Amazon.com no more for game purchases: Hypothetical...

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

I can't believe anyone in their right mind would buy anything online from WW again.

 

[PJ-Mason]

Yeah well I'd worry abou that PJ, but a) i have no job and b) I do not own much of anything, especially not my own place.

Damn! How'd you get THAT set-up? I want one like that.

 

[Aus_Snow]

I can't believe anyone in their right mind would buy anything online from WW again.

Er, from what or whom exactly?


In this hideous hypothetical future, I would probably track more stuff down on eBay, yes. So really, I would go from buying mostly online to buying mostly online - a transition I'm sure I could handle fairly well.

 

[JustaPlayer]

I would only buy products I believed were a cut above the rest, and then only if I thought the price was reasonable. I would become more ipcky than I am now and wouldn't buy nearly as much. Sine 3.x I have purchaced 300+ products, none of which were $10 adventures. I would never pay $50 or more for any one book. My Ptlous will either come from Amazon of not at all.

BTW I placed an order for Ptolus: $72 (Amazon Gold Box) - $25 (Amazon Gift Certificate) - $1.13 (Amazon A9) - 1.37 (3% back for Amazon card) = $44.50 If it comes, I got it at a steal, if not oh well.

 

[Mercule]

I would probably migrate mostly to eBay. Not a huge fan, but not exactly a hater, either.

Failing that, I'd either buy from my local B&N or LGS. I'm torn on the LGS. On one hand, they (theoretically) help bring people into the hobby or maintain interest. On the other hand, my experience tells me that it's harder to find a greater haven for exactly the sort of people I don't want representing my hobby.

Aside from that, my decision to favor Amazon is based on price. I can get one book for $35 at the LGS, or two for $40 on Amazon. Worst case is a 3:2 ratio. Since I actually run a budget, my gaming expenses are non-negotiable. If I want more books, I have to pay less.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

So RAR and Ptlous aren't going through Amazon.com and presumably Buy.com and other online bits.

What if other books went that rotue and even the standards like the Book of Eldritch Might, etc... were no longer being sold by Amazon.com or other online discounters. Or being sold, but with no discount?

Would you pay full price for RPGs?

Would you start hunting down e-bay more?

I already price shop using enworld.rpgshop.com, which beats Amazon on smaller-run books routinely, if Amazon even has the same books. If Amazon didn't have any RPG books (which I think is unlikely, since they're available to book retailers generally, for the most part), I'd just do even more shopping through RPGShop.

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

My personal feeling is that costs for RPG books have been inflated to slightly unrealistic levels. Because of this, I buy high-price RPG books from Amazon.com.

I use the money that I save to purchase smaller books from my FLGS. For example, I buy all of my Dungeon Crawl Classic modules from my local store, but I buy all of my WOTC books from Amazon.com.

Honestly, the only reason I buy from a brick-and-mortar store at all is because I want to support this particular store and owner.

For high-price items that are not being sold through Amazon.com, I am willing to wait 2 years and pick them up as used books. By not selling through Amazon.com at a discount, those publishers won't get my money for those products (since buying through the secondary market doesn't end up in their pockets).

Please understand that I don't find any fault with the decisions of these publishers. I understand their position and wish them the best -- I hope the succeed! Rappan Athuk and Ptolus look like great products, and I bear the publishers no ill will over the fact that they are currently out of my price range!

 

[sckeener]

I see no use for the LGS except as a meeting place to play.

There are plenty of places to meet...colleges, churches (I use to game at one on the 3rd Friday - the event was called CLAG - Clear Lake Association of Gamers), libraries, etc....

The mythical use of the gaming store is to provide a focus for gamers, exposure to new systems, etc.

Personally I think a website can be a focus and the local gaming club can provide the exposure....

The only problem I see is there are few (any?) generic country wide clubs....RPGA is WotC and what we need is a RPGA for any type of gaming...from role playing to boardgames to Warhammer....

an Enworld Club?

 

[Ottergame]

I can't believe anyone in their right mind would buy anything online from WW again.

After the horrific way in which they packed and shipped Ptolus, I won't be ording from their online store. Dodged the bullet by getting one of the few Ptolus that wasn't mangled.

 

[tahsin]

No and No... I don't like buying more then a VERY few books at full price, and I am not a big eBay fan either.

So, books that are not listed there I rarely look at... if it REALLY blows my socks off when I look at it in the FLGS I might grap it on the impluse, but that does not happen as much as it use to.

Supporting FLGS is cool and all, but its a business and I am not that a loyal a customer to any business... just me though

I have to agree.