Matrix Gets Down to Business

<strong>[ Interview ]</strong>

<p>David Heath, the <a href="http://www.matrixgames.com/" title="Matrix">Matrix Games</a> main man, sat down with The Wargamer to discuss strategy games, baseball sims, and digital downloads.</p><blockquote><p>WG: Matrix was one of the first publishers to pioneer digital downloads. How do you perceive the trend toward digital downloads and how has that affected Matrix&rsquo;s corporate strategy? </p><p>DH: Digital Download sales of games just makes sense to us. I feel it&rsquo;s the future for all but the largest of developers/publishers, and I expect the trend will continue to include other forms of entertainment, including movies and other media. Some day going to the movies might just mean buying a ticket online and watching the movie in the family room. </p><p>Heck, what&rsquo;s not to like? You click a button, download a game you want in a few minutes, and can start playing it. It gives the community what it really wants: games that they can purchase and play almost anywhere in the world, and they can have them within a few minutes, as long as they have high speed internet, without waiting several days for it to arrive. If the customer wants a physical copy, he can have it mailed to him with a full color DVD case and a CD with his game&rsquo;s serial number printed right on the CD. We also provide a searchable PDF (Adobe Acrobat) version of the manual and a printable version for those who want to print out their manuals. I truly feel it&rsquo;s the best of both worlds, and again I ask: what&rsquo;s not to like?</p></blockquote><p>Uh, how about having to print my own damn manual?</p><p>Read: <a href="http://www.wargamer.com/articles/matrixgames_interview/default.asp" title="Interview">Matrix Games Interview</a></p><p>Spotted @ <a href="http://www.wargamer.com/">The Wargamer</a></p>

 

I wouldn't mind so much if games came with a halfway decent tutorial. Right now I'm kinda steamed at Dominions 3 because I'm somewhat of a noob to it and the game lacks not only a tutorial, but hard documentation of any kind. Thankfully, though, the community is a very good one and have put up with whatever stupid questions I ask.

 

A printed manual is a big factor for me - especially in complex strategy games like Matrix make. There's nothing like reading the instructions while in the bathroom. And lots of bits of paper which you printed yourself aren't a good replacement.

I'm just an old fart though

One thing I do like about Matrix is the download and hardcopy option. Costs exactly the same as the hardcopy option but you can also download while you are waiting for the post to arrive.

 

I'm not the only one?!?! Yaaay!

 

Unfortunately, the hardcopy option still doesn't include the manual in most cases.

I printed out the main manual for TOAW3 and just the Getting Started manual from COTA and my printer got very, very angry with me. Probably won't be doing that again.

 

Sure about manual with Matrix, but having a hardcopy of the CD just makes me feel a lot better about having the game. My internet access varies throughout the year and if I'm on my laptop and out of connection, then hardcopy is the only option as the HD ain't big enough to store my work files and more than a couple of games.

I used a full ink cartridge up printing off the instructions for War in the Pacific and Uncommon Valor. That's £30. Or almost as much as the game cost!

Sure, I could alt-tab to a pdf but I hate that. Especially when the tutorial is saying "do this, do that" and you are alt-tabbing between each step.

@ad hominem - you're not a real man unless you do it. Porn, novels, newspapers - anything as long as you're reading to make the going to the bathroom experience a memorable one