Whoops- WotC does it again

[HDTVDinner]

I'm confused. Is this about Wotc not using completely harmless, eco-friendly plastics for their packaging instead of that nasty toxic cardboard stuff, or more of a crap, I bought some ugly dice, that I would not have purchased had I been able to see them first?

Bonus content: Link hopefully fortelling the death of clamshell packaging.

 

[Carnivorous_Bean]

Sounds like excellent packaging to me. It would make good kindling in my woodstove, and then the ash will make a fine contribution to my garden.

Whereas plastic is just inconvenient. I've got to buy $3.50 recycling bags at the local store, thanks to my town's ordinances, to bring it in to the recycling center in. And it's also a 10 minute drive to get there, which involves putting more exhaust into the environment.

Give me cardboard any day -- I'll recycle it happily into carrots.

 

[Ovinomancer]

I've engaged in no such hyperbole.

I've complained that WotC has, IMHO, made an
unfortunately wasteful packaging decision, and that
there were better options.

Is it the most egregious example of waste I've ever
seen? No. But it is wasteful.

Do I do things that are more wasteful? I'm pretty
sure I do, though I'm not aware of any at the moment
besides being a little forgetful about turning off
lights in my house.

But just because the pot is calling the kettle black,
it does not follow that the kettle isn't black.



Sure I do- and nearly every one has some kind of
additional product that couldn't be delivered with
merely shrinkwrapped CD jewelboxes- typically band
memorabilia like pendants, medallions, t-shirts, or
books.



In most industries, something like a slipcase (or
cover art, for that matter) would be considered
packaging for accounting purposes- it adds no actual
use or functionality to the product, and isn't
essential to safe shipping or storage.



You do have a point about the ecological impact about
the standups, but OTOH, they do perform a service-
standups help sell product. That's why they're a part
of many advertising campaigns.

(And oddly enough, they, too, are considered to be
collectible by some.)

This isn't about WotC bashing- they've made 3 of my
all-time favorite gaming products (3.XEd, M:tG, and
Primal Order), and others that I enjoy. Its about
holding them and any other company accountable for
their decisions.

For example, I was added to a Costco business account
recently, and went shopping there for the first time
today.

Lo and behold! The 12" tall CD boxes I thought had
been eliminated 15 years ago are still their standard-
right next to similarly sized videogames in reusable
plastic security frames. Until they change to similar
packaging for CDs, I won't be buying any there.

Not haiku.

 

[HDTVDinner]

I've engaged in no such hyperbole.

I've complained that WotC has, IMHO, made an
unfortunately wasteful packaging decision, and that
there were better options....


...This isn't about WotC bashing- they've made 3 of my
all-time favorite gaming products (3.XEd, M:tG, and
Primal Order), and others that I enjoy. Its about
holding them and any other company accountable for
their decisions....



...Lo and behold! The 12" tall CD boxes I thought had
been eliminated 15 years ago are still their standard-
right next to similarly sized videogames in reusable
plastic security frames. Until they change to similar
packaging for CDs, I won't be buying any there.

Just a few questions...

1) Were you this upset about the identical packaging method used with the dice marketed towards 3.5 players such as these, or [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Deluxe-Dice-Accessory/dp/0786941464/ref=pd_cp_b_2_img?pf_rd_p=413864201&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0786935138&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=07HJ884N6G82D63CF4JM"]these,[/ame] or [ame="http://www.amazon.com/d20-System-Dice-with-Booklet/dp/0786920351/ref=sr_1_39?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217962569&sr=1-39"]these?[/ame] To be fair, the last one did come with a booklet, but that could fave been shrunk down fit as the backing for a clamshell package or rolled up and put in a dice tube as well.

2) Are you posting to the Costco Fan community site regarding the decision to sell cd's packaged as such? or are you content to just not buy from them? Are you content not buying from them at all, or just not buying cd's from them?

3) Are you planning on just not buying this dice set from WotC, or not buying anything from them at all until they change this practice?

 

[Krensky]

As an aside, a lot of those long boxed things he's talking about, and the ones I've looked at and own are multi-album sets, with separate (original) liner books for each album. I presume that there's single discs in generic long boxes there, but frankly most of what they carry that's "new" the whole darn product is waste and I don't pay attention to it.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Double Post, Sorry

This is so wasteful. You make dolphins suicidal.

 

[Carnivorous_Bean]

I have no objection to people disliking 4th edition, but honestly, some of these criticisms of WotC are really, really reaching, IMO.

 

[tomBitonti]

Having looked at the packaging, and at the product as a whole, my reaction is that:

*) Unless the bag and the dice are very nice, the product is quite a bit expensive. (Compare it with the intro set for the miniatures games, which costs just a few dollars more.) Plus, there aren't as many dice as I would expect.

*) The packaging could be improved by having a clear window showing the dice. The produce is presented as a "premium" product, and a display of the dice would be nice.

*) The packaging doesn't seem to be too wasteful, other than I don't understand why anyone should ever get this instead of getting dice from the dice bins at most game stores. I'm comparing the packaging with the packaging for the intro set for the miniatures, which nicely displays the miniatures, but is one of those annoying plastic cases that is very tough and very hard to open. I'm also comparing with packaging that I've seen for individual MTG 15 card packs, which is a clear plastic case (!!) enclosing the pack. I know that isn't the usual packaging, but I saw this at the book store when I was looking at the dice packaging.

*) The way this all falls out is that I find the packaging wasteful, but because I don't think that the product deserves to exist in the first place.

 

[AllisterH]

*) The packaging doesn't seem to be too wasteful, other than I don't understand why anyone should ever get this instead of getting dice from the dice bins at most game stores. I'm comparing the packaging with the packaging for the intro set for the miniatures, which nicely displays the miniatures, but is one of those annoying plastic cases that is very tough and very hard to open. I'm also comparing with packaging that I've seen for individual MTG 15 card packs, which is a clear plastic case (!!) enclosing the pack. I know that isn't the usual packaging, but I saw this at the book store when I was looking at the dice packaging.

.

I think this is the point.

The product ISN'T targetted at people who know where the hobby store is. This is for people that actually pick up their PHB from the chain bookstore but need dice...

 

[racoffin]

I think this is the point.

The product ISN'T targetted at people who know where the hobby store is. This is for people that actually pick up their PHB from the chain bookstore but need dice...

Right. Or when grandma/mom/a friend/whomever wants to buy little Timmy something for his hobby but can't find the local game store on whatever sidestreet it may be on.