Update: We don't know why SSE listed technical difficulties on their German site as the main reason for the price drop but we believe confusion over Amazon.de orders is probably a major factor. A few days ago SSE announced that Amazon.de would be shipping the game early enough to arrive this last Wedesday. This implied that ordering from Amazon.de was the way to go for those who wanted the game as early as possible. As it turned out, Amazon shipped several orders one or two days later than expected, while many retailers broke the official street date, offering the game earlier and at a slightly lower price.

The refund for Amazon customers can be seen as a gesture for the community members who ordered at Amazon after SSE´s announcement.