were such idiots) checked computer records etc and couldn't find it/never heard of it/we haven't sold that game in months/we should get that in stock in a couple of weeks.

so when exactly is it gonna be available for download? hate to say but this has the smell that initial release did.

*edited for spelling