So how will we get our FREE copy?

It will appear in our games list once the beta begins.

This is not official information but near to 100% certain being true.

Yea, I would guess that as well.  Is FE even going to have physical copies?  Like in the store and such?  I could care less, I don't need a physical copy with impulse.  Or maybe I do now...who knows what Gamestop will do in the future...

That becomes a good question also. Since some of us bought PHYSICAL copies shouldn't we get FREE PHYSICAL COPIES of FE? I mean tit for tat you know, alls fair in bad games releases and war.

I would not get too greedy...

I think they hinted that FE would in fact only be digitally distributed.

They didn't hint at it, they flat out said it. Of course that was back when they owned Impulse, so hopefully someone thought about that when writing the sale contract.

I don't have an exact answer, maybe Derek can chime in, but when the time nears we will explain how the process will work.

I don't see any reason why you should.

My hope is that was just a lame attempt at humor, instead of an epic entitlement-issue fail.

Nah, there's still some people hung up on physical copies.

Physical copies are nice, but to expect one for free (or 2 in my case since I pre-ordered the physical limited edition) as your giveaway is pretty weak.  We're already getting 1-2 free games, come on.  

To be clear, Stardock is choosing to give them to us as gifts for our loyalty (suffering? :-p); we're not actually entitled to anything.

could careless theby will say how when the time comes

What happens if gamestop (per the terms of service change) simply declines to provide it or honor it?

The free games were likely part of the terms of sale.

And GameStop will get $0 from any Elemental games sold on Impulse anyway, so they couldn't really care less about this issue.

Greedy?  There is nothing greedy about wanting a physical copy (with a good manual one can hope)

Well, then everybody else except you and Femmefatale think it is....

And manuals for Stardock games are unnecessary since the games mechanics change quite radically.

Unnecessary? How about "a lost cause" instead. But no, that's wrong--if they ever do finally start valuing documentation, there's no reason at all that the constant-updates process couldn't include updates to a PDF manual, or better yet a constantly-updated PDF supplement to a print manual that actually added value to the SKU for a hard copy purchase.

But that's a general remark, sort of off-topic for the thread.

The entitlement take on the free copies of FE is just silly. Sure, I'm very disappointed with how WoM turned out and I paid for the box with the dragon fig in it. But I'm surprised and very faintly hopeful that FE might be at least in the neighborhood of what I've hoped for Elemental since years before it had a formal name. Expecting Stardock to pay for a full boxed game with printed manual when they are giving away many (thousands of?) licenses just doesn't make sense. Not if we want that game group in their larger software shop to keep producing and keep getting better.

I believe he meant a printed manual. A PDF manual with updates where everything's explained (like in the Heroes V fanmade manual) would be excellent but wanting a 300page printed manual (like the AoW manual) is not realistic.

I would like a physical copy considering that I paid 50 bucks for a physical copy of WOM. I have tried to be patient, but it is hard when you bought a game expecting a game and got something that was comparable to alpha testing. We aren't being greedy here, we are just being reasonable considering we paid to wait for a game that is barely even playable a year later.

As patient and understanding as you clearly think you're behaving, you're actually coming off as very entitled.  I specifically have said (correctly) that we were not ever owed anything - we bought a game and it wasn't good.  That happens all the time, and doesn't entitle the owner of the unappealing game to anything at all.  Stardock is taking a truly extraordinary step in providing their next game for free to the entire installed base of their game (as of the end of 2010, which was probably the vast majority of all purchases).

In fact, I am worried about their income, since many of the likely initial purchasers are now receiving it for free (don't front - if you like fantasy 4x and the reviews were strong, you would have bought it). Personally I want them in a strong position to make good games going forward, so I would have been happy to pay - I just would have waited for reviews first this time.

Well, I've played several Stardock games before this. Sins being one of my favorite strategy games, and when I went to buy this I saw it was a Stardock game I figured it would be reasonable at least.

This game was a joke, a scam was more like it. We all payed to alpha test a game.

Stardock also know that if they didn't release the game for free that they would lose a huge amount of customers, it isn't an extraordinary step - it is a business move. If you think it is anything more than them groveling for more business then you are foolish. My intentions were not to come here and complain or argue, but to give an honest opinion.

Accidental double post

Getting FE for free is their attempt to make good for WoM being what it is. Saying that a free expansion isn't good enough becuase you want a boxed copy shipped to you also for free is ridiculous. That would cost a fortune in extra expense that should be spent working on the game.

Fact is - physical copies of PC games are going away. Better get used to it.

And good riddance, I say! I play the game, not hug the box. It's a needless waste of resources - packaging virtual content into a painted paper box full of air and transporting it over the globe. I always considered it an atrocity.