Why I refuse to support my FLGS

[Kanegrundar]

And, I have just received word that Star Wars d20 is officially dead. No more products are planned and all support for the game is finished. The SW d20 game has been completely replaced by the Star Wars Miniatures game.

I wonder what those people buying from Amazon will say when D&D moves to a collectable miniatures game with no RPG support.

Wizards makes a lot of money off there minis line and stores have no trouble selling them.

Belen, start a new thread about this, as I really want to ask you some questions about that.

Kane

 

[GlassJaw]

I do not think that a lot of posters on this thread have any clue about what is happening behind the scenes. It seems that a lot of younger people are ONLY concerned about price and feel that there will be some type of business around to "serve" them no matter what happens.

LOL, trust me, I know exactly what's "happening" behind the scenes.

And who's "young"? I'm 29 and yeah, most of my purchases are based solely on price (most of the time).

I hate to repeat myself but I feel so inclined for emphasis.

No other business (outside of a few hobbies) counts on the kindness of the public's heart to keep them in business. The store owners that have chimed in have discussed the reasons why RPG products are sold at full retail and I completely understand why. However, I don't see any discussion on why customers (other than a select few in here) feel that buying online and saving some money is worth more than paying full retail at a LGS. Their LGS must not be giving them any reasons to pay the extra money and buy the the product at the store.

If people feel that saving money by buying online is worth more than what their LGS offers, how can they be faulted? Remember, the customer is always right. The online retailers have found a better business model. Right or wrong, that's the nature of business. Why don't some of the retailers give their customers reasons of shopping at their store instead of complaining about the state of the industry. Yes, it sucks. It sucks that gaming stores have to sell CCG or that some stores close altogether. Is it going to stop? Absolutely not.

I offered some ideas earlier in the thread but still all I see is people complaining. Whatever. I don't lose any sleep by shopping online.

 

[Belen]

Belen, start a new thread about this, as I really want to ask you some questions about that.

Kane

I will try, but I do not want to cause too much trouble.

 

[Kanegrundar]

I will try, but I do not want to cause too much trouble.

Well, you can't just come out with something like that and then walk away. Even if it is something that most (if not all) SWD20 fans have suspected for a long time now.

Kane

 

[Marchen]

I used to have a FLGS. Unfortunatley for me, it closed down this past January.

My gaming schedule hasn't really suffered. I play regularly, twice a week now with the same DM that I used to play with in-store (he was the owner). That's more than I was playing while the store was open. Of course, I still miss the store. It was a nice place to play, and I was able to buy gaming items other than just RPG books there. Without the FLGS as a gaming hub, I haven't done much wargaming or modeling at all in the past few months.

There is another good store, but it's about 20 minutes away from me. I still drive out there a couple times a month and get some things from them. Other times I buy my D&D books from bookstores like Barnes & Noble's, or the Waldenbooks in the mall (which carries a surprisingly large stock of them). Wouldn't you know it, I end up paying the same price no matter where I go. Unless I was to order online, everywhere charges cover price.

 

[Belen]

Well, you can't just come out with something like that and then walk away. Even if it is something that most (if not all) SWD20 fans have suspected for a long time now.

Kane

Here you go: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=139555

 

[wedgeski]

(Have only read the first 2 pages, so please ignore me if someone has made this point.)

I would like to counter the implied notion that online retailers are any less friendly or knowledgeable than the person behind the counter at your LGS.

It's been my experience that small, specialised on-liners are extremely friendly, communicative, and insightful about their industry. I have yet to encounter a small e-tailer that hasn't bent over backwards to make my shopping experience a good one, or fallen over themselves in freebie-laden apology when something goes wrong. In that sense, I get everything that I personally would look for in a LGS, except for the ability to browse a book before I buy, for which I rely on reviews and recommendations. I get all that, with the added bonus that I don't have to step into a store where the air is so thick with teenaged body odour that I have to swim rather than walk to the D&D shelf to get what I want. (One of many cliches that were unfortunately true for my LGS.)

Obviously this doesn't apply to large bulk-sellers like Amazon, and honestly I probably pay the same premium from my Friendly Remote On-line Gaming Store compared to them, but I do it for the service, and the ability to have a quick email with the owner of the store before I buy anything.

Plus, you can actually *say* FROGS. That's gotta count for something.

 

[PJ-Mason]

Still, you have to go somewhere and have it printed, and the binding will likely not be up the quality of a good book. For me, that's a little less "good" than a traditional book.

Of course, I can't cut-and-paste into my GM ntoes from a book...

Well, no. RPGNOW has its own print service that their publishers can use so that their customers can get a pdf, CD, or print book of the product in question. I haven't gotten any print books with that service, but the people who use that service seem to be quite happy with it.

 

[PJ-Mason]

I do not think that a lot of posters on this thread have any clue about what is happening behind the scenes.

Having worked at a game store, i do.

It seems that a lot of younger people are ONLY concerned about price and feel that there will be some type of business around to "serve" them no matter what happens. They are wrong.

I must say that i think your are totally wrong here, my friend. There always will be a business to serve their gaming needs. It just may not be a LGS, or it won't be one that fits the stereotype of your typical LGS. But the eventual evolution of the LGS is probably a whole nuther thread!

And, I have just received word that Star Wars d20 is officially dead. No more products are planned and all support for the game is finished. The SW d20 game has been completely replaced by the Star Wars Miniatures game.

I thought it was already dead? Or maybe its was just rumors that i had been hearing that let up to this official death.

I wonder what those people buying from Amazon will say when D&D moves to a collectable miniatures game with no RPG support..

Amazon didn't kill D20 Starwars. D20 Starwar's insane prices killed them. They were selling books that cost more than market average for books thar were sized under market average. People were gonna buy that nonsense forever. I know all about the "Geez, the Starwars license is real expensive" arguement as well. Thats too bad, but if you can't sell a reasonably priced game because of a license, then don't do it. Maybe they came to that realization themselves.

I have no super-love for Amazon, but i don't blame them for things that are not their fault. In fact, ironically, a lot of fans of the D20 Starwars line were required to go to places like Amazon to get a reasonable price!

 

[Gentlegamer]

Hey, can West End Games have the Star Wars license back?