Is there a reason why games aren't released to the UK same time as US?

[Daws]

I mean... why do us brits always have to wait until it is released in the EU - when all they have to do is setup servers over here in the UK and then we can get started playing along at the same time as the US - but no we have to wait for them to translate it into German/French/whatever and then we still get a bad deal because they allocate a different company to supervise it and they screw us in the poohole badly. Am I wrong or is there a reason behind the madness?

 

[tedStar]

expenses - cheaper to do it all in one big chunk than in little steps

 

[Loxley]

It's universally recognised as stupid. For example, where Doom 3 was downloaded illegally by thousands of Europeans who were too impatient to wait. There is no convincing reason in non-US English speaking countries why a game should be delayed.

 

[enigma]

Mostly because Blizzard's serverpark and team probably was non-existing in Paris. In the US they are a bit more settled in. They need to setup a completely new division here in europe, hire and train staff.. Get a place to set up shop etc

Can't see a valid reason to why they should launch the english servers before the rest of europe.. except to let us play earlier that is.. The english servers would be swarmed with french and german people spamming /1.. To work on getting the english servers ready for release at the same time as preparing servers for the other languages would probably require more staff, they would need to do double work in alot of cases when they could have just done it once..

Double work is double cost..

 

[Thorwyn]

The reason is, that there´s usually a different publisher/distributor in charge for US and EU. While the actual software might be the same, the box etc. isn´t. Every country has a box (and booklet) specifically designed for that country and while it´s possible to launch a gamerelease in EU more or less simultaneously, there´s usually a delay between US and EU and vice versa.
The reason why companies usually tend to release on their own company first is, that the company doesn´t make much (if any) money when a copy is being sold on the other side of the ocean. Every copy you sell "over there" means just a fracture of the money you would get here. So the message is: you can have the game earlier, but you need to order it from us directly.

 

[Ilienwyn]

Well, they release them earlier in US so the yankies can be our extended beta-testers so we get a better and finished product!!

 

[Fedaykin]

cos they need to give the yanks a 3 month headstart - so that when the europeans have been playing for a week everything is relativly equal skill wise

 

[ST^]

cos they need to give the yanks a 3 month headstart - so that when the europeans have been playing for a week everything is relativly equal skill wise

Quite possibly the most retarded thing you have ever posted.