Good PC Import Sites?

[The Tingler]

Okay, I've now got a list of decent GameCube/console import sites... now I need some decent PC import sites.

US versions of games, obviously.

I've got Chips & Bits (www.chipsbits.com) and Import Madness.
However:
1. C&B have non-existant customer service, don't tell you if or when your game is shipped, and I got stung for import tax the last time I used them.
2. Not only have I lost all respect for Import Madness, but they offer very few Import PC games.

Specifically, I'm looking for good delivery times, good ship dates for pre-orders, to the UK, and the game I want is Far Cry.

[PH]

Use DVDBoxOffice for pre-orders. You will usually get your order 5-8 days from the release date.

Btw, is there a reason why you want the US version of Far Cry?? Isn't the difference between the US and UK release date 3 days?

[The Tingler]

Ha. 6 days.
But that's not the reason. If I tell people the reason, you'll probably laugh.
Here's a challenge - along with helping me find a decent PC-import site , you're allowed to play detective and guess what my reason is for importing Far Cry.
Sound fun?

[Super Stu]

Nope.

Btw, tried places like Amazon, EB etc?

[Crispin]

Ha. 6 days.
But that's not the reason. If I tell people the reason, you'll probably laugh.
Here's a challenge - along with helping me find a decent PC-import site , you're allowed to play detective and guess what my reason is for importing Far Cry.
Sound fun?

Not really, but you have a region 1 DVD-ROM drive/player?
Are those things even region protected on the PC?

[Super Stu]

Discs aren't encoded, video is. Won't make any difference to PC games, esp. as 99% of em are supplied on CD

I can't see any market for importing PC games, and therefore unlikely to find a site. Try normal US online outfits though, see if they'll UK ship.

[The Tingler]

Okay, okay, it was just a suggestion. Geeze.

Anyway, Amazon, EB etc. don't ship computer games outside the US. Everything else (Amazon I'm talking here) fine, but not games.

There are a fair few PC games that come out in the US first, particularly online games which don't have much of a market over here.
Deus Ex: Invisible War, Star Wars Galaxies, Armed and Dangerous and Final Fantasy XI are recent examples of a long wait between the US and Europe.

You're right by the way, PH, it is only three days. My mistake.
There is a very (well, slightly) justifiable reason why I want the US version of Far Cry, but I don't want this post to go off-topic.

[Super Stu]

SWG: yes I know, I was on it sans euro servers for 3 months.

I don't think there's enough of a market to support websites, though.

[Lyris]

I used to buy American PC games because they had nicer boxes - bigger, better made and usually with a fold-out front.

But now they're just in tiny boxes so I prefer European DVD cases, at least you can put those in a stack.

[The Tingler]

No one got any more?

[mid]

Its because you don't have a DVD drive, and only the US gets it as a 5-CD set, isn't it?

Personally, I'd just use DVDBoxOffice, or altertantively do what I occasionally have to, and get a US-residing mate to buy it and ship it over for me.

[Moodmon]

There may be a special version of UT 2004, on 2 DVDs with a bonus headset, which may be worth looking at if it doesn't coe out over here.

[SuperBeatBoy]

there is and as far as i know its only for the us

[replicant]

The headset aspect is US only, however the UK release still is the DVD edition.

As far as Im concerned its about time PC publishers moved from the CD format to the DVD format. Its easier, and far more convientent. Lets face it a dvd drive can be picked up for pennys, and a dvd burner for 100 odd quid. Hardly bank breaking.

[Lyris]

Yeah, I totally agree. XIII on PC comes on 4 CDs, so I burned a one-disc DVD version of it myself. Ditto for Max Payne 2. Stores near me sell DVD drives for 20 or so pounds, it's time to make people upgrade.