I would like to pre-order Demigod and participate in the beta but if at all possible I would like to do so through a local retailer.
For at least 2 (pragmatic) reasons:
- That way the distributor (Megarom distributes for Atari in South Africa) worries about customs duties and shipping of the boxed game; and
- It's cheaper for us (South Africans in general).
To elaborate on point 2... PC games in South Africa are sold at retailers for significantly less than the equivalent of USD50. In fact they're sold for a few USD less than $40. On top of that we normally enjoy a small discount when pre-ordering months in advance which should bring the pre-order price close to the equivalent of $35. While I don't have expert knowledge on the reasons for this, my best guess is so that PC gaming is more competitive with the prices of other forms of entertainment and due to the difference in average income, cost of living, and other local economic factors.
Including the customs and shipping on ordering the boxed game directly from the website and using the current prices of StarDock games in South Africa (published here by Kalypso -- I don't know who distributes, also possibly Megarom), I'd be paying at least double what I'd normally pay for a game here.
I've made use of early access deals through one of our local retailers before, so I know it is possible but don't know the logistics involved.
Would it be possible to make the pre-order + beta deal available to Europe, Asia, and South Africa through Atari?
