Frogboy Frogboy

The first sales figures are in!

▼

The first sales figures are in!

The power of word of mouth

from GalCiv2 Forums

We just got our report on the first week of sales of Galactic Civilizations II.  Despite some availability problems, we're told that we're presently the best selling software title at Walmart.  Let me be clear: Not just #1 PC game, but overall software.

Best Buy, EB, and Gamestop have put in additional orders that actually exceed their initial sell-in orders (which you may recall were 3X what GalCiv I's initial retail presence was).

How is this possible?  No one is ever going to accuse us of being a marketing juggernaut.  It's not like there was a 6 month build up of "hype" or whatever. Few reviews are up yet.

It's word of mouth. You guys.  Individual people from around the world simply getting the game and telling their friends that they liked it.

And here's another thing to consider -- Galactic Civilizations II has no copy protection whatsoever.  Not even a CD check.  Heck, you can install the game and toss out the CD and use the included serial # (which you don't even have to use to install) to redownload the entire game from us even years in the future.

So what about piracy? Remember? That's the argument why games need all kinds of DRM and CD protection -- piracy.  Yet retail sales are very high.  Very high despite the fact that any one of the 50,000+ people who have already purchased could zip up the CDs and put them on-line because there's no copy protection.

One might argue that not having copy protection decreases the piracy on the game because there's no copy protection to crack and distribute.  And perhpas some people who might have been on the fence decided to buy the game because they didn't have to worry about losing their CD or worrying that some copy protection scheme was going to create headaches.

It will be interesting to see what the overall monthly sales stats will be when they're published next month (i.e. the ones publicly available). 

Thanks to the Internet and the ease of communication, it is looking very possible that the balance of power in PC entertainment software has shifted decidedly to the players and away from the traditional avenues.

As soon as the generally available sales stats are out, we'll link to them.

87,018 views 102 replies
Reply #76 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Congrats on the sales figures. And thanks for no DRM! It is a great thing not being treated like a criminal.
Reply #77 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thank you for supplying a quality product sans copy protection garbage. Also I really appreciated the download option w/ the cd option for additional installs on my other computers. I bought GC I and am excited to start getting into GC2 more. Reviews are lookin good. Finally a game company with the right formula for success. You have dethroned battlefront as king of the hill!
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #78 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I have recommended the game to most of my friends, not realizing there was practically no multiplayer (as in Imperium Galactica) Luckily the single-player is solid and has kept us busy.
Reply #79 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Nice job StarDock! D [Size1]Now get working on Master of Magic II[/Size1]

I'm one of those that try go get everything for free even if I have to scour the internet for solutions (Yes, I'm poor )

I want to support the independent developers but a free game weighs heavier than my goodwill. What will make me buy this game (will try demo first since pirate release doesn't contain the latest fixes and updates which the demo probably will have) is the updates that require a serial and the neat things you get for buying the game (tech-tree poster, ship components and the GalCiv 2 desktop theme)

So without the required serial for updates it would have been a harder decision whether to buy or not to buy. Coldhearted bastard way of thinking, I know. But it's human....

Angry edit: Why isn't there a buttonclick option for size and how does it work??
Reply #80 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Copy protection: (1) games from independent companies don't need it as much because there are fewer people to copy it from and you need more reasons for people to buy your game rather than a game from a major company (2) games that appeal to older players need it less. People who have jobs can afford to buy games. I buy whatever game I want to play, but I remember back when I was in high school and I didn't have the money to buy stuff.
Reply #81 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Personally, I think copy protection just encourages people to pirate the game. Aside from the fact that the pirates are the ones that don't have to deal with the copy protection, being the first person to release to game without copy protection, so to speak, is something of a prestigious accomplishment. Who's going to care if all you're doing is just uploading the install file to an FTP?
Reply #82 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
just saw this at Digg - http://digg.com/gaming/_Copy_protection,_a_necessary_evil_ seems to be in reference to the thread-starter
Reply #83 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I would love to gush over it but the game hasn't arrived in my city yet... And I'm not living in bumvill - Nowhere but a large Canadian city. I suggest Stardock revisit its distibution protocols before the next release.


G.
Reply #84 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Good to hear, though I suspect that once they start counting sales of the new Sims 2 EP, it will be #2.

I can only hope that the success will spawn more, similar games to GC2. Maybe a fantasy version in the vein of Mom?
Reply #85 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I priated the game off Usenet. I like to try games in their entirety before purchasing. Demos are often too limiting to judge the game.

I just picked up the last copy from Best Buy in Markham, ON, Canada 10 minutes before they closed!

I don't usually buy games, since for the most part, recent games have been BORING (they're all rehashed in some way). But Gal Civ 2 is a little different for a couple of reasons:

1. This game is good.
2. It's priced reasonably.
3. The developers at Stardock are actually responsive to customer feedback.

In regards to DRM - it was nice to be able to install this game without any CD checks... with other games, I'm so tired with finding cracks that I just don't feel like buying the game afterwards.

Anyhow, great work with GalCiv2 - I'll be buying a copy tomorrow at Futureshop!



Reply #86 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Hi! I'm new around here, after finding a pretty shining review on Gamespot a couple days ago.

I think you're pretty bold in your no-copy-protection, register-for-updates model. But if it works (and it appears to at least be holding its own) you will have restored some of my faith in humanity. I guess I'd be part of the camp that believes more companies should be doing the exact same thing. It isn't a cut-and-dry case of "why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?"

If it doesn't work out quite as planned, you'll still be getting my money. So you've got *that* goin' for ya.
Reply #87 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Congratulations stardock. It takes guts to do this sort of thing - Starforce paint everyone like they are the spawn of the devil, and look how much everyone hates them...and lo and behold, you're doing better than everyone else. What a surprise, us gamers aren't an evil bunch.

And the game, well it hasn't arrived for me. But if everyone else's comments are anything to go by, either you have an amazingly draconian board, or a good game. I suspect the latter.

Congratulations.
Reply #88 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I think it is rather amazing how people have reacted when I have mentioned this article to them. Several people, who aren't even interested in the game itself, have said that they are going to buy the game just because there is no copy protection on it and they want to support companies that take such a course.

I myself love the game and hope you sell million of copies of it.
Reply #89 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I like both. It's the peanut butter in my chocolate, and vice versa. I know I didn't explicitly state how cool I thought the game was, but... I do. Seeing indie developers producing good games AND trying something new in terms of distribution is exciting!
Reply #90 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I think the fact that Stardock is so timely - and OPEN via the special site used for beta testing - with its regular game updates is one of the main driving forces for sales in addition to the "no copy protection" thing. I guess both are really a breath of fresh air among the smog created by other competing companies.

I'll take the time here to mention again that their IRC support and community is also a strong point of the company.
Reply #91 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Have you also data about European sales and electronic downloads?



I think the fact that this game is currently number 8 in Amazon UK's Chart on top selling games (all systems) suggests that it must be deservadly doing well over on this side of the pond as well

A Great game is noticed and bought as word of mouth, especially these days with all the forums, is becomming so much more important.

Regardless of the quality of the game however what has always impressed me most has been the support I have received from Stardock over the past 3 years. I have had forum posts and emails answered. ( The first time this happened I must admit I was shocked )
This has resulted in me actually remaining in the forums/reading the posts and enjoying the games far more.

Please don't let success go to your heads and keep up the good work
Reply #92 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yay Stardock! First of all, kudos on an AMAZING game. This blows MoO3 out of the water, shamefully so. Everything about it is beautiful; it is a piece of art. But let me sincerely thank you for treating me, and my fellow gamers, as a CUSTOMER and not a THIEF. I'm so sick of these publishing giants and their copy "protection." The forums I read are ablaze with happy gamers spreading the word to their friends about your company and your game, and you damn well deserve it.
Reply #93 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I played my first game... cool my first 4x game. Art work is the icing, i am excited about this game and I don't know how to play yet (lot to learn)
Reply #94 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I find it kind of amusing that some people havew purchased this game simply because of a stance on copy protection. In the end, I am sure that while Stardock would prefer people to buy the game because of the games outstanding quality and execution, in the end, I am sure they wont complain about people buying the game just to make a statement about copy protection.

In and of its self, I have no problem with the concept of copy protection, but I do think that its execution has been severely misguided.

I think that copy protection only protects the sales of games (or movies or music) that generate neutral to negative word of mouth. Essentially, I think that the final purpose of copy protection is to preserve whatever gains have been made by heavy advertising. If a leaked copy of a game gets out, and the early adopters say its basically crap, that will eat heavily into sales. And word of mouth is magnified by availability. If a weak / bad game has poor or no copy protection, sales will pretty much die right there.

But for good games, the word of mouth will end up doing the opposite. By all accounts, GC2 is a great game. So the word of mouth has been working in its favor.

END COMMUNICATION
Reply #95 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Well done and well deserved.

The way I heard about it was from friends discussing it and it sounded interessting.

Confession time have to admit I downloaded a pirate copy first, installed it, tried it for a couple of ours
and then ran out and bought it.
So for me the fact that you decided not to use a copy protection enabled me to try the game as a demo and made me
buy the full game and I don't regret buying it for one second.
Reply #96 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I just wanted to pop in here and say that I'm heading out later today to pick this game up. And that one of the MAJOR things that is making me do that instead of waiting till I can find it in the used game store, is the no DRM. (well that and everything I have heard about this game is that it's a great game.)

Sure with the no DRM I could get a copy of it. But I'm so going to put my money out to support companies that treat their target customers like we are the ones keeping you in business.(as opposed to treating us like we are guilty of something from the get go.)

Can't wait to start playing this later tonight. w00t.
Reply #97 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Well, I just laid out $45. Why? Mostly because I'm voting with my dollars (something I believe works, if done large scale by enough people who believe in something).

Copy protection is just a couple companies selling fear. And the game studios are buying...at the expense of ONLY their honest customers...crazy, isn't it?
Reply #98 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Any updates on sales figures? Has it gone double platinum yet?

With laptops more popular than ever, games that require the CD to play are dinosaurs and show just how out of touch some publishers and game designers are.

Long live the Drath Empire, and death to Starforce!
Reply #99 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The game’s success doesn’t surprise me being an old Xcom: UFO Defense gamer, it’s about time someone made a decent strategy game.
Reply #100 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I admit, i torrented the game to start, but i'm going to buy it tomorrow. I've been a fan of 4x games for a while, and my previous favourite was Starships Unlimited. But with the shear options that this thing provides, i have to get it. Its money well spent, said by a poor poor university student.

Starforce and others like that need to learn that it's not the hype that sells games, it's the quality and the willingness to change and respond to the end users. Its gold. Best game i've played in a LONG time. And i'll be buying the object desktop later on too, when i have the money to.