D&D (2024) Hobby Store Exclusive (Special Cover) PHB Pre-Orders Cancelled

[GreyLord]

Okay, quick update. Found out some more information that MAY affect it or not. It appears that some of this may be confusion over a delay on the alternative covers?

In Australia the delay now appears to be that the official shipment and release for Australia and South East Asia will now be getting the Alternative cover on October 11. New Zealand will be getting the alternative cover on October 18th. At least at this time, that is the plan.

I expect if there really are a loss of 90% of the pre-orders, more information will be upcoming closer to those dates. However, I expect that anyone expecting the books this month will be disappointed overall as the numbers of alternative covers reaching Australia and other areas mentioned will be minimal.

Apparently they also announced this several days ago through official channels.

PS: This unfortunately also will be the release date for the normal covers there as well, or so I think in regards to the dates they stated.

 

[guachi]

I guess we have to have our 2024 equivalent of the binding falling apart on the 1st print run back in 2014. I got a completely new set of books out of it. May everyone be made whole who ordered a copy of the special cover.

 

[Zardnaar]

I guess we have to have our 2024 equivalent of the binding falling apart on the 1st print run back in 2014. I got a completely new set of books out of it. May everyone be made whole who ordered a copy of the special cover.

I still have my broken 1st run phb.

Yay NZ.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Respect. Normally I mock the French. You woukd know about it if I was mocking ze Germans.

I was dead serious... just look up Berlin Airport .... or Stuttgart 21.

 

[Micah Sweet]

At least the regular cover version will still be available for those who want it. Better than nothing (or better than just D&DB if you want a physical book), right?

 

[Oofta]

Last time I checked WotC did not own all the printing presses worldwide. Now, if they never provide the alternative covers, that's certainly an issue. In the meantime it can take a while to figure out what the root cause of the issue was and how to rectify it not to mention who is going to pay for such a monumental f-up.

It would have been far worse if they had just shipped poor quality product just to get it out the door. I don't blame WotC for a snafu in the production chain that they have no control over.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

It would have been far worse if they had just shipped poor quality product just to get it out the door. I don't blame WotC for a snafu in the production chain that they have no control over.

I won't let WotC off quite that easily. Selecting the right printer for a book is in fact part of your job as a publisher.

If the cause of this problem is something exceptional and unexpected then yeah, maybe nobody is to blame. But if WotC failed to properly evaluate their potential suppliers and went with a printer who was never qualified to print the alternate cover PHBs, then that's a Wizards problem.

 

[Oofta]

I won't let WotC off quite that easily. Selecting the right printer for a book is in fact part of your job as a publisher.

If the cause of this problem is something exceptional and unexpected then yeah, maybe nobody is to blame. But if WotC failed to properly evaluate their potential suppliers and went with a printer who was never qualified to print the alternate cover PHBs, then that's a Wizards problem.

There are far fewer print companies than there used to be, at least in the US. They don't control the print industry and I think it's a stretch to blame them for picking the wrong one unless you have actual knowledge of the options they have available to them.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

There are far fewer print companies than there used to be, at least in the US. They don't control the print industry and I think it's a stretch to blame them for picking the wrong one unless you have actual knowledge of the options they have available to them.

The problem books were apparently printed in China. Chinese companies are eager for business and will tell you whatever they think you want to hear about their capabilities, so if you're not doing due dilligence when evaluating them you're risking ending up with results like the current fiasco.

 

[Oofta]

The problem books were apparently printed in China. Chinese companies are eager for business and will tell you whatever they think you want to hear about their capabilities, so if you're not doing due dilligence when evaluating them you're risking ending up with results like the current fiasco.

Do you have any facts on printers that ship to the areas that are hitting issues or is this just conjecture? It's easy to say Chinese manufacturers bad, and some are. But this is also likely an unusual print run. How many print runs have been done for this type of product and what information is publicly available for vetting?

I for one admit I don't know enough to make assumptions about what the options are or how you would go about vetting something like this.