Next Expansion

[Yammez]

You liked the "Parkinson" pig?

OMG that's hysterical

[Lemeril]

Then you're getting ripped off. They gave a crappy mount the last time. You think this one will be better? How about the shield or whatever crappy thing it was a couple expansions ago? Please, it's not worth it. Might as well download the expansion 10 times over 2 weeks like everyone else instead of 9 times. (IE: patches).

Lets see, farm 10k to buy one of my alts a drog or take a trip the store pay an extra $5.00 get a mount for my alt and any other boxed bonuses, such as the gargoyle shrouds.....

I'll spend the extra $5.00 rather than spend 4+ hours in game farming for plat for an alt's mount.

[Fesser]

I think everyone got the garg shroud.

[Maevenniia]

Nope, garg shroud was for those who bought retail, or pre-ordered the download. Thoise who downloaded after DoDh's release date did not get the shroud

[Nolrog]

Nolrog,
What did you find the advantages to be? I've not found too many myself and assumed that I was missing something. So... Do tell!

Well, besides the ingame item, there isn't one.

DoD had the pig. I liked it. A new mount (only obtainable this way), that not a lot of people have (or have and don't use.)

DoN came with a couple 5 or 10 dose potions. One to CH you, and one to restore all your mana.

Some of the previous ones (the crystal that made you glow, or the staff that gave a faction hit) are not very useful. Though LoY brought us the statchel, which wasn't so bad.

Some are better than others, no doubt. I was speaking specifically of the pig, and that I liked it. I'll get PoR from the store as well, because of the warhorse.

[Estebar]

I buy from the store because twice I've preordered the download only to have the transaction fail (on the credit card I get renewed on) a few days after launch, then be told that they don't know what happened but I can order it at full price.

[Mavick]

/agree

I bought the download for two accounts (don't remember which expansion) and had the same 'failure' that forced me to buy a download at full price.

I'll stop by the store on the way home and get my expansions thankyouverymuch.

Mavick

[Kirstin Thornhill]

On dial up, rarely better than a 49k connection. I will pick it up at Electronic Boutique on the way home from work, instead of spending the next three days trying to download it.

[Itek]

"Parkinson's pig" ... rofl

"Only SOE would consider a vibrating pig a gift."

I thought I got a little seasick if too many people were levitating around me... I can't even look in the direction of a roboboar without getting the urge to vomit.

The -reason- that SOE sells the Retail Package for the same price as the download is they have to.

It's called "in restraint of trade" in legal terms. If they had a suggested retail price of 20 in stores they will see probably 5 bucks of that. (Retail market profit for games sucks.) So they could sell it for 10 bucks on their website for download and make a bigger profit per sale.

So, get this... 20 buck package in stores they make 5 bucks.
10 buck package for download is nearly pure profit.

Why on EARTH would they even sell it in stores?

BECAUSE they have to, "in restraint of trade" laws make it very much a pain to defend yourself in lawsuits. If you sell something you can NOT make it much more difficult for someone else to sell it also.

Then you get into "trade practice" and "business relationship" issues. If SCEA would like to continue to sell their consoles and games in Best Buy you better know that SOE -will- continue to have their boxes on the shelves.

Now we see that the price and availability for the Box and Download have to be the same. But why buy the box, when you can download and burn an "archival" copy to CD?

Without a single incentive the box sales would suck. See above about "business relationship" issues. Best Buy tracks sales of stuff, I assure you. If they buy 200 boxes and sell 10 they will NOT be happy.

Thus the "retail box incentive" ... some are better than others. But they will always be there.

Because SOE isn't a charity. It's a business. One we want to KEEP in business. Remember, if EQ isn't profitable they WILL shut it off.

[Cantatus]

Why on EARTH would they even sell it in stores?

BECAUSE they have to, "in restraint of trade" laws make it very much a pain to defend yourself in lawsuits. If you sell something you can NOT make it much more difficult for someone else to sell it also.

Not only that but it's a form of advertisement for them. You go into the store looking to pick up a game and see that box with Firiona Vie, and you might just pick that up instead. Like Itek said, they made a ton of more money off the online sales, but online sales don't get them new or repeat customers. Someone who quit the game might not know that EQ has a new expansion coming out or what it has if it's just on everquest.com, but if they go down to their local Best Buy and see the box, it might get them curious.

[Quseio]

The mounts are great, i just wish they would allow you to upgrade them, shut off the vibrateing !

Why do they make these new mounts and not allow us to upgrade their speed? thru quest or tradeskill or merchant bought item.

[Angelsyn]

Anyone know if there's a picture available of the Warhorse (that you get with the retail version)?

I'd like to see it.

Of course, I'm one of the weird people who liked the keychains.

[Nolrog]

Anyone know if there's a picture available of the Warhorse (that you get with the retail version)?

I'd like to see it.

None yet. I hear Casters Realm will have some exclusive screenshots later this week. Perhaps the horse will be one of them.

[Ngreth Thergn]

so far even *I* have only seen concept art.

[Zilditen]

To all you that say stop the vibrating pig BAH! I say, BAH! As a Gnome I find the Mecha-pig to be perfect except I can't tinker rocket launchers and laser beam eyes and attach them to the pig (yet)!