More cash for developers!

First, a disclaimer: I don't speak for Stardock, and the following is my observation only.

Buying the game directly earns the devs more cash up-front. But - only you and they will ever know about it.

However, if more people buy retail, this will encourage stores to stock it in quantities, which will expose the game to a larger audience, which in turn will generate more revenue. Don't underestimate the herd effect ("hey, the store says it sells so fast they can't keep it in stock - it must be great!"), especially after the enthusiasm of the diehard core fans had run its course.

It's more of a long-term goal vs. a short-term goal. I believe the long term goals of retail will probably outweigh the short-term goals of direct cash.

Where did I purchase? Direct, of course It's not available locally and Stardock's international shipping was lower than other online retailers, plus with the download option I had it after 24 hours (read: 24 hours of struggle, but now it works perfectly). After all is said and done, do what's best for you.

Dammit, posted a reply and my connection got screwy. Retyping.

Drengin.net earns the developers the most money. I bought it because getting The Corporate Machine made the price a super sweet deal to me, and I wanted to help out the developers. Buying direct earns them the next most money. Lastly, buying retail still earns them money, but just under 1/3 of the amount buying direct would earn them. If enough people buy retail, it will end up really helping the developers out as sales increase and public word of mouth grows. If retail sales fail, then GalCiv won't reach the masses.

Kimberly

~SDC~