On Thursday, February 19, THQ’s “Dawn of War II” was released to the masses. I was a big fan of the first installment of the game but I was on the fence as to if I would purchase the sequel. After reading a few positive reviews of the game, my mind was set, this was a game I needed to have on my computer. I noticed that the game was available on Valve’s Steam store, but I have always been a “need to have it in my hands” person. I love having boxes of classic games displayed on my shelves like animal heads mounted on the wall. Those boxes display my past conquests, a history of my gaming life if you will.
It was off to G*m*st*p to pick up a copy of the new “Dawn of War II” game. After going through their PC shelf, I was unable to find a copy of the game. I asked the clerk if they had any copies and was told that unless I had reserved the game, I was out of luck. Now, this was at 1:00 PM on the day of the retail release of the game so it is plausible that they could be out of copies. No bother, it was off to W*l-M*rt, no copies available there. I then drove to Fr*d M*y*r, no luck there. Three national retail chains… no “Dawn of War II.” Had every copy of the game in my town been snatched up?
Driving home empty-handed, I began to think about the whole digital download option. I already get my music through iTunes, can’t even remember the last time I bought a CD. Why is gaming any different. Yes, I would miss amassing those boxes, but my wife would appreciate not having any more bulky boxes taking up space. I wouldn’t have the thrill of taking all that security tape of the box either.
After a few mouse clicks, the game began downloading into my computer. I don’t know if I’ll ever buy a PC game at a retail outlet again.
