Due to some confusion with eBay (and possibly misreading the seller's page), I may find myself with an extra copy, $20 would almost recoup my cost. I'll know for sure by Tuesday.
WARNING WARNING WARNING ... If you buy CM4 ... you will forfeit a significant chunk of your life! Heroin is easier to kick that playing CM4. I am now on my second night of getting home at midnight and playing for 3 hours!!! Dreaming about how to fix the problem of having a half dozen players "dislike me" because I treated a player I wanted to sell off poorly. I tell my wife how I'm upset by these players and she gives me a mixed look of sympathy you have for a wounded animal and the look you give to someone that has lost touch with reality. :-D I LOVE CM4!
just a tip. now is not a good time to get hooked on Championship Manager. The latest version (Championship Manager 4) does indeed contain MLS and A League, but only with beginning of 2003 season stats and players. Championship Manager 4 03/04 (released next week) featuring stats and players up to date with this week does NOT contain MLS or A League. this not only makes american club teams non-existant in the game, it also severly hampers the US National Team in the game since most of it's players are MLS players. Sports Interactive (the company that makes the game) has not really said why they will not be included in the next and in future Championship Manager games beyond that they are restricted by a "contractual agreement" The Championship Manager franchise is also in flux because the developers Sports Interactive no longer have rights to the franchise, their publisher Eidos Interactive has taken over. the next version after CM4 03/04 will be developed by new developers and the Sports Interactive people are moving on to new endeavours.
It's PRECISELY because 03/04 won't have the US leagues/most players that I bought CM4, the withdrawal pains since 00/01 failed to work with my XP install have just been too great. And actually, you have the info a bit backwards, Sports Interactive (Collyer Bros) hold the rights to the guts of the game, and after some issues with Eidos (who doesn't have issues with them these days?) decided to part ways after this release, which ends their contract. Eidos holds the rights to the NAME 'Championship Manager', but any future game by that name will not be nearly the same.
Well, the original copy I ordered arrived today, so I'm good. For anyone still interesting in picking up the game, here's the info for that place in Longmont: http://www.dirtcheapsoftware.com/info.html#contact They say they welcome 'visitors', so it shouldn't be too hard to pry a sale out of them without having to bother with shipping hassles.
Well, my initial opinion from playing a LEGAL copy of the game is: make damn sure you grab the 'Enhancement Pack' 5. Looks pretty good after that, and I love the sounds, though I wish they'd coordinated the volume better. But then, I'm one of those sick puppies who might actually want to play the Indonesian league some day.