Whoops- WotC does it again

[CountPopeula]

I do have to agree with Danny here. Being environmentally responsible is far more important that profit or shrinkage issues. And I'm not saying that sarcastically. Companies have a responsibility to find ways to do business in earth-friendly ways, and putting tiny products in huge packages to they look better on the shelf is not an excuse.

Shrinkage also isn't an excuse when anti-theft devices are so common.

Also consider that the packaging also costs you, the consumer, more money is it increases the price point. Just because it's convenient or accessible or whatever doesn't mean it's not environmentally unfriendly, and that last one is far more important.

 

[wedgeski]

Every bit of waste cardboard that comes through my house gets recycled. This product's packaging is a non-issue for me.

And WotC does "what", again, exactly?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Every bit of waste cardboard that comes through my house gets recycled. This product's packaging is a non-issue for me.

Even recycled waste cardboard puts pollutants into the system- it just skips a couple of steps from forest to mill.

A reusable container, though, is potentially more eco-friendly than something that is packaged in recyclable cardboard- admittedly highly dependent upon both materials used and the end user himself.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You know, there are really better things to get upset over . . . or worse things, actually.

I'm more "miffed" than "upset." Its just kind of a clunker of a decision.

Shrinkage also isn't an excuse when anti-theft devices are so common.

Like the anti-theft plastic frames placed on CDs & DVDs.

Or putting them in a glass case, like you'd see for electronics at Target, Best Buy, or some other big box store.

Or a reminder placeholder- a sign saying "Buying a game? Don't forget your dice! (At the register, the MGMT)" placed next to the RPGs would work. Such things work for other companies that sell small, stealable items that are supplements to larger, less "liftable" items.

Or even a micro RFID chip. One as small as a grain of rice (like the ones implanted in my dogs' ears) could be used to set off the sensors in a store's security system.

 

[CharlesRyan]

The dice product, which is the latest version of a SKU that's been around for about four years, is intended for the book trade.

Although most ENworlders probably shop at their FLGS, a huge proportion of D&D is sold through the book trade. (Much of that to people who don't even know what an FLGS is, or that simply don't have one in their area--especially since the huge contraction in specialty games retailing over the past few years.) While there are some book stores that can carry items in clamshells or plastic boxes, and maybe even shelve them near the RPGs, the vast majority of book stores need a product that can sit and display comfortably on a bookshelf, alongside books. Hence the more-or-less book-shaped packaging of the dice SKU.

As someone who lives in a place with very strict restrictions on how much rubbish I can generate (I even own a worm farm for composting!), I'm very sympathetic to the wasteful packaging argument. But sometimes the realities of retailing require solutions that aren't otherwise ideal--and a small amount of excess packaging for a durable good is hardly a major offense. Seriously. Have a look at how much unrecyclable packaging rubbish your groceries generate in one week--and you're unhappy that a dice product, that you're going to buy once, has a few grams more cardboard than it could?

 

[charlesatan]

Also, a similar product was released for 3.5. In fact, as far as I can tell, the only things that have changed are the cover design and the color of the dice (green to blue). Why are you just complaining about it now?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The dice product, which is the latest version of a SKU that's been around for about four years, is intended for the book trade.

I actually found it in a comic & game store, not a true book store, so there is at least some crossover.

Have a look at how much unrecyclable packaging rubbish your groceries generate in one week--and you're unhappy that a dice product, that you're going to buy once, has a few grams more cardboard than it could?

Like I already said, I'm probably oversensitive because of what I saw in the early days of the CD trade.

But also, just because a problem is small, doesn't mean it escapes examination or critique- "Everything counts in large amounts." as the song goes. Besides, some of the smallest problems in the world are the easiest to fix...so why not fix it now.

Anyway, lets look at the context.

The dice are overpackaged, maybe not by much, but they are.

The Character folder was both overpackaged and misleadingly labeled.

The 4Ed Core 3, if you pre-ordered them at least, came in a cardboard mini-binder, as did the 3.XEd ones- again, pretty much unnecessary.

It seems to be a trend- one that is counter to the course of the bulk (pun intended) of packaging decisions by most major consumer goods producers these days. (The ones I studied for my MBA, anyway.)

Compared to my groceries?

Well, I generally use linen bags, unless I have a real need for one of the other kind. (And in addition, some stores around here have incentives that encourage this- like discounts if you bring your own bags.)

The metals in the canned goods are recyclable, as are my Mom's soda cans. We don't buy plastic bottled water except for in large (multiple gallon) containers for emergency supplies- we do live in "Tornado Alley," after all. For daily drinking & cooking water, we either use the tap and/or our filter. Its also the way we refill our reusable insulated workout bottles.

The goods I buy that are packaged in cardboard are generally either full to the top or packaged with airspace to prevent product damage- cereals, mainly.

We reuse the glass jars from things like pickles and preserves.

And I'm not claiming to be a "greenie" either- its actually quite difficult to recycle where we are, and composting isn't allowed by our HOA. (Not that we have room for that anyway.) But we do what we can. For a household of 4 w/2 Border Collies, we toss about 2-3 bags of garbage a week, on average.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Also, a similar product was released for 3.5. In fact, as far as I can tell, the only things that have changed are the cover design and the color of the dice (green to blue). Why are you just complaining about it now?

I didn't see them until 2 days ago.

Like the CharlesRyan said, they were intended for the book trade, and I usually shop at game stores.

The game store in which I found these is one I've only been going to for a couple of months, and this was the first week in which they've had them...when I've been in the store, at least. They've also only been open a few months- right before 4Ed's release, as I recall.

 

[Runestar]

They're dice... And a bag. And that's what it says they are on the box...This is really a huge problem? Are you afraid WoTC is going to pull a switcheroo and instead of dice and a bag you'll get a moldy pickle or something?

He could mean that there is no way of verifying that the dice you buy are in mint condition or something. Or what if there was a packing error and you ended up with the incorrect quantity of dice, like an extra d10 but no d20? Sure, I could ask the shop assistant to open the box for me to inspect, but that is time consuming, and seems to defeat the purpose.

For example, when I buy PC games, the shop owner personally cuts away the shrinkwrap, opens the box and takes out the discs for me to inspect. Only when I am satisfied that there are no flaws (eg: no scratches on the disc surfaces) do I make my payment. Likewise, when I want to buy a book, I will personally vet through every page to ensure that the book is in tip-top condition. No dog-ears or creases etc.

 

[Crothian]

People have been complaining about the lack of content or quality in some of the recent supplemental releases from WotC, like the "8 Page" 4Ed Character Record Sheets.

What else besides those have people been complaining about? I've got all the 4e things and I'm happy with everything else.