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When did PC game publishers get THIS cheap?

T

tedhbrown

Banned
Today in the mail my "Directors Edition" of F.E.A.R finally came. I opted for the DVD version because it was only 5 dollars more and wouldn't be a pain in the ass to install. Even though I can't play it until next week when I get my new video card, I opened the box and was shocked to find no cd jewel case... What the fuck?! I just paid for the premium version of a PC game and those fuckers put the disk in a cd sleeve. Maybe this isn't that new, but would it kill them to include a jewel case so I'm less likely to loose or scratch my 50 dollar game? When did this practice become a standard with PC Games?
 
I wish all developers went with the Splinter Cell CT DVD Casing
 
heh, yeah, that was kind of funny.

But then again, Vivendi are cheap whores so this is not completely unexpected.

Though whats really annoying me is that starting FEAR causes my computer to freeze unless I have the CD inside.

This is why I LOVE steam
 
Yup. I thought the copy I bought had been gutted it was so light. The guy at Gamestop chuckled when I opened it to reveal the non-Jeweled DVD. If you ask me, Vivendi should have learned from Valve that you either do something like STEAM or at least give a decent storage case.
 
tedhbrown said:
Kung Fu Jedi: The last PC game I bought (besides HL2 on steam) was Doom 3, and it came with a double thick jewel case.
Click to expand...

It doesn't happen with all games, but it certainly is happening with more and more of them. I think Neverwinter Nights and it's expansions had them in paper sleeves until the Hordes Expansion came out with a cardboard case that allowed you to store all of the NWN discs. Anyway, it's happening with most games these days.
 
Well that sucks. I haven't purchased too many PC games recently, so I must have missed all of this. Like someone said above, they should either go Valve and do something like Steam, or give me a case to put the disk in.
 
Not sure how relevant this is, but the soundtrack for the DDS box set comes in a paper sleeve, and I think the one in the Growlanser Generations box does as well.
 
tedhbrown said:
Well that sucks. I haven't purchased too many PC games recently, so I must have missed all of this. Like someone said above, they should either go Valve and do something like Steam, or give me a case to put the disk in.
Click to expand...

tedhbrown,

I recommend you get one of these

56357_sq250.jpg


That's what I do. It's easier to store all my media this way.
 
Dr_Cogent said:
tedhbrown,

I recommend you get one of these

56357_sq250.jpg


That's what I do. It's easier to store all my media this way.
Click to expand...

Yeah I do have a one of those, but I've read that those are actually bad for disks. I really like having a shelf of cases, that I can easily go through and find what I'm looking for. Hopefully I can find a custom made cover online in a few weeks.
 
Deg said:
Here in the UK all pc games come in dvd cases. Cd or dvd.
Click to expand...

Same in Brazil, this includes EA, Microsoft, Atari and all other major publishers.

Only the absolute cheapest games come in US style PC boxes.
 
Both Vivendi and 2kgames are cheap publishers who put their discs in paper or cardboard sleeves. It sucks, but what can you do? EA may be evil, but their new oversized DVD boxes rock.
 
siege said:
Both Vivendi and 2kgames are cheap publishers who put their discs in paper or cardboard sleeves. It sucks, but what can you do? EA may be evil, but their new oversized DVD boxes rock.
Click to expand...


Lies.. Blizzard is owned by vivendi and WoW came in box with cd jewel cases =[


I just hate those dvd boxes.. there so lame.. cause the sleeves over them like AoE3 for instance are gona rip in days =[
 
PezRadar said:
Lies.. Blizzard is owned by vivendi and WoW came in box with cd jewel cases =[


I just hate those dvd boxes.. there so lame.. cause the sleeves over them like AoE3 for instance are gona rip in days =[
Click to expand...

My World of Warcraft came in 4 paper sleeves inside a flimsy cardboard holder.
 
Honestly, I miss those gigantic boxes that cnc1 (not gold), ultima 7, wing commander, etc. came out on. You know, before they shrunk them down to book size.

Jewel cases come in close second though.
 
Rockstar did an excellent job with the packaging of Max Payne 2, probably the best I have ever seen. Most other stuff sucks though.
 
Yeah Vivendi sucks. I'm a little pissed at them at giving us a paper sleeve in the FEAR box.

But you know whats worse?

Getting 5 paper sleeves in a box.

This is what happened when I bought Psychonauts and there were 5 damn cds in the box. Man that drives me crazy. I almost didn't install the game and came close to attempting to return it.

Please enter disc 1
....disc 2
...disc 3
.....disc 4
....disc 5

Please insert disc 1 to play.

Multi disc needs to die in PC gaming. I can't believe we are still getting games on multiple cds in this day and age. PC Gamers upgrading everything but their CD-Drive? Crazy.
 
all those cases cut into the profit margin.. when they first started doing it years ago and noone really made a stink they kept doing more and more. think of all the plastic, paper, and boxing costs Steam saved valve. I bet it was some where around 6-7 bucks a pop, yet they still charged the same (more or less)

1 million x 7 bucks = profit
 
I've got like a foot high stack of paper sleeve PC games from Vivendi. Between Nexus, Freedom Force 2, Riddick, SWAT 4 and FEAR thats alot of stupid paper sleeve disks.
 
tedhbrown said:
Yeah I do have a one of those, but I've read that those are actually bad for disks. I really like having a shelf of cases, that I can easily go through and find what I'm looking for. Hopefully I can find a custom made cover online in a few weeks.
Click to expand...

Nah, they are fine. Just take care when handling your discs and you will be just fine.
 
Wouldn't this have to do with the retailers requesting that the PC game makers "slim" down there packaging so it doesn't eat up all the valuable floor space? I don't think 5 CD cases would fit inside the new smaller boxes. Just some food for though.
 
GitarooMan said:
Yeah, it sucks. I remember getting HL2 last year with 5 discs all in cheap paper sleeves.
Click to expand...
Well, unlike FEAR, the DVD version of HL2 that I bought at least came in a jewel case...

I'm rather tired of the paper sleeves, but they ain't going away...
 
Deg said:
Here in the UK all pc games come in dvd cases. Cd or dvd.
Click to expand...
I am 99% sure that this is an European thing.

I love the DVD cases, but I must recognize that I hated them when they started to replace the old big-ass cardboard boxes.
 
Beatbox said:
Wouldn't this have to do with the retailers requesting that the PC game makers "slim" down there packaging so it doesn't eat up all the valuable floor space? I don't think 5 CD cases would fit inside the new smaller boxes. Just some food for though.
Click to expand...


I'd rather have PC games go to DVD style cases and have the game on one dvd. Unfortunately PC publishers still think we need games on 50000000000000 cds.
 
I bought Bomberman Collection one day, despite being a super budget release. It still came in a jewel case.

With some cardboard to hold it in place, and doccumentation on the CD only but hey. Jewel case.
 
jamesinclair said:
Same in Brazil, this includes EA, Microsoft, Atari and all other major publishers.

Only the absolute cheapest games come in US style PC boxes.
Click to expand...

Even the dirt cheap games in the UK come in dvd cases. :D I think its a rule here because all pc games have to use the same symbols, ratings and stuff. You do get special editions but even they come in dvd style packaging like console games.
 
They can safely dump CD's at this point, and since they can go DVD, then can emulate DVD movie/console game packaging, I don't understand why they don't do this.
 
Funky Papa said:
I am 99% sure that this is an European thing.

I love the DVD cases, but I must recognize that I hated them when they started to replace the old big-ass cardboard boxes.
Click to expand...
In the US, they come in jumbo dvd cases...like this

cases.jpg


[edit]The old cases:

caseso.jpg


All QIII had was the cd, a couple of papers and the thinest manual ever. I remember Tribes 2 was the worst. It was just 1 disc floating around with 2 sheets of paper.
 
Those jumbo DVD cases are awesome. Look nice on a shelf and have enough room for a thick manual, errata, whatever else inside. Would like to see them become standard.
 
Er, my Quake 3 came in a jewel case with the CD key on the back.

But this paper sleeve junk started in 1998 when Baldur's Gate came out. I was working for EB at the time. The fold-out thingy used for the discs scratched the hell out of the CDs, and had an extra pocket that was intentionally empty but customers were trying to return it because they thought a disc was missing!

Nathan
 
Brandon F said:
Those jumbo DVD cases are awesome. Look nice on a shelf and have enough room for a thick manual, errata, whatever else inside. Would like to see them become standard.
Click to expand...

They are definitely better then paper sleeves, but I think they are way too bulky for what they provide.
 
Here are some pics of PC games in DVD cases. This is the best I could get, online stores only show the cover art, not a picture of the entire case:

1360032.jpg


1360030.jpg


I also found out that EA sells Madden 06 (on PC) in Brasil, completely in portuguese.

I wonder how many copies they sell? 500? 505?
 
Rorschach said:
I remember Tribes 2 was the worst. It was just 1 disc floating around with 2 sheets of paper.
Click to expand...

Bu..But.. They gave you a cover sleeve to put in a CD case!

FUCKING CHEAPSKATES
 
I miss when PC games only required 1 CD. Especially irritating that very few developers let you play the game WITHOUT the CD.

Jazz 2, Unreal Tournament, Quake 2 and 3 (Never owned 1), and of course, both Half Life games. Go Epic, Valve and id. (Unless Doom 3 and such do this then boo to them)
 
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