CDV interview

[MikeyD]

I'm more than a bit surprised to read you CANNOT order the game off the website if you're in Europe. Should not, would not... but COULD not? You can buy a whole Tyrannosaurus skeleton out of eastern Europe and have it FedEx'd to you, but you CAN'T buy the game?

Maybe I'm missing something. Someone doesn't seen to quite get the concept of 'worldwide' behind the worldwide web!

[Kilgore]

Originally posted by PawBroon:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by MikeyD:

Another thing about the CDV site you can click to in that interview. They have a graphic, I suppose of the game box, that shows a G.I.(?) pulling a comrade out of the path of an oncoming Panther tank. I have to say there's something suspiciously un-Battlefront.com about that piece of art.

Here comes:

</font>

[Hensworth]

MikeyD,

This is dead serious. CDV have exclusive distribution rights for Europe. By the terms of their own agreement, Battlefront are not allowed to sell the game to European customers.

Be advised that the version of the game produced by CDV is not the same as the original : all references to the SS have been removed as required by German law.

There are also some fears that patches for the CDV game may lag behind.

[Porajkl]

Look, the US didn't save the Russia with land-lease. US help was just a drop in the ocean, it was the russians who gave enormous part in materiel (not mentioning men). I just hate when people think that US (who hesitated to join the war (you all know the pacifist movement)) helped all around the world to win the war. It just wasn't like that you know.

I'll be probably flamed for that, but that's my opinion and historians can prove that.

Although the box cover is really similar (on the first look) to CC3.

[Kilgore]

Originally posted by Porajkl:

Look, the US didn't save the Russia with land-lease. US help was just a drop in the ocean, it was the russians who gave enormous part in materiel (not mentioning men). I just hate when people think that US (who hesitated to join the war (you all know the pacifist movement)) helped all around the world to win the war. It just wasn't like that you know.

I'll be probably flamed for that, but that's my opinion and historians can prove that.

Although the box cover is really similar (on the first look) to CC3.

Sorry, I was commenting on the box, didn't mean to troll......

[Feldgendarm]

CDV quote: "In case any customers have problems with the copy-protection CDV Software will help."

Almighty god! As a German, I must laugh like mad now. They dare to pretend that something like "Customer Service" exists in Germany. Or is this simply another way to say: "If your crappy CD-drive does not like our fantastic copy protection, write us an e-mail and then wait till Hell freezes for a reaction"?

[Slangton]

Originally posted by DrAlimantado:

It seems like preorders can only be done through the German version of their webite. Oh well. I wonder why the game is initially only released in Germany and UK. Sweden, Denmark, Norway, etc, will all use the UK version, so why the delay? Oh well.

M

Freddie Foxx fan huh? "They call me bumpy knuckles cause my hands be swell..."

[BaD JoKe]

Oh well, guess the English version will come available soon. Hell, if I'm waiting for it to enter the local shops here in Finland, that will take ages I'm sure !

Yep, all good games take an eternity to come to the stores in Finland. You can find all kinds of sh**ty RTS games in the shelves, even years after they have been published. Good games in the other hand never arrive on time, they stay on sale for a week or so and thats it...

Ah, keep on whining Europeans :mad:

[Scipio]

Originally posted by Sgt_Kelly:

MikeyD,

This is dead serious. CDV have exclusive distribution rights for Europe. By the terms of their own agreement, Battlefront are not allowed to sell the game to European customers.

Be advised that the version of the game produced by CDV is not the same as the original : all references to the SS have been removed as required by German law.

There are also some fears that patches for the CDV game may lag behind.

Both points were clearified by Moon from BF.C

Please read the interview I made with him at WarfareHQ.

[Tero]

Oh, man ! So much for any preferential treatment for us überFinns.

And yes, placed the order. One especially nice thing about them is they do COD.

[DrAlimantado]

Originally posted by Slangton:

Freddie Foxx fan huh? "They call me bumpy knuckles cause my hands be swell..."

To be honest the only songs I have with him is when he is featured on some BDP tracks. But I liked the quote as I grew up with punk and a dislike for disco.

To be honest I never thought anyone on this board would know who Freddie Foxx is, but after looking at your email adress I am not surprised that you did, heh.

[Hensworth]

Thanks, Scipio.

If I was left in any doubt that BFC thinks I'm a whimpering idiot because I think that the distinction between the SS and, for example, the Wehrmacht is necessary on ethical and historical grounds, that has now been cleared up.

For those of you who might wonder why it is so important to recognize the existence of the SS as a separate, criminal organization, here's a little reminder :

The atrocities committed by the SS within the concentration camps are in themselves adequate to convict the SS as a criminal organization. The witness Hoess testified that toward the end of the war approximately 35,000 members of the Waffen SS were employed as guards in concentration camps.

SIR DAVID MAXWELL FYFE, Transcripts Of The Trial of German Major War Criminals, 214th day, august 29th 1946.

Now, who really believes that obscuring their existence by lumping them in with the rest is the right way to deal with this ?

[M Hofbauer]

My interview with Martin 'Moon' Turewicz from Battlefront.com left a few questions unanswered. I hope we can fill the gap in this interview with Anita Rodic from the German CM:BB publisher CDV Software Entertainment.

Anita Rodic? If 'ld be a woman I'ld be afraid to work at CDV for fear of everyone referring to me as "Lula".

CDV: In fact all CM:BB will be produced entirely in Germany and CDV would violate German law by not removing Nazi symbols and terms from the product. Consequently this will also apply to the release in other European countries.

meeep. wrong again. symbology yes, terminology, no. Sorry, no score so far for Ms. Rodic in the category "§§ 86, 86a StGB". Let's try another category. "Business relations" for 200, please:

CDV: CDV is content to have found a reliable partner in Battlefront. The renewed partnership between CDV and Battlefront is hopefully to be continued by following projects.

they are what... content?? wow, sounds like a real love relationshsip. I mean, we all know the typical officialese where business meetings that ended in one stabbed manager and three broken noses are referred to as "very constructive talks that helped to further the highly successful and mutually extremely enjoyable business relationship", so a weak "content" doesn't sound like CDV really appreciates that deal too much.

next category: "appreciation of consumer rights":

CDV: CM:BB will indeed be copy-protected, but it will be possible to remove the CD-ROM during the game. In case any customers have problems

with the copy-protection CDV Software will help.

Scipio: Will customers be permitted to make a backup of the CD for their personal use or will this violate the end-user agreement?

CDV: According to the German copyright law, §69 d every customer is allowed to make a backup for their personal use.

aha, so CDV acknowledges every german citizen's legal right to do a backup copy, yet they deny him the execution of that right by using a copy protetcion that not only prohibits the legal backup but also probably ruins the CD-drive or playing experience of quite a few customers?

what a slap in the face..."yes you have the right to do a backup, but guess what you ca-han't!! neener neener!! "

The telos of the law becomes apparent in §69d Abs.2 UrhG where it explicitly says that it is illegal if the software retailer denies in the usage agreement / sale terms the right to a backup copy. hey, the law doesn't talk about technically preventing it, so it's okay, right?

(btw Anita gets only half the score for §69d Abs.1, 2 UrhG due to sloppy citing, even with the Marketing-person bonus accounted for)

btw, Scipio, damn, you didn't ask them about their SuddenStrike2 advertising! They claimed that SuddenStrike2 is the most authentic WW2 game yet, which to me means that they classify CMBO somewhere between SuddenStrike and Lula WetAttack on the WW2-Realism scale.

sorry, bad day at court & office.

[MikeyD]

Most of the Nazi-specific stuff that's in CMBO is 3rd party, the game's otherwise clean as a whistle when it comes to emblems and insignia. I'd be big surprised if CMBB is any different in that regard.

That's a different issue than including units described as SS in the game, which- I think- would be permitted under German law. I do remember being genuinely shocked in CMBO to witness the Germans killing their U.S. POWs during an Ardennes scenario.

[Scipio]

Originally posted by MikeyD:

Most of the Nazi-specific stuff that's in CMBO is 3rd party, the game's otherwise clean as a whistle when it comes to emblems and insignia. I'd be big surprised if CMBB is any different in that regard.

That's a different issue than including units described as SS in the game, which- I think- would be permitted under German law. I do remember being genuinely shocked in CMBO to witness the Germans killing their U.S. POWs during an Ardennes scenario.

Mh, interesting. I played a QB some days ago where it also looks like POW were killed by German fire. But I wasn't able to track who shot them - there were no target lines leading to them. But I can't remember that area fire ever did so much harm on Infantry units!?

[M Hofbauer]

Originally posted by Scipio:

Mh, interesting. I played a QB some days ago where it also looks like POW were killed by German fire. But I wasn't able to track who shot them - there were no target lines leading to them. But I can't remember that area fire ever did so much harm on Infantry units!?

Area fire in CM is often much deadlier than aimed fire. That's why clustering units is a bad idea. The units next to a targeted squad often suffer much more casualties from a volley aimed at the other squad. POWs make no exception.

[illo]

Ill wait and see if I somehow will get US version.

I dont want to take changes with patches, hacking, copy protection, etc.

I'd rather have game that is ready for latest patches and has correct units from scratch.

I dont have equal right to buy it (with non-european citizen)...it feels so stupid I need to get it via extra hand. (who has correct and accepted nationality for purchasing this fine product).

well..whatever.

[Redwolf]

Originally posted by M Hofbauer:

The telos of the law becomes apparent in §69d Abs.2 UrhG where it explicitly says that it is illegal if the software retailer denies in the usage agreement / sale terms the right to a backup copy. hey, the law doesn't talk about technically preventing it, so it's okay, right?

It is important to point out that the EULA (the click-before-install licenses) are not legally binding under German law. German courts ruled them as "expression of wishes" on the part of the software provider. The customer can click away any of these and break them as he wants. He just cannot claim he assumed the provider was happy about that.

heise.de newsticker had some items on the issue.

[Munter]

Originally posted by BaD JoKe:

Yep, all good games take an eternity to come to the stores in Finland. You can find all kinds of sh**ty RTS games in the shelves, even years after they have been published. Good games in the other hand never arrive on time, they stay on sale for a week or so and thats it...

Ah, keep on whining Europeans :mad:

The CDV version of CM:BO arrived on the shelves in Finland a week after the European retail release last February.

Hopefully it will be the same with CM:BB.

(Not pre-ordering, but using Force to get my copy if necessary...)

M

[Commissar]

Originally posted by Juju:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by MikeyD:

I have to say there's something suspiciously un-Battlefront.com about that piece of art.

Um, reminds me a lot of CC3, really. </font>

[ParaBellum]

Been there, ordered it.

And paleeeeaaaze not another SS/swastika/CDV discussion.

[Bruno Weiss]

Sgt_Kelly wrote:

This is dead serious. CDV have exclusive distribution rights for Europe. By the terms of their own agreement, Battlefront are not allowed to sell the game to European customers.

Game Laundering Ring Investigated!

By a Hoboken Crier Staff Writer

Tuesday, November 20, 2002; 1:50 PM

Details at eleven...

[Prinz Eugen]

It's funny that you come to think of it...

You may place your preorder to Software First in UK, but not in CDV for an English version of the game...

Should I own a credit card, I'd be a happy SF preowner already !

[Holien]

Originally posted by tero:

Oh, man ! So much for any preferential treatment for us überFinns.

And yes, placed the order. One especially nice thing about them is they do COD.

Ahhh so Finland is still using the barter system.

It is nice to see Germany responding to their poorer neighbours by accepting Fish as payment for software.

Very Green and Eco Friendly.

I see the Finns get special treatment...

H

[Sergei]

Originally posted by Munter:

The CDV version of CM:BO arrived on the shelves in Finland a week after the European retail release last February.

Hopefully it will be the same with CM:BB.

But the CDV CMBO doesn't have a Finnish manual, or does it? The translation might take its time...

And the quality of translation will anyway be along the lines of "Miinoja on henkilöstön vastaisia ja haarniskan vastaisia." Hopefully not, but if CDV ruins the manual, I shall go and take vengeance for that and what they did to Lapland! :mad: