Did it work SI?

Now that the game has been out for a while, and seemingly no effective pirated versions of the game is available (at least no torrents seem to be), did it help the sales of FM 2012 compared to 2011?

I'm really curious about this, since I personally am sceptical of Steam's ability to turn pirated games into sales to whatever extent they claim to be able to do. But since there seems to be little availability for a pirated version of the game, then it may actually have helped... I know you aren't allowed to give exact financial data, but I'm sure you'll be allowed to indicate if there has been a sales-splurge compared to the opening of 2011.

well it's number 1 on the sales lists, so having it on Steam didnt seem to affect sales at all

That doesn't really tell us anything, as a much higher proportion of total sales are going through Steam than in previous years. What will be more interesting (if we don't get any word from SI) will be to check something like the shop retail charts in say, six months time. Even as recently as this very month, FM2011 was still in the top 10 retail chart (UK only). Will it be the same this year? Now there's a question.

source : http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/10/10/byte-vs-brick-week-ending-oct-7/#more-76929

I don't think they'll have fully evaluated it yet as there are still some "sales periods" to go through which are used as part of the evaluation.

is it worth using this method and losing a lot of fans for next years release, this WILL happen. not a chance ill buy this ever again if its the same method as this.

never thought id ever say that as im an absolute addict of the series but as ive been trying for 3 days to get mine to work( and i have a bcs hons in computing)

My mates are playing it this year (like they do every year) and they never buy the football manager games. So I guess in some cases it hasn't worked.

is it worth using this method and losing a lot of fans for next years release, this WILL happen. not a chance ill buy this ever again if its the same method as this.

never thought id ever say that as im an absolute addict of the series but as ive been trying for 3 days to get mine to work( and i have a bcs hons in computing)

SI will put up with losing customers to stop piracy. It sucks but that's just how the software business is these days with the ease it is to get pirated software.

is it worth using this method and losing a lot of fans for next years release, this WILL happen. not a chance ill buy this ever again if its the same method as this.

never thought id ever say that as im an absolute addict of the series but as ive been trying for 3 days to get mine to work( and i have a bcs hons in computing)

It's not that hard.

My mates are playing it this year (like they do every year) and they never buy the football manager games. So I guess in some cases it hasn't worked.

I would hazzard a guess that SI have made their money and SEGA have made theirs. STEAM as a platform will have provided more sales than in store (physical copies), I think anyway. Stores will in years become redundant as a whole, already some are dissapearing. STEAM is not and will not be going away, and unfortunately (I of course could be wrong on this) for those who hate STEAM for no rational reason and those who have a genuine gripe with it, it will be required for EVERY FM going forward. So its either a question of cutting off your nose to spite your face or living with it.

The sheer number of threads that are turning into STEAM discussions though are becoming rather boring now, as surely you must get it by now? STEAM is the future of gaming, and unless you hop on board then all of your posts are pointless, like shouting into a 80mph gale. Thats not my view per say, as there are those who have a genuine problem with running it etc, but I am just being realistic, it IS NOT GOING AWAY!

I have been using it since 2005 (maybe before, I cannot remember as it has been so long!) and of course, yes I love it, but that doesnt make me right, just means maybe I have been lucky? And hey that's my opinion not everybodys, and of course everyone is entitled to theirs. Just think that now is the time for those who do not have a genuine gripe (a technical issue in my mind is THE ONLY genuine gripe!) to wake up (this is not intended to be an attack!!!) and just accept the change and continue to play the best footie sims in the world or just not buy it again! And give the forums a break from the constant STEAM discussions.......once more for the road.....IT IS NOT GOING AWAY!

(Pardon my spelling and grammar I have a mental hangover today!!!!!!!)

Its a trade off for Sega if you ask me (or SI or whatever)

How many people haven't been able to use pirated copies versus how many people won't buy it again cos of the Steam issues.

If all that Sega/SI are worried about is money, they'll put up with p...ing off loyal and longterm customers if they force more people into buying/legitimate copies.

However, if they're worried about their fanbase, they really do need to look at moving away from Steam.

Whats it to be SI?

Money or Your Loyal Customers?

I don't think that the OP started this thread to provide yet another opportunity for the pro/anti-steam camps to once again have a pop at each other & until now that subject wasn't even mentioned.

I do think the question is a fair one if a little premature, in the long run it would be interesting to hear if the method used this year did meet expectations in terms of increased sales in markets that have previously been heavily impacted by software piracy.

Edit: Floodgates rule once again proven.

Whats it to be SI?

Money or Your Loyal Customers?

What do you think? It's a business. Think everyone knows the answer to that question.

I don't think that the OP started this thread to provide yet another opportunity for the pro/anti-steam camps to once again have a pop at each other & until now that subject wasn't even mentioned.

I do think the question is a fair one if a little premature, in the long run it would be interesting to hear if the method used this year did meet expectations in terms of increased sales in markets that have previously been heavily impacted by software piracy.

Edit: Floodgates rule once again proven.

Shame really, OP was bringing up an interesting point. Seems its impossible to talk about it without two sides facing off against each other

By doing everything they can to put a dent in piracy they get more money and are able to provide a better game to their loyal customers.

Shame really, OP was bringing up an interesting point. Seems its impossible to talk about it without two sides facing off against each other

Far from it, he indeed did bring up a very interesting point, which has now resulted in a discussion. My post (if indeed my posts "have taken a side!") is my point that Sales will be fine and that STEAM as a platform will encourage more sales due to how easy it is, and the less amount of piracy will also ensure more legitimate sales. Reading back on my first post it did turn into a rant! But wasn't a I love STEAM post, more of a please save me my lord and saviour from the constant STEAM discussions!!!!!!!!!! Just play the damn thing already!! lol!! I am am right now!! And if you cant, then wait for your directions to the tech part of the forums!!!

It's not that hard.

Kriss.

Doesn't have the same impact.

By doing everything they can to put a dent in piracy they get more money and are able to provide a better game to their loyal customers.

I'd hardly call "better" a product that has a physiological rate of failures to launch/work due to issues not directly depending on the game itself...

It's undeniable Steam has brought to the table a brand new array of potential issues plenty of customers aren't able to handle/solve by themselves, or are completely powerless against (hey, if Steam's busy/down you can be Linus f'n Torvalds and it'd still be impossible for you to play).

Compare the amount of tech issues thread last year and this year... It's not just "clueless noobs" being unable to find the editor or trying to run FM on a PentiumIII machine.

So well... there's no working pirate version of FM, and that means maybe a fraction of the potential downloaders have bought the legit copy. But on the other hand you've got a fraction of the SURE-FIRE paying customers not buying the game due to Steam or having such a bad experience with it they aren't likely to buy it next year... (also add those who DIDN'T KNOW about Steam being mandatory, or about how Steam actually works!)

I feel screwing potential and loyal customers and paying customers in order to **** off a plethora of relatively interested, non-paying thieves isn't the way to go in the long run.

In terms of sales, well... FM is the only game in town in its genre, so unless it's really a crappy product (and it can't be, because even if it was just a glorified data update it'd still sell like crazy) sales will always be solid.

I think later sales, and FM13 (assuming it'll be Steam-only again) will tell us much more than the opening week figures.

It's currently the third most played game on Steam with a peak of 52, 696 users today (not sure on exact date). See here.

FM11 is still in the Top10, despite it being one year old, "obsolete" and available for free from day 1...

Also Civ V has been cracked BEFORE launch date (IIRC) and it's still doing pretty well in that daily list.

So you can read the figures in two ways, depending on what you're trying to prove.

To you it proves Steam prevents piracy.

To me it just proves most dedicated gamers PAY for their original copy regardless of the availability of the pirated alternative.

I'd hardly call "better" a product that has a physiological rate of failures to launch/work due to issues not directly depending on the game itself...

It's undeniable Steam has brought to the table a brand new array of potential issues plenty of customers aren't able to handle/solve by themselves, or are completely powerless against (hey, if Steam's busy/down you can be Linus f'n Torvalds and it'd still be impossible for you to play).

Compare the amount of tech issues thread last year and this year... It's not just "clueless noobs" being unable to find the editor or trying to run FM on a PentiumIII machine.

So well... there's no working pirate version of FM, and that means maybe a fraction of the potential downloaders have bought the legit copy. But on the other hand you've got a fraction of the SURE-FIRE paying customers not buying the game due to Steam or having such a bad experience with it they aren't likely to buy it next year... (also add those who DIDN'T KNOW about Steam being mandatory, or about how Steam actually works!)

I feel screwing potential and loyal customers and paying customers in order to **** off a plethora of relatively interested, non-paying thieves isn't the way to go in the long run.

In terms of sales, well... FM is the only game in town in its genre, so unless it's really a crappy product (and it can't be, because even if it was just a glorified data update it'd still sell like crazy) sales will always be solid.

I think later sales, and FM13 (assuming it'll be Steam-only again) will tell us much more than the opening week figures.

A physiological rate of failures? I'm not sure of your choice of words, but I will agree there's been a few issues with games not running. But, then isn't that normal for most games upon release? I remember the other year when many suers were hit with a problem upon activation and the forums were crowded with complaints about SI's choice of DRM. I've seen many other a game that has been inconvenienced by similar problems, and many do, I'll accept, take a huge backward step. There's not really been a huge downtrend in people playing FM though, has there?

I'd also argue that the new features in FM have equally as much chance of inputing problematic issues into the game. It's what SI, and now Steam, do about these issues that is the overriding factor for FM. Perhaps we'll see that in 2 weeks all the issues will have been solved and people will happily be playing the game and have forgotten about the furor surrounding the Steam move.

Of course so many people have this uneducated hatred of Steam, often coupled with a rushed and impatient desire to get the game working, that Steam will never gain the respect it should.

The probelms are minor, let's face it. I'd estimate maybe a hundred people asking why they can't start the game. There's certainly no more than 200. If the latest Steam figures (that I posted above) say that 52,000 people are playing the game today, then your fraction is rather low, isn't it?

Undeniably, too, we can say that SI have put a huge dent in to piracy of their game. Hoorah for them.

I think Steam will stay, and I think more companies will use it when they notice SI's success. It's the start of a trend, maybe, and time will only make it better.

Kriss.

Doesn't have the same impact.

I know but I hate infracting people when I understand the emotions;)

Then again, it's "200 people" who complain ON HERE... We can't be sure about how many have returned to the store and asked for a refund because they didn't know the whole Stream trick.

Or those who are still staring, clueless, at their screen wondering what to do now, without the comfort of asking for help/ranting on the official board.

The way I see it, Steam's Most Played List isn't a good example to measure the success of the new policy... Of course Steam has a consistent user base, but those were users who ALREADY LIKED Steam, so to them FM12 using Steam or a "insert the word 43 on line 21 on page 16 of the manual" authentication meant nothing.

Steam isn't exactly a novelty for hardcore gamers, so many just went with it because to them it was a good/smart idea.

But considering FM is a weird game that attracts both gaming nerds, non-gamers football nerds and causal football fans, the swtich to a "new", often user-unfriendly system like Steam adds a whole new range of challenges for the "uninformed customer".

Some will learn to deal with it, but will the casual users and the non-gamers fans stick around after a couple of failures to play?

You have to concede going from "insert DVD --> Autoplay --> Next, Next, OK ---> Launch FM shortcut" to "Steam for dummies" is quite a leap to take, and it actually requires motivation and LUCK to make a successful and painless transition...

And we're back in circles again.