The simple fact worldwide is that spaces in game stores are taken by card and miniature gamers. TTRPG simply does not bring in the money for game stores that those 2 gaming groups do.
D&D 5E Mike Mearls - Reddit AMA
- Thread starter pukunui
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The simple fact worldwide is that spaces in game stores are taken by card and miniature gamers. TTRPG simply does not bring in the money for game stores that those 2 gaming groups do.
Olive
Explorer
I don't think that's a fact. I get emails from one game shop close to me which is running something like 5 different RPG groups a week and have run parents and kids intro D&D sessions during the school holidays (http://www.kayjays.com.au/events.html). I know people who are playing AD&D 1e in Good Games in Melbourne - a shop which doesn't sell AD&D books. I know of another shop near us that does other events as well.
Maybe this is not true worldwide but my experience has been that most game shop owners started their passion with RPGs and are happy to support them where they can. Maybe if you support them you'll find things are different?
abirdcall
(she/her)
Why is this a good thing for the person for those reasons? Why do they care about a developing community they have no interest in?
Do you think that it is the prevalence of local shops which is bringing in the new players to 5e? This is a TTRPG that hit #1 on Amazon and continues to be in the #40-60 range.
It's not a sudden resurgence in local gaming stores that created this phenomenon.
Olive
Explorer
I'm not sure why people are so hostile to the idea that having a network of gaming shops is good for he hobby but whatever. This will be my last post on the matter.
If they don't care, they don't care. No skin off my nose.
No I think it's a wide variety of things including Stranger Things, the resurgent popularity of table top gaming in general, the 5e rules, the marketing work that's been done by WotC and many many more factors.
No one said it was. I still think that it would be a shame if FLGSs ceased to exist.
If they don't care, they don't care. No skin off my nose.
No I think it's a wide variety of things including Stranger Things, the resurgent popularity of table top gaming in general, the 5e rules, the marketing work that's been done by WotC and many many more factors.
No one said it was. I still think that it would be a shame if FLGSs ceased to exist.
Nothing here that is said about supporting local stores explains why anyone should pay the large mark ups. Being in Australia where most hobby goods have what is colloquially called the "Australia Tax" mark ups on top of that is a real killer to both new and old players alike. Example I paid $70 AUD for Starfinder Core Rulebook + GM Screen (including delivery) via Amazon whereas in a local store they were asking $115 AUD for just the core rulebook and I would still have to pay bus fare. What on Earth are stores offering anyone that bridges that sort of gulf in pricing? Keep in mid that $1 USD = 0.75c AUD
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Some of it's they have higher labour costs.
abirdcall
(she/her)
My reply was to this statement: "Because when done well, physical spaces allow for community to develop and provide an easier access point for new players and a wider variety of games."
Those new players and communities are not coming from the gaming stores.
I fail to see the value in them or why people should pay more money so a store can pay rent.
I see that you like brick and motor stores. I just disagree with your assertion that they are what is bringing in new players and building communities. I have no interest in playing in them and the people I know that have started playing 5e (and had never played an RPG before) also have no desire to interact with them.
All that said, I find value in the 2 brick and motor stores in my city, but only because their prices match online prices. I sometimes stop in if I'm downtown to pick up a small thing or two. I still order the big books online because I'd rather have them on release than wait until I get downtown again.
That does not answer the underlying question of why should people pay more for the same product when they can get it considerably cheaper?
Cap'n Kobold
Hero
Generally, the very space that allows a store to place gaming tables around which people can play, and the shelves from which people can actually skim a book before deciding whether to buy or not has a not insignificant effect. The additional footprint of a store to allow this compared to an online distributor, and the staff available to help and advise you are both significant business costs that the store will need to compensate for.
There are two stores near me that both have s significant amount of their space given over to tables at which people can play. They sometimes charge an hourly rate for them rather than make up costs purely though selling goods.
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