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12 Boxes for $31.49 Each at Amazon - Why Cheaper Than Download?
minitaro
Member Posts: 42
It seems like 12 more boxes are available for just $31.49 at Amazon (US), and another 30 are available from $30.94 (slightly cheaper, but it seems like the shipping cost is higher).
The cost to download is $49.99, so I wonder why the boxes are so much cheaper? Funcom has indicated that almost 100% of their sales are digital downloads. Does anyone prefer to buy boxes these days?
Comments
Also, why would you post about this without a link?
Shadow's Hand Guild
Open recruitment for
The Secret World - Dragons
Planetside 2 - Terran Republic
Tera - Dragonfall Server
http://www.shadowshand.com
You'll find it by just searching "Amazon Secret World". Anyway, here it is:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Secret-World-Pc/dp/B006ZPAXYW
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B006ZPAXYW/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new
There's a list of third party resellers. Best guess is they're trying to get rid of their hard copies. Hard to believe that they are making much money selling it farther below retail, but that's what it is.
Either it's not much demand for the game itself or the physical copy I guess.
Everyone always knew it would be niche regardless. Hopefully it will grow in time.
edit-
http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/videogames/229575/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_vg_1_2#3
Actually download version is number 43 of top 100 for PC games and physical copy is not even on the top 100.
In fact if you search for the secret world on amazon. The physical one doesn't even show up on the search.
Are they offering free shipping on those boxes?
That may explain the discount.
Really if people are going to buy a physical copy they are probably going to do it for the CE edtion and all the lame crap they toss in like collector figurines and posters and booklets ect...not even sure if TSW has an actual CE edition with collector crap in the box or not.
I would think the demand for just the game in a box would be very low, considering how easy it is to get the download for beta's in modern games, its almost pointless to pay and wait for a box to be mailed when you could just pay to activate your free beta account as a sub.
Don't do it! They're resellers which means the boxes are already open and the key used.
You're just buying a CD with the game client on it. It's a scam.
Completely untrue, maybe get some facts before screaming chicken little.
Example the 31.49 seller has a 97% positive rating on Amazon out the past 12 months of almost 3000 transactions.
They are unloading their stock.
3rd party resellers on Amazon does not mean "the boxes are open". No idea where you got such a ridiculous idea.
Amazon backs sales on their site and if the seller did try such a thing a complaint filed with Amazon would get you an immediate refund.
But again , this isn't someone on Ebay in a foreign country with 2 sales trying to make 30 dollars - this a business (one of tens of thousands ) selling through Amazon who is not going to risk losing their Amazon rating/store to make 30 dollars.
Some people's wild stories are just ridiculous.
I prefer to buy boxes. I made sure I got 'something' for my GW2 prepurchase, so I bought it retail.
The problem with boxes and MMOs though is that buying digitally can mean you are playing in a matter of hours. Going to an actual retailer and going back home can take longer than that for a lot of people. Buying retail online means you won't get the game until the next day, at the least. Plus, when you install a retail version chances are you are going to have to download a decent sized patch.. wasting more time.
beware of amazon lately they have changed big time . I was an avid Amazon shopper back in the day but they used to do returns and allow a no BS policy. We bought a monitor through amazon for my girls computer as an upgrade and within 22 days of owning it (tiger direct) it green screened and died. Tiger Direct would not honor their own warrenty on the monitor and amazon removed my comments on their site warning people not to buy from them. Similiarly Amazon would not force them to honor their refund policy and they are an esteemed seller for amazon. We also had a problem with a CD key being used on a New box through a vendor about 9 months ago . Amazon did nothing not even answering my email , luckily the guy who sold us the box game was an actual store and after two weeks of waiting on no email responce (why we contacted amazon) I was able to track down a store number and got another one shipped free right after the phonecall.
In short Amazon is turning shady and not honoring their own rules and regulations, and unless you want to fork out a ton of money on an attorney to fight them then you might want to stay clear of buying from them unless you already know the seller is a good seller youve had dealing with from before. I know i wont buy crap from amazon anymore.
In the case of games with multiple beta clients, I prefer boxes simply because I get too close to my ISP's download cap with closed beta, open beta, live client, test client, etc.
I pre-ordered a box copy of TSW from Amazon.uk and paid 40 euros for it (incl. free shipping). Download from Funcom direct would have (and still does) cost 49.99 euros.
I always buy box copies of games from Amazon, because it almost always works out cheaper for me. Downloading from the developer has always been the most expensive option for me.
It's always the same for me too, but i usually go download for several reasons. First my location makes boxed copies to take insanely (not that much in context to others, but for me it is) longer, i don't really like having the added stuff to pile somewhere afterward, saves a ton of potential issues and the money goes more directly to the actual developers.
Amazon and co get my money for other things i can't buy online.