Should FLGS have Edition Bias?

[jimmifett]

If I understand the economics right, that's generally to dump the gamers out and use the space for something more profitable. FLGS may operate as commercial entities, but they're not Limited Liability Corporations (usually), and have no responsibility, legal or otherwise, to maximize profit at the cost of anything else the owner might prioritize. If that includes banning mega-corp games or D&D rip-offs, then that is as they will.

While i'm not a tax expert, one could percieve gaming space as "marketing" expenses. Having players in a store is like having a captive audience for your merchandise. Less obtrusive than a billboard, they will be surrounded by product. It's also a microcosm focus group for a given area. A wise owner (or purchaser) will listen in or sit in with the players of any game system, from CCG to RPG, and find out what his patrons want and gauge interest in upcoming products.

A well filled out gaming space also looks good to new customers, provided they are given prompt service and don't feel less prioritized than the regulars.

Also with gaming space, you have a chance to offer profitable food/snack and drink sales.

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

I've actually witnessed store owners express negative personal opinions about game systems openly in front of customers. This is bad for business, especially when customers see that you are stocking your shelves with supposedly bad product. If all the clerk said was that they tried a system out, but did not play it much...that's just being honest. I don't see any real foul there.

 

[Scribble]

I've actually witnessed store owners express negative personal opinions about game systems openly in front of customers. This is bad for business, especially when customers see that you are stocking your shelves with supposedly bad product. If all the clerk said was that they tried a system out, but did not play it much...that's just being honest. I don't see any real foul there.

I think this is the thing for me...

I don't care if a store owner or employee says they're not into a particular style of game, haven't played it much or prefer something else...

It's when said store EE or Owner starts actively being negative towards another game. There's no reason to do that. It just makes the whole space feel negative to me. I don't like being there that much.

I have a local game store where the owner is eager to show off new games, and genuinely seems like he enjoys selling games and comics. I love buying stuff from that store.

 

[deinol]

There's a big difference between the store's owner and a random employee. My local game store is actually a comic shop. The employees usually know quite a bit about comics, but don't always know about games. Sometimes I'll ask them about a game and they'll simply tell me they don't really know that game well. Other times the more experienced employee will at least tell me what he's heard other customers talk about. I haven't seen the store owner in over 5 years, I'm not sure which half day he shows up to check on things in the store.

Employees will only be able to really talk about what they know. Most game stores don't actually have training times setup to teach them about new products. A small shop that the owner is the main sales rep will often be far more engaged with the products and customers than one that has many employees and an absentee owner.

The original situation doesn't seem terrible or unusual. As long as the employee wasn't making disparaging remarks about a product or the people (ie, customers) who do enjoy it, it's probably good for him to talk about what he does know about. Would he be a better sales rep if he knew more about the other products? Sure. Does he get a commission to encourage him to go the extra mile? No.

 

[Uder]

Would it be okay to push D&D on a customer without mentioning Pathfinder? Shadowrun? Call of Cthulhu? Burning Wheel? Fiasco? Maybe there should be a checklist...

It sounds like the employee pushed a product based on customer-stated preferences. They're familiar with 3.5, sell them something like 3.5. Nothing to see here.


P.S. Could you imagine what would happen if online checkout baskets had comment systems? No sale would be safe from Edition Wars.

 

[jimmifett]

Would it be okay to push D&D on a customer without mentioning Pathfinder? Shadowrun? Call of Cthulhu? Burning Wheel? Fiasco? Maybe there should be a checklist...

Yes.

Too many choices confuse a customer and they are more likely to leave without a sale. If a person says they are looking for a role playing game without knowing exactly what they already want, you ask:

Do you like fantasy?
DnD, Pathfinder, Warhammer

Do you like sci-fi?
Star Wars, Gurps, other

Do you like Super Heroes?
DC, Heroes, M&M

Do you like Horror?
Cthulu

Do you like Vampires/Lycanthropes/supernatural?
White Wolf, Dresden Files

You have now narrowed a large shop of selections into a manageable choice, and if were helpful, hooked a new player/customer. As they learn more about their new hobby, they will learn and explore other systems, and since you were so knowledgeable, they can go to you for something new.

This is also applicable to programming. If a menu in a UI has more than 5 or 6 options, the menu needs re-working. If a method takes more than 4 or 5 arguments, you probably want to have it take a single object instead.

 

[Saeviomagy]

If you're an FLGS, then wouldn't pushing a (good) less popular game system to newcomers be best? I mean: every roleplayer will eventually have a "current edition of D&D" sales pitch handed to them automatically, and a large proportion will end up playing it at least occasionally just due to the immense market saturation. If you start people on D&D though, there's no guarantee they'll ever leave.

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

If you're an FLGS, then wouldn't pushing a (good) less popular game system to newcomers be best?

Based on the caveat that the game being pushed is less popular, no. There's nothing more frustrating to new players than not being able to find someone else to game with.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Let's face it, though. Because we are missing context, we don't know if the customer walked into the shop and said, "I am getting tired of 3e because of these problems [which PF perhaps addresses/fixes], but don't like the direction of 4e. What can you recommend?"

Perhaps these are regulars, whose preferences the clerk knows well. I have amazed people by remembering their preferences after a hiatus of a year or longer. Good salespeople -- like good GMs -- are actually interested in other people, and that helps you remember!

Without context, there is precious little that can be said about this specific incident.



RC

 

[malkav666]

What I want to know, is did the customers from the OP actually buy a game at the FLGS? Or did they walk away unserved. If they bought a product then the salesperson was doing exactly as they should have IMO.

love,

malkav