Well, congratulations to Stardock for their lack of copy protection, it seems to be working realy well.

One of my pet hates is how computer game makers arrange for a 'global release date', and then, strangely, the US release happens before the UK release, dispite there being no need for substantial english->english translations. [No one bothers to translate spellings like armor->armour, color->colour, civilization->civilisation etc, and if it wastes time, then I dont think they should start now.]

I have now resigned myself to having to wait till the Friday of whatever week the suposed 'global release' happens in, as in the UK all the publishers and shops have a malicious agreement not to release anything new on any day other than a Friday.

However, Paradox has decided that an extra weeks delay is somehow a good idea. GRRRR.

Something similar happened with Civ 4. There was a simple solution, however. I pre-ordered Civ 4 from Play.com at a quite reasonable price, then found a torrent online and downloaded the game, plus a crack so that it didnt need a CD to run.
My Civ 4 CD (or DvD, not sure) has yet to be opened; the paper tech tree, however is very well used.

I was expecting to do the same with GalCiv 2, I've made my preorder with Play.com (before the release date was set back, actually), and when the inevetable, but unwanted, delay was anounced, thought that I would d/l a torrent of the game, to start playing at the same time as everyone else, while waiting for my boxed version and registration key.

Somehow, though, the amazing lack of copy protection on the game, and (I presume) the respect that Stardock has engendered with this move, has resulting in no-one putting up a torrent.

So I have nothing to do for another week, until the UK copies finally start to arrive.