The FM state of things. Too few SI patches? Game costs 50 euros in my country!

Hi all, I just thought of talking about some of my thoughts on the FM World state of things;

I miss the old days when you could change and check what was up with your cm/fm files. Now everything, god knows why, comes encrypted or with a strange extension so that users can't see/change what is going on. In the old days you could even change the text commentary. Once I even translated CM 97/98's full english text commentary file because the Portuguese version was simply horrible (the portuguese version of the language file only got "decent" in fm08).

About the new activation method in FM09. I hate it. I guess most people hate it too.

I can't really see what SI is gaining with this and the new activation. Maybe if they released a chart of profits won with fm09 as opposed to fm08 I'd be convinced it was the right choice.

Anyway, and regardless of profits, would you recommend the game to a non savy user? Let's say, your dad or someone older who likes the CM/FM and footy manager line of games? I wouldn't. I know he would not be able to play it unless I installed, activated and solved all problems for him beforehand.

Anyway, if profits are better because of the new activation process (let's assume they are), I think we legal FM09 users should have more patches for the game (especially from the march-october months and even a few months after the new version is out, even if we were forced to e-mail SI the scanned proof of the purchase of the game).

Once a new FM version is off you're pretty certain that all patches and problem solving files for the game will not be considered. Sometimes we're talking about serious game errors that would deserve a patch address by SI. Do you agree with me?

Also, does SI know at what price is the FM game sold in my country? I payed a whooping 49,99 euros for this game. 50 euros! That's 43 pounds sterling! If I went through the border and bought it in spain I'd pay 19,99 euros (!!!). What's up with this? We are paying 30 euros extra for the previledge of having a Portuguese language file? Is this a Sega Portugal Choice? More than twice the price asked for in Spain? Or is SI International responsible for setting prices? Or do they just recommend a price and let the national companies charge whatever they think they can get away with for it?

If Sega Portugal or whoever is responsible for this price keeps their ways I will either order it online or go to Spain (even if it costs me more to travel there) and buy FM10 there for me and all of my friends.

To be fair, the price thing could be to do with the shops selling them. Maybe they are ripping you off. Add that to the fall of the euro to the pound, and it is going to be more costly to buy stuff in euros.

For me, 3 patches is enough. Usually around about March is when work starts on the latest game, and I would rather SI work on improving the new game more than releasing a patch to fix one or two issues and update the DB, which you can get unofficial ones for free (DB updates) I would be more worried when we need a load of patches, because that would mean that the game is buggy and needs more frequent fixing. 9.3 satisfies me.

I personally suffered no activation issues, although I did activate in late December, so that could be a reason why. It wasn't really their fault that they got hit by a DDOS attack (or something like that), and it was their first time, so obviously they were going to be far from perfect.

As for encryption and all that, I have no idea.

I had no activation issues over the internet on Saturday 15th November.

And probably what Dan said.

The 50 euro price is the same for the whole country, so it's impossible that it's a store by store choice. Someone is behind it, most likely sega portugal or whoever is responsible for selling it in Portugal. About the euro>pound idea. The game costs 19,99 euros in Spain, and 49,99 euros (!!) in Portugal. Both prices are in euros so currency fluctuations have nothing to do with the price here. I find it unacceptable and would be very interested in knowing for sure who is resposible for it, I also thing Sega Europe or SI should really talk some sense into them. Don't you think a 150% increase in price is ridiculous?

I play and buy the SI game since Championship Manager 2 German League and CM2 Portuguese league (that was the 95/96 season I think, can't remember). I have bought and played every single one of them and after SI was bought by SEGA I have bought and played every single FM game.

About the patches: I'm not talking about database updates (I'm a FMWeegie contributor and user), nor 150+ mb updates. I'm talking about minor game error and game code fixing issues that occur in every game, FM or not. Also, minor gameplay and 3d engine errors. When a new game comes out you're sure that nothing will be released for the previous games anymore. I just older version users deserve some attention too (at least the users of the immediately previous version).

I'm glad you didn't have any problems. I myself didn't have "many" problems activating the game. I had to use the phone as the PC i use to play FM is not connected (it only plays FM, it does nothing else, lol), but I know a couple people that went through horrors to activate it and, especialy, to solve every problem that popped up when they were trying to run the game (not all of them had to do with the new activation though).

I had no activation issues either.

That price does seem a little steep though. I wouldn't pay 43 nuggets for a game.

Tbf the price is rather high. Are there digital downloads of fm in Portuguese online?

Tbf the price is rather high. Are there digital downloads of fm in Portuguese online?

I'm not sure but I think not. Problem is the FM playing PC is not connected and I think digital downloads can only be played on the downloading computer? I'm not sure.

Anyway, I myself prefer to play it in English but my dad, who's the main FM man in the house can't (we're talking about a man who once got to the 2090/91 season). I suppose I could always try to get the language file from the demo or something. Anyway, if the price issues aren't corrected, I'll buy it online and try to get the language file somewhere else. They can say goodbye to my 50 euros.