Runyan99 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 I asked my Steel Box to make me a ham sandwich today, and it wouldn't even do that. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankster65 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 It´s not that you are wrong in voicing opinions or indeed complaints, it´s the frankly ludicrous level om importance you seem to attach to it. M. +2 Beautiful 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battlefront.com Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Well, let's address the issues and not the rant. Rants aren't really worth addressing 1. If the box arrived busted up, contact sales@battlefront.com. So far there's been 3 reported busted that I know of. Percentage wise it doesn't even register. The extra cost for sending out "Amazon" style would have to be borne by the 99.9% of our customers who got a perfect condition box. So, if we do this again we'll be using padded envelopes again. 2. The thing is called a "Steelbox". It's not our name for it, it's the name of the product. We posted a video of it, but I guess we should have described it in detail too. We didn't think that was necessary. For some it appears it was. Having never worked with this product before I think we should be forgiven for not anticipating every possible source of complaint. Obviously it's in nobody's best interests, least of all ours, to have there be disappointment. 3. We've printed dozens of different manuals over the years. The quality of the manual, in terms of the binding, paper, and cover are quite good. The general lightness of the printing itself could have been darker. In fact, it looked darker on the proofs, so we didn't expect it would come out this way. So agreed, it could have been a little better. 4. The size of the manual is a problem for a game like CM. The manual, even with this font size, could have been another 50 pages easy. Probably another 100. But then we get into biding problems with a manual that thick. Increase the font size would explode the manual's overall page count and that would drive up the cost way beyond what it this manual cost. So much we don't think it would be viable to print because of low customer acceptance of the price. As a general comment about printed manuals... we're trying hard to continue offering printed manuals to the early customers who want them. But it's becoming a bigger and bigger problem with each passing year. There's already very little wiggle room for making this a commercially viable option for us in this world of every escalating costs and ever decreasing customer interest in paying for them. We're willing to stick to it as long as possible, however, since we know that theoretically the interest in printed manuals exists. When theory and reality diverge a bit more than we'll be going download only for good. Steve 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigJ62 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Yes it could have been. 3. We've printed dozens of different manuals over the years. The quality of the manual, in terms of the binding, paper, and cover are quite good. The general lightness of the printing itself could have been darker. In fact, it looked darker on the proofs, so we didn't expect it would come out this way. So agreed, it could have been a little better. Steve 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battlefront.com Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 If any of you have worked with printers, you'd know how much fun it is. Steve 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisND Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 If any of you have worked with printers, you'd know how much fun it is. Steve Ugh. I used to have to work with printers to make big posters detailing research findings for my lab. It was a lot of "fun" seeing how much they could screw up the colors and make pictures almost unintelligible. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillLight Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 vonRocco: fraud? Really? You paid 5$ extra for this over the ddownload, 5$! BFC must be rolling around in all the extra cash they made from the gullible pre-orderers. Pull your head in mate. When it rains it rains, it doesn't mean the world is out to get you. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackcat Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 "As a general comment about printed manuals... we're trying hard to continue offering printed manuals to the early customers who want them. But it's becoming a bigger and bigger problem with each passing year. There's already very little wiggle room for making this a commercially viable option for us in this world of every escalating costs and ever decreasing customer interest in paying for them. We're willing to stick to it as long as possible, however, since we know that theoretically the interest in printed manuals exists. When theory and reality diverge a bit more than we'll be going download only for good. Steve" Go now, Steve, go now. The days of the printed manual are over. If you free yourselves from the shackles of dead trees you could afford to pay someone to write a comprehensive manual, available in PDF only, and still have lots of money left over. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futon river crossing Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Still waiting for my steel box 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgie Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Please make the PDF black on white. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonRocko Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 vonRocco: fraud? Really? You paid 5$ extra for this over the ddownload, 5$! BFC must be rolling around in all the extra cash they made from the gullible pre-orderers. Pull your head in mate. When it rains it rains, it doesn't mean the world is out to get you. Will you read my post more carefully before you make a dumb comment. I never called it fraud.I'm not even upset, just telling it like it is. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
titanwarrior Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 My steel box collectors was busted up as well....I agree with the poster. But oh well! But at least the manual is in good shape. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GDog Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 My box was broken too, but I don't care. It's the $90 CDN it took to get it to my door that hurt, but $16 of that was not BF's fault, unless you count their choice of shippng method and the resulting duty as a strike agaisnt them. I don't know what it would have taken to get it here duty free, I always thought USPS was the best choice for cross border shipping into Canada from the US, but it's hit and miss. The manual, meh I can read it but likely won't often. Overall, I wish I had of waited and stuck with download only. Live and learn. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoolaman Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 It would be fair to acknowledge that the term Steelbook TM was used in all Battlefront communications and there were even links through to the steelbook website. I think battlefront gave customers every chance to educate themselves on what the case was actually going to be. It is a prety standard "premium" DVD case. So I don't get the complaints "its plastic!!1!" 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volodnikov Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 It would be fair to acknowledge that the term Steelbook TM was used in all Battlefront communications and there were even links through to the steelbook website. I think battlefront gave customers every chance to educate themselves on what the case was actually going to be. It is a prety standard "premium" DVD case. So I don't get the complaints "its plastic!!1!" Hoolaman is correct. It was advertised as a Steelbook, not a steel box. A quick Google search of "Steelbook" reveals what they are. There's even Youtube videos of DVD collectors who handle the cases, giving a good impression of what they are like. I'm not a DVD collector so I had never heard of Steelbooks before, but it wasn't too hard to find out what they are. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ales Dvorak Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 It would be fair to acknowledge that the term Steelbook TM "its plastic!!1!" It's Steal Box™ 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shredder Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Wow. When I come across a post like this it makes me think of this comic routine. It's hilarious and very timely for this particular rant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongLeftFlank Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I thought the manual was very nicely done myself -- I own a number of period US Army field manuals and they look very much like this. And to me, the steelbox seems to cover the basics -- attractive, protects the DVDs. I suppose though that if you were expecting the Band of Brothers ration tin, you might legitimately feel let down, given the hype (and the video). Sorry you feel that way. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Malcolm Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I'm still awaiting my Steelbook edition of CMBN. I have (and and am most happy with) the download side of things. Apart from a nice box I am awaiting a readable manual. If you must release two PDF versions of the manual with the product then that might be a clue that one of them is useless. I'm a big fan of keeping things simple. I've worked in pre-press for around 18 years. I am grateful for a printed manual. At the moment it's pretty much the reason I might face some horrendous customs charges... it had better be readable. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ales Dvorak Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 And to me, the steelbox seems to cover the basics - It's not Steelbox it's Steelbook. p.s. That's where the Problem is. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenAsJade Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 FWIW, when I ordered I thought I was ordering a steel box. I do think that the promotion of this thing was misleading, and I did have a feeling of "WTF?" when I first read that it was not the case. I'm yet to receive it, so I don't know how ripped off I feel. You might say "you dummy, how could you think they would really ship a steel box?", but lets face it that was the whole attraction of the deal: something really unusual. This kind of marketting deception is a slippery slimey slope... GaJ 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medlinke Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 If any of you have worked with printers, you'd know how much fun it is. Steve I do, but I've never had margins come out wonky or not seen that the color on color was too little contrast for easy reading. For the record, I really like what was attempted with the manual. It was a cool artistic direction, but for many folks tone on tone is VERY hard to read. Thankfully I'm not one of those folks, but I count myself lucky in that regard because I know that tone on tone is becoming more popular. In terms of the margins, I've never dealt with a printer who wouldn't deliver a proof that was both bound and of the same quality as my final product. It seems like this would be something that any good printer would have advised you about upon page layout and any reputable printer would have accepted as a modification upon comment from a client. The PDFs, however, serve as much nicer reference materials anyway than a printed manual. I like mine on my iPad so I can quickly search and check things out as they come up during play. A lot handier than trying to keep a printed booklet open with one hand while trying to play with the other! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ales Dvorak Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 FWIW, when I ordered I thought I was ordering a steel box. Same here. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoolaman Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 People can really get carried away, some people were expecting something else/more, I'm not sure what exactly, but if you see someone say it is all made of plastic that is BS. A steelbook has 95% metal with a slick looking screen-printed and sometimes embossed metal front and back, it has a plastic spine and plastic inner to hold the disc. DVD collectors think they are the ducks nuts it seems. But they are just a case for your disc, they don't do tricks. All the brands of premium metal DVD cases will have a plastic insert. Some have metal hinges but not all. The Simpsons movie collectors edition I bought has a metal box but just has a regular version plastic DVD case inside. http://www.bluraysteelbooks.com/steelbook-resources/ 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenAsJade Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I can't tell if you are joking, you don't even have it yet and you resent it and call it deceptive? I wasn't joking, and I was trying to be fair ... I said I hadn't decided whether I feel resentful until I receive it. (I edited my original post even prior to reading your response, to clarify) I also reported that when I read "this box is not a steel box" I did think "WTF, I thought I purchased a steel box". I am trying to find where I read something that made me think this, I haven't tracked it down. What I do think is deceptive is marketting that makes you think you are buying something that you are not buying. It's already a fact that 1) The marketting made me think I was buying a steel box 2) It's reported that it is _not _ a steel box. So this is a slippery slope. That's what I meant to say. How far down the slope we are is a matter of opinion, and I can't have any more of an opinion till I get the thing GaJ 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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