Feldon 
EQ2Wire is working on a story covering the overseas marketing and distribution strategy for EverQuest II’s sixth expansion — EverQuest II: Sentinel’s Fate.
While there have been some concerns expressed on the EQ2 Forums regarding the 7-day headstart release strategy of Sentinel’s Fate from American customers (specifically within the 48 contiguous states with guaranteed arrival by February 16, 2010), specifically from American customers who have traditionally purchased the Digital Download, this has been nothing compared to the outcry from hundreds of international EverQuest II customers.
According to the EQ2Players Announcement, the only means for EQ2 players outside of the United States to acquire either the retail box($39.99), or Collector’s Edition retail box ($69.99) and play the expansion on release day, is to purchase the game from an American retailer (Amazon.com or GameStop.com), including shipping and import duties, and gamble that the parcel will arrive in time.
Including import duties, shipping cost, VAT, and the currency exchange rate, international customers are expecting to pay upwards of $80 for the expansion, or $130 for the Collector’s Edition, with no guarantee that the box will arrive by February 16th, 2010.
Due to a breakdown in communication, Amazon.com refuses to ship the expansion outside of the United States, leaving GameStop.com as the only international option. Further breakdown in communication has resulted in BestBuy.com not offering the product at all — even to domestic customers.
EQ2Wire would like to know why EverQuest II: Sentinel’s Fate is not available for purchase from international online retailers, especially from suppliers with which SoE already has a business relationship. For example BestBuy.ca (Canada), Amazon.co.uk (UK), Amazon.de (Germany), EBGames.com.au (Australia).
Follow the discussion on EQ2 Forums: [pre-order discussion] [7 day headstart discussion]
EQ2Wire is providing SoE an opportunity to respond to these concerns and we’ll get back to you as soon as we hear from them.
~EQ2Wire~
This is an utter fiasco,yet again by SOE there isnt seemingly an international stratergy for this game,its the USA or bust for them seemingly.
Kiara’s remark to non US players “just import it then” was terrible but frankly its what ‘ve come to expect from these halfwits.
I wont be paying to import it nor will i buy it either,yes i’m going to cut my nose off to spike my face but what the hell i’ll stay subbed untill i get bored with the game and that shouldnt take to long and then SOE can say bye to my 4 accounts from my family.
The simple reason as to why i wont buy the expansion is this i’m not a second class citizen SOE assumes that i am but i’m not over the years i’ve put up with a lot of crap from them,SWG’s NGE,LoN,station cash the constant changes to EQ2 but this,seemingly small thing is the straw that broke the camels back for me,SOE can change this theres still time but they wont of that i’m sure.
SOE proove me wrong.
Its ironic, they add in LoN and then station cash to the game to try and make more money (for the better or worse to the game depending on your view point).
But then they fail to sell the game to anyone outside of the US, unbelievable really, especially when they go to all the trouble of translating the game into German and French (not sure if its Japanese too?).
Personally I think the developer team have been doing a great job and the game for me has been getting more polished over the past 2 years I’ve been playing, but this pre-launch shows exactly where the biggest problem with SOE is, someone in the sales and Marketing department needs to purchase a world globe and start investigating these countries on it.
I agree the Pre-Order should have been held up until an International Distributor had been found. But that would have made Sales & Marketing bad if they were literally costing SOE money every day they are dragging ass instead of making the game as widely available as possible.