But a trial does exist - and it illustrates the flexibility of the DRM solution chosen... any potential user is able to install the software on any device that will run it. All he then needs is to be able to access his own (or another 'borrowed' license) and can do so from anywhere on his network (including a WAN so long as sufficient permissions exist for the necessary handshakes and optionally Hamachi or similar VPN software). If he chooses he can also add secondary licenses to the CM stick and share these (and his primary license if he doesn't want to join in too) to others on his 'network'.

This is a way that many people have used to trial the software recently - you get the full version to try out, plus an immediate access to helpful and knowledgeable members of the SB community who can answer questions, join in MP sessions, give advice and feedback etc, as the license is frequently hosted by those with more experience in using SB Pro (in both military and PE versions sometimes).

No one needs to wonder if the software will run on his system or whether the style of simulation/control will be accessible & sufficiently controllable for their needs - they can explicitly test this for no risk except their time to install and test, before purchasing if they consider it would meet their needs... Further, the resale value of the software seems to hold very well, so 'cost' of owning the software for a few years is no more than 1 mid-range title if you did decide to recoup expenses by selling it off - (but you must have the dongle in good working condition - don't lose it and try not to break it). Short-term you can again 'borrow' a license to continue playing while waiting for a replacement/repair but it will cost you something to ship and replace the device.

You're right, forgot about buying an additional license and loan it to someone you know. I was thinking more along the lines of a demo specific DRM without the dongle. I have been debating buying a license for my son to try as well.....doooh! So, yes, there is a way. Try it, you'll enjoy it once you get all the controls figured out, not meaning its impossible. I wish someone had offered me a trial version, though admittedly my mind was made up without the demo, its that good.

Matt

I for one am glad that we had this debate, and could clear up a few misconceptions about SB Pro PE that way.

Wow! This basically started because I responded to a a screenshot thread about price vs. quality. I was hesitant to post it because I figured it would just turn into a flame war with nasty responses and not a level headed, quality debate. I guess the tank guys are more 'grounded' and 'level headed'...lol

I still have not gotten SB but it is on my list of things to get, though I wish there was a demo, I can understand why there is not. I also think the license borrowing idea is decent way to try it out but a traditional demo would be much easier for the casual passer by and for one that does not visit the forums. As one member said earlier, maybe a narrated quality video that shows a demo from starting the software to the opening screens to options to vehicle selection to pre planning and maps to load out to the actual mission and then mission end.

Like I said before, I just want this sim and ALL sims to grow and gain more followers. The industry needs more companies like ESim and DCS. I would love to see SB on the cover of PC Gamer. Sorry, this is 2012, not 1995.

But I will say this. The main reason I never bought SB is because the most expensive game I ever bought was Matrix War in the Pacific for $89.99 and I just never really played it. Now I know SB is on a different level and genre than WITP, but something burned me up inside to spend that extra cash and not use it. I can't even begin to tell you how many $49.99 games I bought and never used, but something about spending $49.99 doesnt bother me as much.

This isn't the Cliffs of Dover section you know

I posted this in another thread, but I have several licenses available if anyone wants to try pro pe. They are on a server running 24/7. PM me for details if you are interested.

I am also willing to lend my license for short periods so that people may try.I have already helped a few out this past month and heard more than a few giggles once they experienced firing KE down range.

I had no qualms in paying what works out to be about £65 for SB Pro PE as I do not mind paying above the norm for PC sims. I paid £50 for DCS A-10C when I bought the Beta and the same for Black Shark plus £12 recently for the update the BS2 and again have no problem with that.

I would not pay more than £30 for 'normal' PC games as I feel they are not worth more than that as their life span is limited for me as I rarely go back and play again, with the sims I have mentioned I do.

I get more than my monies worth with SB Pro PE and therefore ends up being cheaper than a £30 game, if that makes sense.

It's a trick..be careful!! You will purchase this game after playing it a few hours with that license!
BUT BUT.. I mean "YOU" will purchase it!! Nothing tricky in the background.. it's that good if you like tanks.

I probably purchased about every game out there with a tank at some point or another.. except this one for years! I could not justify paying 100.00 plus for a game!

After playing about an hour with the license, I got a friend to join in.. together we played maybe one or two net games and both agreed.. whoops..there goes 100.00 bucks on a game! It's just that good in feeling and sound. Played against each other and teamed in a tank.. "pleasant experience" found only in Red Orchestra series using Darkest hour mod to date. The graphics remind me of ArmaII level and work out fine although I will be hunting out Hi rez building mods and road mods. Sometimes looks aint everything.. and this just feels right! From watching the boys bail out the back of a bradley to getting baked in a M1!

I can honestly say though, the youtubes. ads and reviews never got me to turn loose that 100+ pricetag. It took the demo/temp play. Graviteams Steel Armor Blaze of War does look better except they didn't add in the network play..sigh.. and does not have the solid feel or ease of play as steelbeasts has. I like both but I really needed a game I could ride inside the M60 and priced right, graviteam did that nicely.. so I am content having both now...

As a brand new users I can only take off scores for the Network having no drop in.. which was the case of rise of flight for about a year.. then they got smart. And yes, they both are the same type games imo. There is always room for reserves in war. And the getting stuck in ponds here and there does get a bit annoying but more or less users fault! Ok, maybe the AI not turning to the most powerful enemy in his line of sight has it's moments. But the AI sure knows how to get around trees overall..maybe a few stucks here and there.. Still, one of the best in AI performance in this respect.

Other than that..this game is a winner and needs more advertising now that 100+ price tag is more on line with the 60.00 triple A titles now selling on the market. Yes, more advertising is probably needed, but people do find it if they like tanks.

Just my opinion obviously and thanks for a good game eGames and the use of the License SeanSB!!

Glad you like it! I think an all out free for all demo would simply overwhelm our ability to support it correctly. This "unofficial" one allows us to help a few people at a time get it going and see what it is like.

Actually, that's a great attitude for a company to have. Ability to take care of a few over the cries of the masses will be a much lighter task and probably allow the game to grow through the years in the companies vision and not bending to pressures. Not often you see a company pass up money for the chance to see their vision come to life. ~salute~ for that. I also like the idea that 100.00 invested would make the user actually get involved more. makes sense, although less money. In the end as we grow old , we learn money isn't everything.

If you don't like the price, you don't have to buy it. But $125 isn't too much to ask for such a great package: all the detail and realism of a true hard-core sim and all the variety, flexibility, and fun of a survey sim. Almost equally good at both single player and multiplayer gameplay. You can always ask for more, but this is plenty for the price.

I first read about Steelbeasts on Frugals many years ago, searched and found the eSim website then seen the price and at that time it was out of my reach which is probably as well as I did not have the time to play it. I looked at the SB forums every now and then but still the price tag put me off, then one day trying to load up M1 Tank Platoon on my PC and everything looking so poor and difficult to control made me wish for a better tank sim and I remembered SB, by now I had retired and had a bit more time to myself so I took the plunge in 2007 and purchased SB Pro PE, it is the one thing that has remained on my PC ever since.

Recently UK Armour started up as a unit to play SB with a British flavour and that prompted me to play online, I had got a second licence for my son and my multi player experience was limited to that. Now with some ex army chaps in the squadron they are taking us through a training session to get us to fight as a unit, wow, I wish I had tried this sooner it is so much better when fighting as a combined arms team and I look forward to the online sessions.

SB PRo PE has come on a long way since 2007 nevermind how far it has come since it was first released. If you love tanks you will love this sim and the on going cost of it is very little, esp. if you see what my son spends on Call of Duty/Battlefield type games. If I had the chance to have a demo like they have now all those years ago I would have bought it long time ago.

Alicatt has said it all ... As a newcomer to SB (and UKArmour) the price didn't phase me. If the software works, and works well, developers deserve their return ; business doesn't run on fresh air. As far as the business model is concerned, I like it. I don't have to have a PC the size of a refrigerator and it has a realism which is refreshing and totally immersing. The other point is one of simple service. It is so refreshing to be able to talk (email) to a person, and Snake never seems to sleep! This is something one doesn't experience with many software simulations.

One other aspect of note is the absence of people on SB forums venting their spleen in some kind of a rant! There are differences of opinion. but they seem to be just that. Most refreshing!

I would underline what Alicatt said about having access to more experienced (and professional) people. SB is a steep learning curve, but man, have I learned a lot in a very short space of time because of other members in the online company. We make mistakes, we encounter problems, but it's fun, because we're learning together. Surely that's the point of it all ..?

...at least providing an entertaining learning experience was one of the more refined points that we hoped to achieve.

I just got access to the trial late last night and stayed up until 3am playing some Leopard tutorials, so I haven't actually spent the $125 yet. But here's my thoughts.

When I moved to Australia in 2006, the typical price of a new game was between $100-120 AUD, which is pretty much the same in USD at the current exchange rate. Now if you shop at the right places, a new game is usually $68-100, so prices have come down a bit. The point is that for Aussies, $125 isn't too far off the price we're used to paying for games.

I think more people would spend their money on such a game if it wasn't so damn expensive and came with a better advertising standpoint. Coming from an outside view, I'd value a tank sim such as Steel Armor: Blaze of War over SB because it's
1.) cheap ( I purchased my copy at $10, never breaching the $50 mark even when not on sale)
2.) has a more realistic crew intercom system (in comparison with the promotional video's)
3.) has the capability for amazing graphics, even if you're like me and can't use them all.
4.) Isn't $125


Not all of us "Tank Nut's" are rolling in cash, which is really the only reason I haven't purchased it yet. I'm also alittle worried about purchasing the current version because I've been under the impression that you have to buy each successive update, which is a real killer for me.

Also, the demo refuses to work for me for some reason.

whukid - what is the error or problem that you are having when trying to play the "demo"?

if you don't need a printed manual and dvd SB Pro PE costs $100 dollars: http://www.esimgames.com/purchase.htm

some define $100 dollars as a lot of money, but many will think it is the best $100 dollars they have ever spent on a pc "game".

yes, eSim Games, does release an upgrade for SB about every year and a half that we pay $25 dollars for, but it always contains additions that are well worth that $25 dollars.

i am happy to pay the price, and i think it is great that eSim still supports their product by making these "upgrades" for it.

#1 and #4 are essentially the same argument. There's a number of solutions for that - you could start monitoring eBay for a used copy; they aren't terribly cheaper than the original, but still. (By the way, this also says a lot about how much money it REALLY costs if a game that is out since 2006 can still be sold through eBay for about 80% of its nominal price - in other words, if you bought it on release day 2006 then and now sold it for $80, it would have cost you in total $65.- in six years, or $10.84 per year. Sounds like the price is actually very close to that in your argument #1... Occasionally there are special offers from eSim Games. Last November we offered SB Pro PE for $85.-; there was a similar deal at the 10th anniversary for more than three months; similar offers may be made in the future. Fundamentally though, the age-old problem of not having enough money to buy X has a very traditional solution - start saving.
I know, it's not a popular advice, but it's known to be reliable. It works.

The upgrades aren't mandatory, but it seems like they have been juicy enough for most of our customers to actually buy them. How else are we supposed to make money for the ongoing development effort? You may be working long hours for your money - so are we. We need bread and a bed too, and there's a group of us who need to be kept alive. Our effort is worth it - at least to us. Whether it is to you, only you can decide.
Don't tell me that you can't afford it. If you don't want it, that's okay. But already by owning a computer-game suitable computer you demonstrate that there's disposable income for needless luxury. Of course there always still the question whether or not you value a product high enough to justify the price, and since value judgment is a highly subjective matter, only you can decide.


I guess, what it really boils down to is that you couldn't yet check out the demo. Fine, let's work on that. Did you contact the official demo email at SteelBeasts.com, or did you try to set it up with someone else who was willing to borrow you a license? Unfortunately, the demo is technically a bit more challenging to set up than the normal version, so you need to think a bit about firewall configuration and port forwarding in your router.

But we're here to give you advice, if you need it.

Well. I'm going to take it that this; http://www.fileplanet.com/45253/40000/fileinfo/Steel-Beasts-Demo-v1.19 isn't the demo.. In which case, I'll be right back.