If you shopped at WalMart.com...

[TalonComics]

Does anyone know if they are really shiping or not? USPS claims it got the shipping order on the 11th a day after I got the release dealy email from Wal-Mart. What is the offical WotC release date any way?

The official street date is July 18th. Well over two months ago WotC sent out a notice letting distributors and retailers know that the street date was being bumped a week from the 11th to the 18th.

Personally, and somehow I doubt I'll find out, I'd like to know why everyone else has to follow a street date when Wal-Mart, Amazon and any other massive discounter does not.

~D

 

[Camarath]

Personally, and somehow I doubt I'll find out, I'd like to know why everyone else has to follow a street date when Wal-Mart, Amazon and any other massive discounter does not.

If I had to take a blind guess I would say volume.

 

[shoplifter]

FWIW, Amazon has yet to ship anything IIRC.

 

[Darrin Drader]

Derek,

Send your concern in and your sales rep will figure out if there's a problem. I suspect there may have been some crossed wires concerning the release dates, but I could be wrong. In any event, I guarantee you that it is not WotC's policy to give any advantage to chain stores over local game stores.

 

[Iron_Chef]

Any FLGS who sticks to WoTC street dates is asking for it, IMO. None of the big boys give a damn about street dates, yet if WoTC finds out an FLGS isn't sticking to them, they threaten to sanction them. The FLGS takes it in the shorts, as a significant number of their customers who would have bought the books from their FLGS instead buy them from chain stores & e-tailers who are virtually guaranteed to break street dates AND sell for absurd discount prices. I bought all the 3.5 books from Wal-Mart.com for 41% off MSRP... that's only $17.62 per book. Why did I do it? Because I want the books NOW and I want them CHEAP. I don't think it's fair for WoTC to charge an extra $10 per book for a revision (a new edition would be different), and I don't think it's fair that people in Europe have had their @#$! 3.5 books over a week already. So, I'm voting with my wallet to tell WoTC 1) street dates are unenforceable and create unfair competition, and 2) their books are too damn expensive at MSRP.

Who's the loser in all this? The FLGS. But I'm not paying full price AND waiting until the 18th. That's stupid. The internet is killing the FLGS, bit by bit, but WoTC is (unintentionally?) helping to kill them--one of their most important allies in promoting their gaming products--even faster. Ce la vie.

 

[Iron_Chef]

I guarantee you that it is not WotC's policy to give any advantage to chain stores over local game stores.

It may not be WoTC's policy, but it is their practice, because they haven't done anything about it. Why? Because they can't afford to aliennate Wal-Mart, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Buy.com or other big retailers/e-tailers who routinely violate street dates with impunity.

 

[TalonComics]

Derek,

Send your concern in and your sales rep will figure out if there's a problem. I suspect there may have been some crossed wires concerning the release dates, but I could be wrong. In any event, I guarantee you that it is not WotC's policy to give any advantage to chain stores over local game stores.

Believe me, I've been on the phone pretty much daily with my distributor regarding this situation and from what I understand they have been doing likewise with WotC. The main problem is convincing WotC that this is going on and then them giving the go ahead to release the books.

I have yet to see any WotC employee even post that they're aware of the situation and are dealing with it. For them to even deny it would be a joke and to say "we're telling Wal-Mart to stop shipping on the books" would be even more of a joke.

At this point, as far as I'm concerned, my and other distributors should be allowed to release the books when they receive them on Monday. It's fair and it will at least look like someone cares about the hobby at WotC.

I guess we'll see what happens on Monday.

~D

 

[Doomsdaisy]

That's right. Keep buying books from Amazon and Wal-Mart and when your local game store goes out of business you will only have those two to choose from.

Small comic and game shops are hurting nationwide because they can't compete with big chain stores or massive online retailers. But the one thing they do offer is variety. I just dare you to try and convince Wal-Mart to special order you some small press d20 supplement or a specific mini you want for your new character.

Support your local stores. Sure you may have to pay a little bit more, but by supporting their presence in the community you are contributing to the health of your hobby in general.

 

[shoplifter]

That's right. Keep buying books from Amazon and Wal-Mart and when your local game store goes out of business you will only have those two to choose from.

Small comic and game shops are hurting nationwide because they can't compete with big chain stores or massive online retailers. But the one thing they do offer is variety. I just dare you to try and convince Wal-Mart to special order you some small press d20 supplement or a specific mini you want for your new character.

Support your local stores. Sure you may have to pay a little bit more, but by supporting their presence in the community you are contributing to the health of your hobby in general.

Which is why I buy everything OTHER than my core books at my local store.

 

[trentonjoe]

Does anyone know if they are really shiping or not? USPS claims it got the shipping order on the 11th a day after I got the release dealy email from Wal-Mart. What is the offical WotC release date any way?

My walmart order looks pretty real. THe UPS tracking systems ays the books are 10 miles form my house. I am hoping for a monday delivery.