D&D 5E Chapters/Indigo and the death of the FLGS

[pkt77242]

While I'm a firm believer that you should never assume malice when stupidity is an equally valid explanation, it seems a little widespread for incompetence.

But then, maybe I'm an optimist.

Street dates get broken pretty often (I have seen it many times in DVDs, Music and Video Games) sometimes through choice (wanting to give a friend a copy) many times from incompetence or poor training/plan. I am going to bet that the average worker at a large bookstore doesn't know the street date for the PHB (it might mean the world to us but not to them) as it isn't a release like a Harry Potter book that is crazy hyped. So I would view it as likely incompetence on their part.

 

[Gundark]

As for whether there will be fallout, we'll have to see. I feel there should be, and if there is a financial penalty, then they should be made to pay it.

Will there? What fall-out would there be? What would Wizards do to them as punishment? They could Fine them (unlikely). They could withhold product (yeah right).

I think there is ZERO that Wizards could do to them that has any meaningful consequence.

 

[Kobold Stew]

That's probably true. Fines were mentioned upthread; I'm not aware of what contracts exist, or how these things are usually enforced.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

That's probably true. Fines were mentioned upthread; I'm not aware of what contracts exist, or how these things are usually enforced.

Speaking as a Canadian retailer who jumps through WotC's hoops to get WPN status so I can get the books earlier, because they sure don't give 'em to me cheaper (for example there was a 4e book that Amazon was selling for a cheaper price than our net cost. Yes, that's right, customers could get them for cheaper on Amazon than I could get them from WotC for)...

I informed WotC about Chapters when the Starter Set shipped in June. I did a bunch of research FOR THEM to prove it to them. They said they'd look into it, and that it was unlikely I would ever be informed of the results.

Now the PHBi is out on Chapter's shelves, while I've got the books but CAN'T SELL THEM without breaking my terms of Sale.

It looks looks like WotC didn't do anything about it at all.

The consequences of breaking street date hurts Chaperts not at all, but it could seriously harm my business. Besides, I personally told the guys at the distributor that I wouldn't sell them before Friday, and I don't like to break my word.

 

[Agamon]

It's odd, I've never heard of a video game/system being released early or a movie being shown early. Is it because books (and especially RPG books) just aren't a big deal?

Anyway, I'm Canadian and I'm getting it from a gaming store tomorrow...not that I didn't try pre-ordering from Indigo. It just didn't ship on time to get it by tomorrow, so I cancelled. And that's mostly because I have to drive 300 km one way to get to a WPN store. I'd rather not, if I didn't have to. I'd have gladly supported the local store, but they're MtG/FNM only, they don't run Encounters anymore. The price wasn't a big deal (obviously...I'm spending $50 in gas alone to get this thing).

 

[Obryn]

Yeah, at this point, it's more unusual when Chapters DOESN'T break street date on gaming books. They did it on 4e, too.

 

[Gundark]

That's probably true. Fines were mentioned upthread; I'm not aware of what contracts exist, or how these things are usually enforced.

Yeah I'm sure D&D isn't a huge seller for them, so WotC fines them and they just stop carrying WotC products.

 

[Gundark]

It's odd, I've never heard of a video game/system being released early or a movie being shown early. Is it because books (and especially RPG books) just aren't a big deal?

This. Chapters doesn't care because 5e isn't going to sell big at all compared to other books/products. Once the 19th passes they will sell barely any at all in their physical stores.

I'm guessing here but it would probably hurt WotC more to enforce something like this than they'd gain from enforcing it.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Speaking as a Canadian retailer ...

The consequences of breaking street date hurts Chaperts not at all, but it could seriously harm my business. Besides, I personally told the guys at the distributor that I wouldn't sell them before Friday, and I don't like to break my word.

Thank you for making my point much clearer and with authority than I can. I feel for you, man. This is exactly what I'm saying.

Yeah I'm sure D&D isn't a huge seller for them, so WotC fines them and they just stop carrying WotC products.

And that's a win, right?

 

[reiella]

While I'm a firm believer that you should never assume malice when stupidity is an equally valid explanation, it seems a little widespread for incompetence.

But then, maybe I'm an optimist.

A lot of book vendors ignore release dates on books that aren't Harry Potter. I know when I worked at a book store, we didn't care.

[ edit ]
To add about it. I did catch a few RPGs that were going to be stocked before release date, but generally, we just assumed that street date notation was in error (and they often were issued in error).

Mostly as books took up the most space in the stockroom .