Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Gary Grigsby's strategic level wargame covering the entire War in the Pacific from 1941 to 1945 or beyond.

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Grotius
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by Grotius »

I agree with everyone else: $70 is a small price to pay for what may be the best computer wargame ever made.

I'd add that in real-dollar terms (i.e., accounting for inflation), this game is *much* cheaper than PacWar was.

One further explanation: Matrix is selling to a niche market, not the masses. If you can sell in very high volume (e.g., Civilization or Doom), you can charge a lower price and stay in business. If you sell in smaller quantities, you need to charge more to meet your costs.
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ZOOMIE1980
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by ZOOMIE1980 »

ORIGINAL: MButtazoni
ORIGINAL: ZOOMIE1980
ORIGINAL: MButtazoni

$50 for a piece of crap strategy game (my shelf is full of them[:@]) or $70 for a game you will be playing for 10 years.

where's the sticker shock?
10 years is all??? I still have Apple and Amiga emulators playing games from 1983-1986 going!! I might beable to get through a complete campaign by 10 years from now, one playing each side.....maybe.....if I am dedicated.....

i'll most likely be dead in 10 years tho [:D]

Just another way of saying, "I'm getting my money's worth".
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by TSCofield »

I've been reviewing games 'professionally' (can you really do that professionally? No, I don't get paid spit) for five years.

If last night holds, and I am up every night until 3 am, ticking my wife off, getting no sleep, ignoring food and only getting up when I feel like I am going to explode then yes I will say it is worth it.

Imagine UV on steroids. I am just amazed. If I could get it to run on my laptop life would be perfect.
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Grouchy
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by Grouchy »

Yup, the game is more expensive then the average game on the market.
However there's nothing better on the market in this genre and probally won't be for some time. If you like huge detailed strategic wargames it's simply a must buy.
Of course if they arn't your cup of tea....
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maddog0606
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by maddog0606 »

So, to repeat the question: Is it worth it?

For a person like myself who has been playing these types of games (board and computer) since about 1970 it sure has heck is.
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Stavka_lite
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by Stavka_lite »

Mt first impression of this game is WOW! Having been a wargamer for 30 years now I have seen my share of games, good and bad and computers have amplified that to Great and Terrible. There are only two computer Games that are great in my book and is generally because the developers stuck to their guns and didn't crack under the pressure to release before it was ready. Consequently when those two companies say they have something, I believe them. Needles to say, Matrix is one of those companies and WitP is one of the games.


Great Job Matrix, I'll be buying more of your games and speaking well of you to my friends.[&o]
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RHOMSCUSNR04
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by RHOMSCUSNR04 »

ABSOLUTELY... After waiting 2 years it is worth it and anybody who thinks otherwise this game is not for u...from download to play i have had zero bugs...only a few buds since midnight [:D]...well time to go to work...this game is awesome....now i can play something other than HOI....thanks Matrix [&o]
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Cherper
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by Cherper »

I was looking forward to the game, but at $70 can't convince myself or my wife that it is worth it. If I could buy it a Best Buy or someplace else for $50 I would, but at this price I won't be buying it. I have lots of other games to keep me going.
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von Murrin
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by von Murrin »

Wow. Nobody has said it, or maybe I'm the only one who thinks this way...

I sometimes judge the value of games by the amount paid per hour of entertainment. If it's a short but nifty little story-driven FPS that will engage me for 10 hours, I'll wait until the price goes down to about $20. $2 per hour seems to be a point where I feel I've made a good purchase. I have no idea why and yes, there are exceptions.

If you jump straight into the grand campaign for WitP, my guess is your effective fee per hour of entertainment will be around $.02 if you play fast. Wargames tend to be good value purchases from this POV.

Buy it. It's worth it.
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Mr.Frag
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by Mr.Frag »

If I could buy it a Best Buy or someplace else for $50 I would, but at this price I won't be buying it. I have lots of other games to keep me going.

Well, sorry to hear that, but this game will not be going to retail stores so there will not be a bargain bin version 6 months from now. Just letting you know so you don't don't sit around waiting for something that is not going to happen.
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2Stepper
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by 2Stepper »

ORIGINAL: MButtazoni

$50 for a piece of crap strategy game (my shelf is full of them[:@]) or $70 for a game you will be playing for 10 years.

where's the sticker shock?

Got one word for that comment... AMEN! Matrix took the time... invested the effort and the cash, and came out a winner. No sticker shock here... Hell, I'm considering getting a copy for a friend that declares he'd never play it despite loving UV... He and I both have trouble playing PBEM games, but this bugger is done SO WELL, it'll be tough to resist... Even if it DOES take 2yrs to finish a single game. LOL!

Sticker shock indeed. LOL! [8|]
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Caltone
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by Caltone »

Let me chip in my .02. This is by far my favorite theater of WWII from an interest and a gaming stand point. So buying this was a no brainer for me. But to the others:

UV was the first iteration of this "engine" I bought it the day it came out and was playing it nearly everyday until my copy of WitP arrived [:D]

For $70 you won't find a better way to spend entertainment dollars. If you like wargames, if you have any interest in this theater, if you have enjoyed Gary's games in the past, if you just want some gaming goodness, then BUY IT!!!
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mavraam
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by mavraam »

ORIGINAL: Rik81

$69.99 for a game, and you don't even get a printed manual? Seems a bit excessive to me. I realize that .pdf manuals are the rage -- TO REDUCE COSTS(?). So why is this game still so expensive?

Is it worth it? I think I will need a printed manual(s), which of course my computer printer can do ... so that adds the expense of paper and ink to an already HIGH priced game.

So, to repeat the question: Is it worth it?

Yes.

I will repeat the answer.

Yes.
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vonmoltke
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by vonmoltke »

ORIGINAL: MButtazoni

$50 for a piece of crap strategy game (my shelf is full of them[:@]) or $70 for a game you will be playing for 10 years.

where's the sticker shock?
Absolutely. I've gotten into the habit of waiting for most games to hit the bargain bin because the replay, and sometimes play, value is generally so low. This is not one of those games.
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Cherper
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by Cherper »

ORIGINAL: Mr.Frag

Well, sorry to hear that, but this game will not be going to retail stores so there will not be a bargain bin version 6 months from now. Just letting you know so you don't don't sit around waiting for something that is not going to happen.

I know it won't be in stores, but $50 is about the upper limit on my buy price. I haven't paid more than that for any game in a long time (thank god for eBay). I will just have to live without it.
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Nomad
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by Nomad »

I will repeat what I said before when this question was asked. I figure that UV has cost me less than US$0.02 per hour so far and with 8 PBEM games ongoing it will be down to US$0.01 per hour. WitP will probably be even less after 3 or 4 years.

I also paid that US$60.00 for the orginal PacWar, and I still have it and the printed manual. I played it off and on for over 10 years.

To answer the question, "where is the sticker shock?" I would have paid much more for WitP if they had asked.
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Arnir
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by Arnir »

I'm sure Matrix knew that the price tag would deter some buyers. It is their decision and the marketplace will decide how good of a decision it was.
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Mr.Frag
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by Mr.Frag »

I know it won't be in stores, but $50 is about the upper limit on my buy price. I haven't paid more than that for any game in a long time (thank god for eBay). I will just have to live without it.

Understood, but consider this:

It is really 6 completely separate UV's from a what is in the game. I understand that the initial price might seem high, but you need to really think about it from a years of play instead of the normal games these days that take at best a week to play through. This is not a game, it is a lifetime commitment.
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Peever
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by Peever »

I paid $80 back in 1995 for PTO 2. That was a ton of cash for a 13 year old to spend on a game. My parents thought I was crazy spending ALL my birthday money on one game. I went through at least one campaign every year until 2002 when I bought UV. [:D]

I think this game is a very good price. Can't wait to get off work today and get it.[&o]
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Steely Glint
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RE: Sticker Shock - Is it worth it?

Post by Steely Glint »

ORIGINAL: Rik81

$69.99 for a game, and you don't even get a printed manual? Seems a bit excessive to me...So why is this game still so expensive?...Is it worth it?

I got at least 400 hours of play out of the original version of WIP. $69.95/400 hours works out to about 18 cents an hour. Heck, call it a quarter an hour.

Please show me where else I can get long-term edge-of-my-seat mentally-challenging quality entertainment for a quarter an hour.

So, is it worth it? Hell yes!
“It was a war of snap judgments and binary results—shoot or don’t, live or die.“

Wargamer since 1967. Matrix customer since 2003.
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