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A Closer Look :::...
Club3D, I'm told, have a hard-earned reputation throughout the rest of Europe for quality and excellence. That may be so, but here in the UK they're a minor brand, and need to learn the value of hype if they ever want that to change, particularly amongst the enthusiast crowd.
The box design is clean and attractive, but in what way does it differ from any other box you'll see on any shelf in any PC store in any town in the UK? Where's the huge "512MB Equipped - Power-Gaming" sticker? Where's the window in the box showing a saliva-inducing glimpse of the card? In short, where's the hype?
I'm not known to be a fan for wildly over-the-top marketing speak, in fact Europe as a whole seems to shun the idea of aggressive marketing through "cheesy" boasts, but I do believe in selling your product and making it look, sound or feel different from the rest. These things aren't always necessary when your reputation goes before you, but as an emerging brand in a particular location they become essential, in my opinion at least.
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Box - Front View |
The back of the box goes a little further with a nice schematic diagram of the VPU and a few images demonstrating some of the more interesting technologies, but unless you've noticed the tiny "512MB" sticker on the front you're probably already walking away after reading the price tag.
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Box - Rear View |
I like the "Welcome Member" touch. It makes you feel like part of an exclusive club, Club3D, so why not expand on the idea? How about a passport style warranty card that you send off for, one that offers special discounts on certain products for "Club Members", and comes with your name on it. They needn't be huge incentives, it's just a nice touch to feel your not insignificant outlay is appreciated. Look at all the technology success stories of the past decade and most thrived on their sense of community. It's not only sex that sells.
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Box - Inside |
It's always nice when the card and contents aren't just left to rattle around inside the box at the whim of the delivery guy, and Club3D have sandwiched everything in a slab of foam.
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Box - Inside |
Leads supplied are a pass-thru auxiliary 4-pin Molex to PCI-e power cable, DVI to VGA dongle, S-Video cable and composite video adapter.
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Leads |
Two Cds are supplied in the box, one featuring Colin McRae 2005 and the other featuring PowerDVD and PowerDirector along with the usual drivers. The bundle may not be record-breakingly large but the inclusion of any 2005 title, particularly one as popular and impressive as Colin McRae is to be applauded.
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CDs |
Colin McRae Rally 2005
Provided you don't mind the whole rally sim genre, Colin McRae 2005 is a visual tour-de-force. If anything is likely to show your new graphics card at its absolute best, this will. From rain that meanders up your windscreen from the force of the wind, to blinding glare as the winter sun hits patches of ice on the road ahead, this is really something special.
Main Features:
- The #1 rally game evolves as Colin McRae Rally 2005 takes the series online for up to 8 players on PlayStation 2 and Xbox with more cars, more stages and new challenges.
- Drive the most diverse selection of cars through new, non-linear Career Challenge with over 20 individual rally events and over 300+ stages.
- 30+ featured cars include the Volkswagen Golf MK5, Toyota Celica GT-FOUR, Lancia Stratos, Alfa Romeo 147 GTA, Alfetta GTV Turbodelta, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII, Peugeot 206, 205 T16 Evo2 and the distinctive VW Beetle RSi!
- 9 international locations (new German rally joins events through UK, Sweden, USA, Finland, Australia, Spain, Greece, and Japan), in Rally game mode, each with 8 stages. Large, animated spectator crowds cheer you on through the stages.
The second CD features PowerDVD 5 and PowerDirector 3, both of which are technically legacy products since the introduction of PowerDVD 6 and PowerDirector 4, but both of which remain excellent products none-the-less.
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