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<blockquote data-quote="Alphastream" data-source="post: 7647865" data-attributes="member: 11365"><p>Single local data is basically random/inaccurate data. Looking at Wizards' directory shows more than 500 locations in the US where you can play Encounters... and that has to be a fraction of all gaming stores (lots of gaming stores don't have Encounters, don't carry D&D but carry other similar products, etc.).</p><p></p><p>More than just the numbers, I am curious about the premise. I saw a lot of gaming stores closing in the '90s, but I see stores doing really well 20 years later. That's not to say individual stores don't close, shrink, etc., but overall gaming stores seem to now have better ideas on how to stay profitable (and a lot of that is by making RPGs a smaller part of their mix... they just don't compete with Magic, Pokemon, GW, etc.). Great stores bring in busloads of kids, have D&D camps for young ones, etc. Good stores don't go that far, but they have a far better business plan than "I like games and this seems like a fun job" - I heard that far too often in the '90s and '00s as I traveled around the country. </p><p></p><p>What is great about stores is that they showcase product and build community. They facilitate impulse buys, getting a gaming group, using that impulse or planned purchase. I really hope Dancey answers my earlier questions, because I'm curious just how critical this all is compared to other ways of distributing. How critical are stores to Pathfinder, given the well known Paizo-owned Paizo store? If the brick and mortar store is critical to Paizo, that says something. Is Paizo really seeing the demise of the store and worried about it?</p><p></p><p>What I see is that the overall model of RPGs is not great for stores. Stores carry D&D and RPGs because they believe in RPGs and because some of their gamers really want that content, but their profitability is in minis and CCGs and some board games. That underlying model where six gamers is really just 1 to 2 gamers buying things... that isn't a good model. Those same gamers all are spending a lot of money on video games, on movies, on many other hobby aspects, but not on RPGs. That really needs to change for our hobby to escape the boom-bust cycle. Let's keep in mind that most RPG players never post on forums (if they even heard of EN World), have just 1-2 PCs for their favorite RPG, don't own more than 1-2 player books, etc.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Alphastream, post: 7647865, member: 11365"] Single local data is basically random/inaccurate data. Looking at Wizards' directory shows more than 500 locations in the US where you can play Encounters... and that has to be a fraction of all gaming stores (lots of gaming stores don't have Encounters, don't carry D&D but carry other similar products, etc.). More than just the numbers, I am curious about the premise. I saw a lot of gaming stores closing in the '90s, but I see stores doing really well 20 years later. That's not to say individual stores don't close, shrink, etc., but overall gaming stores seem to now have better ideas on how to stay profitable (and a lot of that is by making RPGs a smaller part of their mix... they just don't compete with Magic, Pokemon, GW, etc.). Great stores bring in busloads of kids, have D&D camps for young ones, etc. Good stores don't go that far, but they have a far better business plan than "I like games and this seems like a fun job" - I heard that far too often in the '90s and '00s as I traveled around the country. What is great about stores is that they showcase product and build community. They facilitate impulse buys, getting a gaming group, using that impulse or planned purchase. I really hope Dancey answers my earlier questions, because I'm curious just how critical this all is compared to other ways of distributing. How critical are stores to Pathfinder, given the well known Paizo-owned Paizo store? If the brick and mortar store is critical to Paizo, that says something. Is Paizo really seeing the demise of the store and worried about it? What I see is that the overall model of RPGs is not great for stores. Stores carry D&D and RPGs because they believe in RPGs and because some of their gamers really want that content, but their profitability is in minis and CCGs and some board games. That underlying model where six gamers is really just 1 to 2 gamers buying things... that isn't a good model. Those same gamers all are spending a lot of money on video games, on movies, on many other hobby aspects, but not on RPGs. That really needs to change for our hobby to escape the boom-bust cycle. Let's keep in mind that most RPG players never post on forums (if they even heard of EN World), have just 1-2 PCs for their favorite RPG, don't own more than 1-2 player books, etc. [/QUOTE]
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