X4: FOUNDATIONS - Release date, prices and more

[NJPhoenix]

Now that my account is fix, I will Preorder X4: Foundations digital Collector's Edition . yeh

[La marmotte de l'espace]

followed a year or so later by a release on GoG

:'(

[NJPhoenix]

I Pre-ordered the Collectors edition Today!
Now comes the wait for the Unlock.

[nerdtron]

Something to think about regarding preorders on Steam.

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_art ... -QIDX-7244

That is quite a risk for Egosoft if you think about it. So either Egosoft hasn't considered this risk, or they're "pretty sure" there won't be many refunds on release.

Well, you can return it within 2 weeks as long as you have less than 2 hours played. I think everything is like that on Steam now, so if you buy something and find out you can't even run it, or its just horrible, you can return it with no questions asked. I don't see that as a big risk here.

It is a known fact that Valve takes 30% cut on steam purchases. I hope it makes a difference from Egos side if we order through their eshop vs steam. I, for one, always order through publisher/dev directly when ever possible. I do not consider Steam cut to be reasonable. That being said - order through Egosoft store. You'll get the steam key immediately anyway.

Something tells me that if they're giving you a Steam key and going through Steam's distribution system for the download that Steam is getting their cut regardless of where you buy it.

[Vandragorax]

Something tells me that if they're giving you a Steam key and going through Steam's distribution system for the download that Steam is getting their cut regardless of where you buy it.

That's not actually true. Steam allows developers to 'extract' as many game keys for their own games as they like, therefore the dev could give keys away for free if they so wanted. Steam wouldn't get 30% cut of anything in those cases, nor in any case where the dev extracts a key and then sells it to another third-party site. This is the main reason why some key selling sites can get keys so cheaply, especially when publishers are concerned. The publisher will be quite happy to flog thousands of game keys for an indie game at pittance just to make up a few thousand dollars on their quarterly reports, even though the dev would receive pittance for their efforts (but don't have any real control over it once they've signed up with a publisher like that).

As mentioned by someone else, Valve doesn't actually mind about this, because it lures new Steam users into the platform where they will presumably be converted into an ongoing customer to further buy more games, some of the money will then actually go to Valve in the end.

Source: I am close friends with an indie game dev who has used Steam for his games, both self published and using a publisher.

[nerdtron]

Something tells me that if they're giving you a Steam key and going through Steam's distribution system for the download that Steam is getting their cut regardless of where you buy it.

That's not actually true. Steam allows developers to 'extract' as many game keys for their own games as they like, therefore the dev could give keys away for free if they so wanted. Steam wouldn't get 30% cut of anything in those cases, nor in any case where the dev extracts a key and then sells it to another third-party site. This is the main reason why some key selling sites can get keys so cheaply, especially when publishers are concerned. The publisher will be quite happy to flog thousands of game keys for an indie game at pittance just to make up a few thousand dollars on their quarterly reports, even though the dev would receive pittance for their efforts (but don't have any real control over it once they've signed up with a publisher like that).

As mentioned by someone else, Valve doesn't actually mind about this, because it lures new Steam users into the platform where they will presumably be converted into an ongoing customer to further buy more games, some of the money will then actually go to Valve in the end.

Source: I am close friends with an indie game dev who has used Steam for his games, both self published and using a publisher.

interesting, so I guess maybe there is something to be said for buying it direct. As long as you get a Steam key it should be no different in the end to the user.

[X2-Illuminatus]

Quoting the first post FAQ:

I want to support Egosoft. Should I order from the Egosoft shop?
Buying from the Egosoft shop is still the best way to support Egosoft. The choice is yours where you buy from, though, of course.

[Vandragorax]

interesting, so I guess maybe there is something to be said for buying it direct. As long as you get a Steam key it should be no different in the end to the user.

Yep exactly, hence why....

I want to support Egosoft. Should I order from the Egosoft shop?
Buying from the Egosoft shop is still the best way to support Egosoft. The choice is yours where you buy from, though, of course.

[nerdtron]

Yes, the read the FAQ but that's a general statement without the details being referred to by the previous poster which is what I was replying to

[Alci]

interesting, so I guess maybe there is something to be said for buying it direct. As long as you get a Steam key it should be no different in the end to the user.

1) it's not true devs can just "give the keys for free". While Steam is issuing keys for free like for any other retailers they also insist some rules about them. One of them is devs are not supposed to offer keys for lower price (sales and such) elsewhere then what can be obtained on Steam. EGOSoft for example can't offer the game cheaper on their own shop

2) for the same reason it is NOT why some retailers are offering the lower price. They do it because they abuse the region pricing. They get keys/boxes for cheapest region price and resell them in different regions. Some do not even pay taxes! They just include a note it is your responsibility to pay VAT in your country by yourself and letting the tax law violation be your problem and your choice. Getting it "cheaper" doesn't make it all "legal"

3) if you try to buy it directly from EGOSoft you also notice you are doing so under different agreement. Namely Germany rules and laws (in German, they don't offer English translation). One of things different for a direct purchase is you can't ask for refund. You specifically give up that right (the reasons are actually quite funny and come from excessive customer protection in Germany law). And you certainly won't get any support from Steam for whatever problem or even question you may have about the game not purchased on Steam directly.

[nerdtron]

3) if you try to buy it directly from EGOSoft you also notice you are doing so under different agreement. Namely Germany rules and laws (in German, they don't offer English translation). One of things different for a direct purchase is you can't ask for refund. You specifically give up that right (the reasons are actually quite funny and come from excessive customer protection in Germany law). And you certainly won't get any support from Steam for whatever problem or even question you may have about the game not purchased on Steam directly.

Good point. Steam does have a VERY customer friendly return policy. You can buy the game and if you find out it doesn't run on your system or there's some major issue you can get a refund, no questions asked, no hassle. That's a good thing. Its rare to need that, but there have been a couple of times where its been necessary. You have up to 2 hours of gameplay to figure out whether it will run and see if its completely not something you want to play.

[The Q]

3) if you try to buy it directly from EGOSoft you also notice you are doing so under different agreement. Namely Germany rules and laws (in German, they don't offer English translation). One of things different for a direct purchase is you can't ask for refund. You specifically give up that right (the reasons are actually quite funny and come from excessive customer protection in Germany law). And you certainly won't get any support from Steam for whatever problem or even question you may have about the game not purchased on Steam directly.

Nonsense, EU regulation grants everyone a 14 days refund policy. German law does not and cannot change that.

[Virusboy]

3) if you try to buy it directly from EGOSoft you also notice you are doing so under different agreement. Namely Germany rules and laws (in German, they don't offer English translation). One of things different for a direct purchase is you can't ask for refund. You specifically give up that right (the reasons are actually quite funny and come from excessive customer protection in Germany law). And you certainly won't get any support from Steam for whatever problem or even question you may have about the game not purchased on Steam directly.

Good point. Steam does have a VERY customer friendly return policy. You can buy the game and if you find out it doesn't run on your system or there's some major issue you can get a refund, no questions asked, no hassle. That's a good thing. Its rare to need that, but there have been a couple of times where its been necessary. You have up to 2 hours of gameplay to figure out whether it will run and see if its completely not something you want to play.

I'll second that, it is very customer friendly.

[Alci]

Nonsense, EU regulation grants everyone a 14 days refund policy. German law does not and cannot change that.

where I live it doesn't apply to "product used in a way that it cannot be resold" where one-time activation software belongs, like Steam key that cannot be reused. You should be able to cancel preorder as that was not delivered yet. But once it is... Steam is kinda generous with its two hours. It's not there for cases you "don't like the game". It's there for cases "it's broken and would not run".

The EU directive is very generic and it is "an idea", not a law. It's on regional laws how they implement it. And it's certainly not "complete and un-exceptional 14 days refund for everything". Far from it.

German law and court decision as I was told actually allows to refund even ingame purchases. So you buy ingame currency, spend it and ask for refund after 14 days which has to be allowed. At that point German law got another paragraph that allows seller to ask for an explicit permission from buyer that he gives up that right for refund in cases of digital delivery.

Which you will notice when you order from their page. I have no idea how exactly it goes with preorders but the wording sounds like you can't ask for refund. But that might be just wording. Our law for example makes a difference between "refund" and "order cancellation" for internet orders (if it's not customized merchandise). So before delivery it can always be cancelled. But after I click the "claim the product" (for digital merchandise) I cannot ask for "refund" (I can still follow RMA it something is wrong but that follows different rules.)

[CBJ]

Could we not turn this into a comparative discussion of consumer protection laws, please? Back on topic.

[Combat Wombat]

Could we not turn this into a comparative discussion of consumer protection laws, please? Back on topic.

You guys should give us something to talk about. What do you thinks gonna happen with 2 months to talk about like 2 videos and 15 screenshots?

[Miniding]

Could we not turn this into a comparative discussion of consumer protection laws, please? Back on topic.

You guys should give us something to talk about. What do you thinks gonna happen with 2 months to talk about like 2 videos and 15 screenshots?

You shouldn't seek for CBJ... You coukd find him!!

[rictec]

Greetings

Got the game [key] today on steam i played hours and hours of Egosoft games on windows, linux

so you have my bet i think you deserve it
hope you have fun making it as i always did playing it

Good Luck

Rictec

[CBJ]

Just a quick update for those who had been asking about a boxed version of the game: discussions with publishers have now concluded and, there will not be a boxed version of X4: Foundations in the foreseeable future.

[Dani_Gecko]

...They say no matter how small a voice, it's still one more voice bugging you...

I was debating with myself about pre-purchasing and even more so about the fancy collectors edition. > Nope. Not gonna do it. Sorry. You made great games, EGOSOFT. Had easily 500 hours fun with X3AP (mostly Litcube though). But XR was a real ****-up.
Though, the X4 trailers and streams do look very promising.

On another topic. I would like to encourage you to release X4 on GOG. I will pre-order it there. Promise! Maybe even the fancy version.
Seriously, it's a huge market by now. More and more people realize: you don't really own games bought on Steam.