Game distribution

[ancient]

OK. I have a problem and maybe someone will know the answer :)

Why in the world Amazon (all flavors) refuses to send software/games to Lithuania, which is a member of European Union for 3 years already? I don't get it. Euro as a required currency question? But Norway doesn't have euro and they can order software just fine...

I can order and do order music/film DVDs from Amazon - they arrive smoothly, no problems, yet the constant Iron Curtain for games and software... I kept writing for years to Amazon.co.uk, yet all the effort to get past the mechanically nice support employees were fruitless :) Is there any meaningful difference between selling a film DVD and a game DVD?

The other side of the problem - the shelves in Lithuania are stuffed with Russian-dubbed versions of the foreign games including Max Payne. Which is funny because the younger generation doesn't speak Russian at all while they are the prime market for the games :) Personally I understand Russian well, yet it cuts half of the game's impression, which is especially important for language/text intensive products such as Max Payne or Alan Wake.

I don't know whose decision it was to sell a Russian version of Max Payne in Lithuania, probably the distributors', yet, as far as I can tell, it wasn't very wise :) Never ever consider Lithuania as a Russian speaking country! Check the demographical stats + historical facts ;) I think the same applies for Latvia and especially Estonia.

So, in this situation I feel locked - I can't order games from Amazon to hear the original language, whereas the local shops offer only crippled versions of the games (Russian dubbing is horrible :)) The only feasible solution right now is to ask my friends abroad to send desired games to me...

Yet thinking for a permanent solution, maybe someone will know another decent e-shopping site, which wouldn't feel paranoid about sending software/games to a third world country Lithuania? :D

[Kahr]

Why in the world Amazon (all flavors) refuses to send software/games to Lithuania, which is a member of European Union for 3 years already? I don't get it. Euro as a required currency question? But Norway doesn't have euro and they can order software just fine...
Norway is not a member of the European Union, we just have an EUS agreement with the rest of EU. And as far as I know, Norway has always been on good terms with the US, the UK and Japan, meaning that we do have access to pretty much the same stuff as any other country would, even if we are not a member of the EU.

I have no idea about why you're having this problem with Amazon. I've never even used it, nor am I planning to (I see no point in it, at least not right now).

[ancient]

This is the point - Norway is not in EU, yet they have no problems with Amazon or other major e-shopping sites.

I guess ex-Soviet country discrimination/bias is going on even though we are in EU for three years already - takes time to resolve :)

[Kahr]

Perhaps that's it. I honestly don't know. But I hope it works out for you sooner or later. Rather sooner, of course. :D

[remade]

Norway is quite rich country,because they have much of oil.
Maybe it's something to do with this thing...?

[ancient]

God blessed Norway with oil and Lithuania with willingness to catch up the economical differences through hard work :)

By the way, Norway is one of the rare cases when oil dollars were invested wisely. Usually the abundance of natural resources destabilize the economy heavily, which results in deep recessions - happened with too many countries around the world. Good to know Norway knows how to resist the temptations of Louis XIV style populism :)

Back to Lithuania, the Russian version of Max Payne is/was indeed very cheap and sells for a fraction of the original game's price. So the economical differences very likely influenced Remedy/3D Realms headquarters to assign Lithuania to the Russian distribution zone. Although it would have made more sense to sell the English version of Max Payne at a reduced price - the practice Microsoft successfully used here for its Windows/Office/programming products before Lithuania entered EU. As already mentioned, the younger generation doesn't understand Russian at all.

So for Alan Wake, I'd like to ask Remedy to include the three Baltic tigers in the Western distribution zone - the game deserves it :D

...and still I can't get it why it's OK for Amazon to send expensive films & books to Lithuania while software & games become a no-no :) A weird policy...