Hi - here's a post from the Produce and Lead Developer, Stephen Nichols, from the official boards:

Stephen Big Boss Man Reged: 04/13/06 Posts: 810 Loc: Austin, TX

Dungeon Runners Retail Box?!       #49191 - 02/26/08 06:09 PM Edit   Reply   Quote   Quick Reply

We've been thinking about a retail box for some time now. It was raised last year and died. However, it's being revived again this year. I'm very interested in what you guys think about this idea. So, let me spill the beans and see where that goes. Our current thinking for the retail version: $19.99 box Includes 6 months of membership. Includes exclusive access to the "Bling Gnome" pet. The Bling Gnome pet follows you around and picks up gold for you automatically. Also, every minute or so, you can tell him to pick up all loot on the ground and convert it to gold for you. This is currently being considered as a North American only release. Why not Europe? Simple. We're currently reworking our account creation process to make it much simpler and less invasive. Sadly, EU laws require us to ask lots of personal questions if we sell a box in some countries. This would apply to all free players as well as EU folks. So, we're shying away from that at this point. Also, we'd need to get buy-in from our EU office for making the retail box. And that's not likely to happen any time soon. We would also like to sell the "Bling Gnome" as an online purchase. However, we want to provide some number of months of exclusivity to the retailers before doing so. The biggest advantage to a retail product to me is that we'll get exposure to folks that aren't in the market for "free online games". This may open us up to a whole new set of customers that would never have given our game a second thought. Of course, we could all be smoking crack over here. What do you guys think? What you say may make or break this idea. It's important to note that this box will not affect your ability to play the game for free in any way. Everything you have now, you will still have. steve

So, my question to mmorpg.com readers is what do you think?  The box will include six months of membership for the price of four, will have a really cool exclusive  Bling Gnome summoned creature.

~Ripper

Personally I think with how the box would look, the fact it looks like WoW and is called dungeon runners it would do well; since it would generate a lot of interest.  But I think it needs more content first, releasing a box is kind of a big deal, and the main gripe about the game is lack of content.

Really how many new dungeons have been introduced thus far?

thank gawd for European Law... that's there for a good reason =)

although notice he hops and skips past the actual points of the law.

The EU are too busy readying up another fine spanking for microsoft concerning Office software and Windows' Internet browser.

I think it would work. They should consider talking to Dell and bundle the boxes with new computers. My brother bought a Dell recently and it had the option to get GameTap with a free gamepad. They could probably get a few new players that way. Both companies are in Texas so could work to their advantage.

They should really work out some kind of deal with Wal-Mart to sell DR there. An extra exclusive item if you buy it at wal-mart.

Dunno just throughts, but overall I think box version could work.

I still subscribe to DR.

deplorable, do you have any specific comments regarding the idea of the retail box?  Do you think it's a good or bad idea, will be a success or failure and why?

~Ripper

selling well on amazon

www.dungeonrunners.com/news/current_news/drs_box_blings_up_amazons_char.html

I would have ordered mine from amazon.com but found a better deal at gogamer.com. Their madness sale has it currently at 12.90, so I bought two copies.

Steve we need a little diversity in the bling gnome department. They all look the same and running around everywhere!

Picked up the Retail today. I've played DR off and on as it was getting polished. I loved the original game I got invited into...I loved seeing everything else evolve and stabalize.

It's great to come back, and find myself actually laughing out loud at the littlest things they added. My favorite being the undercover guy in Algernon, wearing the paper sack mouse mask and card board tail. Freaking priceless.

Glad I decided to just start all over again...seems a lot was added even to the newbie areas.

Looking forward to the next 6 months.

PS -- Ripper, glad to see you're still lurking here.

Thanks Rev - welcome back, btw:)

~Ripper

What world ya hanging out on these days, Ripper? I've been playing on World 7 just to see if the infamy lives up.

I've actually canceled most of my MMO subs and play Dungeon Runners.

Fun little game with a sense of humor.

Easy to jump into and play and easy enough to take a break from and not be completely lost when you come back to it.

Doesn't claim to be the end all and be all of games.

Fun little game.

I'm one of those W7 pricks , lol.  The whole W7 war really bugs me.  Most of the "rules" were simply they way many of us older players played.  For example, the "no trading rule" is because players like me remember when you couldn't trade purples or rainbows - they were soulbound on drop.  When that changed, we were thrilled to be able to give something away to somebody who could actually use them!

Somewhere along the way, new players started to adopt the "rules" and attempt to enforce them with all the subtlety of rabid pit bulls and everything started to go downhill.

As far as I'm concerned, play the way  you want (within the rules) and don't tell others how to play.  If you want to trade, go ahead.  If you don't, don't. If you want to ignore somebody, do so, but don't keep going on about it in chat - that just exacerbates the problem.

FYI - my main is UlrichWolfsbane.

I'll hollar if I see ya....I'm running with my Guild Wars converts; only in our teens atm but having the time of our lives. Slowly converting others along our way....as one of my buddies put it "Man even if we play this for a month and quit it, the retail box is gonna be worth it."