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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jedijon" data-source="post: 3284800" data-attributes="member: 49099">Ryan, that's not what I meant when I said "all that remains is to get them the game".When you mention that you've fought legendary battles to get distributors to see that they need to provide some service only they can provide to add value to their existence--I'm right there with you.Let's ignore deadlines (say if we're talking collectibles, that the next DDM release isn't 4 months from the previous one, but whenever the market demands that release. . . . ) and accept lower margins (by making smaller print runs, many of your comments are geared towards speculating on what the lower end of the market is doing (since the big guys innovation is tragically flawed) and thus this is already the norm).  What then does a distributor do for me?  Product is coming as quickly as my small hypothetical staff can make it, which = as fast as the customer wants it +/- some initial error at start-up.  Let's think LEAN here.  Again--why do I NEED a distributor?  Why would the lack thereof drive the hobby into a downspiral???The things they provide--getting product everywhere on the same day for a release, letting all the game stores they reckognize as game stores (remember I'm just a customer--I might be getting this wrong and shorting this list here), previewing releases with promotional materials.  Most of all of this is behind the scenes.What if I sell on the internet.  Marketing is horrible on the internet???  Maybe in pure dollars terms compared to what's spent on TV, but since the price of a TV ad is beyond the scope of even the big six--of what consequence is that?  The internet is supposed to be a hot-bed of innovation.  A way for dreams to be born.  Isn't the bottom line of your predictions just that bad business savvy and a wont to live in the past is what's shackling the potential of the gaming industry?  You seem to want new games and new ways to play them.  Capitalism supports what works and kills what doesn't.  Towards that end, I say again, that any potential gloom in your 07 predictions is only good!  Maybe I can't exactly describe in what ways the downfall of entrenched gaming companies will foster new games and new market growth--but I will stand by my statement that some serious trouble at the top can only open up the potential of the new blood that carries the greatest potential of innovating the whole industry.  My keystone for the next year or two in my own consumer-minded interest in gaming will be on the small start-ups like Corvus Belli (admittely, European).  But, there will always be disposable cash, unless we start putting lead in our pipes and go out like the Romans, and we've got some 25 years--supposing nobody joins the hobby (I think we're ridiculously loyal to the IDEA of gaming)--where we'll still have a widespread gaming community to tap for potential cash-flow when developing that new game that will capture the next generation.I did very much appreciate your elaboration on your views of the industry leaders, and my apologies for not knowing more of your situation viz WotC.  I will be following your blog avidly.</blockquote>

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