release date can this be true???? (Firaxis please clarify)

Atahualpa · August 28, 2001, 10:57

The german PC-Gaming Magazine Gamestar stated on their webpage that release date for civ3 will be november 2001 and that the german version will be out by MARCH 2002.

Can this be true?

And am I able to get the english version in Europe without having to pay about 30 bucks for shipping and another 20-30 bucks for customs? (even more with the high dollar and the low euro, this would be a financial ruin!!)

I mean I really rather have the english version than the german, but well I could live with the german too, but NOT when it comes out around MARCH 2002!!!

ata

Sabre2th · August 28, 2001, 11:10

After all the so-called release dates, you'd think people would just give up and stop listening

OneFootInTheGrave · August 28, 2001, 11:21

On Amazon.co.uk the selling date is listed as Dec 28 2001

As if they need two months to change the game from US to UK version! And a mont later teh Fencha re listed (I think someone said on boards here) so I am not suprised at all that Germany is shleduled for March 2002.

That is almost 1/2 a year

they don't have enough translators there, even though they have a French publisher (I think they translate the games)

Paul L · August 28, 2001, 11:31

Quote:

Originally posted by Atahualpa
And am I able to get the english version in Europe without having to pay about 30 bucks for shipping and another 20-30 bucks for customs?

You can try buying it in The Netherlands, it's less far away and we always have the UK version of games here.

Roman · August 28, 2001, 11:36

I currently live in Germany too and I want the English version, as I don't speak good German.

Perhaps it will be like civ2, where you could choose the language when installing the game?

Atahualpa · August 28, 2001, 11:41

@Roman:

less chance of that to happen. You know all the sound files and stuff like that. But I too think this would be a good idea.
But well, english versions are better in most of the times anyway. Translators **** up a lot of the atmosphere.

I dont need no freakin german version, I am really more than satisfied with the US. But available in stores here!!

ata

Provost Harrison · August 28, 2001, 16:30

I will be very disappointed if these differences in release date are true. As I have stated on previous occasions, if we are going to be shafted for being in a different part of the world, download the damn thing from warez sites. Why should we be treated like second class citizens...

Nemo · August 28, 2001, 19:44

General Ludd · August 28, 2001, 20:18

Quote:

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
I will be very Why should we be treated like second class citizens...

Maybe because you aren't even a citizen of the country exporting it in the first place?

I don't understand why everyone is always so outraged and surprised when a game is released later in some parts of the world, it happens with pretty much every game and it is deffinately nothing new, nor is it unique to the gaming industry, for that matter.

H Tower · August 28, 2001, 20:31

it was going to be released in october for the us market? not that i really put much faith in any of the release dates anymore. but firaxis has put an october release on their websiteciv3.com so i just might believe them this time. but i'm probably in for a let down

jerkwaterbox · August 28, 2001, 22:05

Quote:

Originally posted by Osweld

Maybe because you aren't even a citizen of the country exporting it in the first place?

but you are not a citizen of the counrty that is exporting it either. what gives you the right to get it ahead of everyone else? because you speak english? because you live closer? because they don't translate the game to canadian english?

i don't understand why it needs to be translated to UK english, it is not so different that people will not understand it. I think that the US version could be released to the UK at the same time as it is to the US and that it could also be released to all the other mainly english countries around the world.

as for other language versions i do not know. diablo 2 was released world wide i believe at the same time.

Skanky Burns · August 28, 2001, 22:13

Quote:

Originally posted by Osweld
I don't understand why everyone is always so outraged and surprised when a game is released later in some parts of the world, it happens with pretty much every game and it is deffinately nothing new, nor is it unique to the gaming industry, for that matter.

That is a stupid statement. I suppose you really dont mind watching everyone else on the forum playing Civ 3 once its released, while you sit there, still waiting for it to be officially released in your country, not for days, but for many months...

But then again, that would never happen to you, would it?? Even if the release in Canada was later than in the US, it would be very cheap for you to order it and have it delivered from the US. However, for other countries in Eurasia, Australia, etc, the added expenses of shipping, customs, import tax, stamp duty, conversion rates, can easily double the price of the game for us.

So that leaves us out in the cold. We can either pay almost double the cost for others, still receiving the game 10 to 20 days later, or we can wait many months for it to be released locally at the same price others paid months ago...

[Sarcasm] Gee, what could possibly be unfair about that situation??[/Sarcasm]

isaac brock · August 28, 2001, 22:20

"but you are not a citizen of the counrty that is exporting it either. what gives you the right to get it ahead of everyone else? because you speak english? because you live closer? because they don't translate the game to canadian english?

i don't understand why it needs to be translated to UK english, it is not so different that people will not understand it. I think that the US version could be released to the UK at the same time as it is to the US and that it could also be released to all the other mainly english countries around the world.

as for other language versions i do not know. diablo 2 was released world wide i believe at the same time."

Shuft up. your a frighead who dont no what your taking about

Tingkai · August 28, 2001, 22:49

Quote:

Originally posted by Osweld

It happens with pretty much every game and it is deffinately nothing new, nor is it unique to the gaming industry, for that matter.

Exactly right.

The delay in getting game to Europe and the rest of the world is not due to any hidden agenda against people outside the States. It simply refects logistics.

The game designers have a deadline for providing the product to the manufacturer. The manufacturer has a deadline for getting it to stores. The U.S. comes first because it is a big market. The game is then shipped to Europe, a process that can take weeks if it actually gets sent by sea.

As well, all the written material for the UK version probably has to be converted into the Queen's English.
That takes time.

By the way, I'm in the same boat as those in Europe. I won't get the game until November.

No point complaining.

Tingkai · August 28, 2001, 22:55

sorry, double post

TCO · August 29, 2001, 00:34

Quote:

Originally posted by Atahualpa
The german PC-Gaming Magazine Gamestar stated on their webpage that release date for civ3 will be november 2001 and that the german version will be out by MARCH 2002.

Can this be true?

And am I able to get the english version in Europe without having to pay about 30 bucks for shipping and another 20-30 bucks for customs? (even more with the high dollar and the low euro, this would be a financial ruin!!)

I mean I really rather have the english version than the german, but well I could live with the german too, but NOT when it comes out around MARCH 2002!!!

ata

Do you Eurocommies (Bob Dornan mode) have a tarriff on computergames???

Dr.Bashir · August 29, 2001, 02:02

Quote:

Originally posted by GP

Do you Eurocommies (Bob Dornan mode) have a tarriff on computergames???

Another quite USEFUL coment from an American friend...

@Atahualpa: I'm from Austria too (hell, why do I post in English??

) and I understand your problem.
The german translation of Civ II was, in one word, horrible ("Germans haben Eiffelturm gefangen"), but on the other hand SMAC was translated very well!

I trust Firaxis once again and I'm looking forward to a german Version similar to SMAC. And, anyway, I have 'Matura' in the next spring so I maybe will wait until June to buy Civ III - or I will be in school for the next years

General Ludd · August 29, 2001, 05:57

Quote:

Originally posted by jerkwaterbox

but you are not a citizen of the counrty that is exporting it either. what gives you the right to get it ahead of everyone else? because you speak english? because you live closer? because they don't translate the game to canadian english?

i don't understand why it needs to be translated to UK english, it is not so different that people will not understand it. I think that the US version could be released to the UK at the same time as it is to the US and that it could also be released to all the other mainly english countries around the world.

as for other language versions i do not know. diablo 2 was released world wide i believe at the same time.

I wasn't trying to sound superior for living in North America or anything. But this happens with everything and everywhere, it's just the way things work and I'm no expert on the subject, so I won't pretend to know why. It's probably case-specific, anyways.

Just because I live in North America doesn't mean I get everything right away, heck, back when I still played console games I'd often have to wait years for games they are already playing in Japan. That is, if the game was even going to be exported in the first place.

By the way, the Canada-US border is the largest ungaurded land border in the world, we pretty much share the same market and things move in and out of our countries pretty freely. Still, sometimes we get a delay with TV shows and Movies, which is pretty odd considering that most of the time they are filmed in Canada.

Also, there sometimes are Canadian versions of games, I don't think that is very common anymore, though.

ancient · August 29, 2001, 06:09

hmm this is a greek site, so whens it coming out in greece?

OneFootInTheGrave · August 29, 2001, 06:27

Quote:

Originally posted by Osweld

Also, there sometimes are Canadian versions of games, I don't think that is very common anymore, though.

What did you used to have Canadian English version, of the game, or Quebec French version

?

seriously though... what was the difference?

ancient · August 29, 2001, 06:49

center = centre
colour = color

thats about it,,

OneFootInTheGrave · August 29, 2001, 06:55

I'd say thet they should ship the US version all over the world first, adn than release the country specific versions later... so who was late for the original can get a customized game later... to discriminate us on the other side of the world is unfair

FrostyBoy · August 29, 2001, 07:42

Lucky I live in New Zealand, we tend to get games here even before its released in the US, I wonder why? I don't know...

Provost Harrison · August 29, 2001, 08:04

As I have said, if this is the state of play, warez it is.

There has been no translations from US English to British English. The improvement in civ2 was still the Harbor, for example. So why are we waiting any longer???!!!

General Ludd · August 29, 2001, 08:06

Quote:

Originally posted by OneFootInTheGrave

What did you used to have Canadian English version, of the game, or Quebec French version

?

seriously though... what was the difference?

The game will offer both English and French installations, where an american version would offer English and Spanish. They might fix the spelling in the english part too, but I'm not sure about that.

Quote:

Originally posted by Sn00py
Lucky I live in New Zealand, we tend to get games here even before its released in the US, I wonder why? I don't know...

My only guess would be piracy.

Vrank Prins · August 29, 2001, 08:44

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul L
You can try buying it in The Netherlands, it's less far away and we always have the UK version of games here.

When I bought CIV-II about 5 years ago in Den Haag (the Haque for anglo's) I think I bought a european (?!) version. You could choose between either english, french or german text**.
I don't know if that's going to be so in the new CIV-III. But if it is, I think that's going to be the version for sale in the Netherlands. Somehow I expected a delay like this to happen. It usual does with new programs/games which are going to be translated.

**I would like that, because when I play a game for the first time I sometimes switch from the english to the german text to understand things better. There aren't too many games which are translated in dutch.

Atahualpa · August 30, 2001, 16:33

Quote:

I don't understand why everyone is always so outraged and surprised when a game is released later in some parts of the world, it happens with pretty much every game and it is deffinately nothing new, nor is it unique to the gaming industry, for that matter.

oh and just because this is the way it used to be we should stick to that or what?

But I will not get the game anyway. When they dont release a demo of it.
Of course there is another option of getting a look at the game, but I wont get into that. Foremost because it is illegal.

ata

tishco · August 31, 2001, 05:16

how does it take 2 months to use word to replace color with colour and cange the txt files so it no says harbor, they are all higly changeble.
the answer is probly all the ELsPA and stuff who rate it 4 europe.

Provost Harrison · August 31, 2001, 05:38

Well as I have stated in another thread, I have seen other companies that seem to have no problem with simultaneous releases across the globe. And with a game as innocuous as Civ3, I really can't see a problem...

Vrank Prins · August 31, 2001, 06:27

Quote:

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
and with a game as innocuous as Civ3, I really can't see a problem...

If a translation into french and german is made, the introduction in europe will be delayed for about two months, you can be sure of that !!