HELMS DEEP in local stores?

[ithilmore]

like the title said, I'm wondering
Will HD be available for buying in local stores? or will it be like RoI and Mirkwood? that they can only be bought online...

[Cartman76]

Only online, and I doubt they plan to change that.

[Solarfox]

Pretty sure that Turbine is only going to release these things in digital formats. RoR wasn't in stores and and this point, if HD was going to be, it would be in stores now.

[kidnova78]

Pretty sure that Turbine is only going to release these things in digital formats. RoR wasn't in stores and and this point, if HD was going to be, it would be in stores now.

I think Moria was their last physically released expansion right? I know they released the Mithril Edition boxed set exclusively to GameStop a couple years ago, but I think we've probably seen the last of LotRO on store shelves for a bit.

[Sapience]

Only online, and I doubt they plan to change that.

Correct.

I think Moria was their last physically released expansion right? I know they released the Mithril Edition boxed set exclusively to GameStop a couple years ago, but I think we've probably seen the last of LotRO on store shelves for a bit.

Mostly correct. We did have physical copies of Riders of Rohan in some European countries. Very limited quantities.

There were also very limited numbers of the Mithril Edition produced in physical form.

[Branwyr]

Mostly correct. We did have physical copies of Riders of Rohan in some European countries. Very limited quantities.

There were also very limited numbers of the Mithril Edition produced in physical form.

I've bought both the Mithril Edition and Riders of Rohan hard copies here in the UK, but I'm one of those old-fashioned types who likes to have something tangible in my grubby little hands.

Thankfully not everything in life can turn digital!

[MeLoWaR]

funny if it was blizzard we would see a huge set of helm's deep as a box..

[Darlgon]

funny if it was blizzard we would see a huge set of helm's deep as a box..

Part of me says, in two months (or if/whenever the classes level out from the trait tree revamp), that IF they had offered a box copy, the customers who bought a box copy for a little more, with goodies in the box, not just a disk, would be happier with HD than those who did a digital download.

[Eregond]

I saw two RoR in a local store last weekend so they exist in Sweden.

[trcanberra]

like the title said, I'm wondering
Will HD be available for buying in local stores? or will it be like RoI and Mirkwood? that they can only be bought online...

No - and it's incredibly poor marketing imho. Doesn't take much to slap a box together, stick in a map and mini-manual and ship it off to Gamestop /EB.

Having boxes on the shelf is a sign to gamers that your game is still alive and kicking.

[Leixy]

No - and it's incredibly poor marketing imho. Doesn't take much to slap a box together, stick in a map and mini-manual and ship it off to Gamestop /EB.

Having boxes on the shelf is a sign to gamers that your game is still alive and kicking.

As someone who has organized a supply chain with labeling etc for walmart/target etc. trust me, there's a ton of requirements to get that accomplished. Things like, meeting distributor requirements for things like container size, unit, qualifying as certified providers, sku qualification, not to mention contract agreements where you buy back store-shelf merchandise, or pay out of pocket for clearance sales if your product sucks. getting a product to point of sale as a store-box retailer is no small task where you even have to purchase shelf space for your product line.

Doing this inside the USA is one thing, doing it in the EU with VAT and conforming to EU regulations is a whole other thing entirely. Digital sales takes away most of the problems except for taxes, etc if applicable.

[trcanberra]

As someone who has organized a supply chain with labeling etc for walmart/target etc. trust me, there's a ton of requirements to get that accomplished. Things like, meeting distributor requirements for things like container size, unit, qualifying as certified providers, sku qualification, not to mention contract agreements where you buy back store-shelf merchandise, or pay out of pocket for clearance sales if your product sucks. getting a product to point of sale as a store-box retailer is no small task where you even have to purchase shelf space for your product line.

Doing this inside the USA is one thing, doing it in the EU with VAT and conforming to EU regulations is a whole other thing entirely. Digital sales takes away most of the problems except for taxes, etc if applicable.

Yes, and I have done it as well and placed products on thousands of supermarket shelves across the Pacific - and I still think it is worth it for the marketing. I'm sure that Warner has just a little experience with this? Every gamer I know goes into the local game store every weekend to see what is new on the shelves.

[Tamm]

In the US, there are less and less stores carrying boxed PC games. The local GameStops and even the local Best Buy have eliminated PC games. Even had an associate at BB try to explain Steam to me, before I managed to stop him. Yes, I do like digital DL's at time, but with some of the major ISP's putting datacaps on plans, I'd prefer to do the initial install on some of these huge games off a DVD. So I can't point a finger if it's the stores nixing boxes or are publishers not pushing retailers to carry them.

[trcanberra]

In the US, there are less and less stores carrying boxed PC games. The local GameStops and even the local Best Buy have eliminated PC games. Even had an associate at BB try to explain Steam to me, before I managed to stop him. Yes, I do like digital DL's at time, but with some of the major ISP's putting datacaps on plans, I'd prefer to do the initial install on some of these huge games off a DVD. So I can't point a finger if it's the stores nixing boxes or are publishers not pushing retailers to carry them.

Probably a bit of both. I know my shopping is about 20% planned and 80% impulse - so I am far more likely to grab a box on a shelf than go looking on the internet. If there are no games on the shelf then I am likely to buy a few movies instead and the games companies miss out altogether.