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WotC Premier Store Program
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[E] Tabletop ManagerSeattleRegistered User regular
[E] Tabletop ManagerSeattleRegistered User regular
Premier Store Program .(pdf)
So I just became aware of this today. I read the link above and also read online that "Premier Stores" will get to sell DnD and stuff 2 weeks before the street date. In other words, unless you just through WotC's hoops you'll be 2 weeks late to the party?
I have a friend who owns a store, hosts draft tourneys every week and he is up in arms about this. He contacted WotC directly and told them how he felt. I believe it was a way more colorful version of, "You are failing to support independent, local game stores... friend!" I don't know, I wasn't there for the phone call.
Anyway, I came here to find out what you all know and think of this Premier Store Program. Yeah it's nice to get the new Monster's Manual 2 weeks early but is this really fucking over our favorite Mom & Pop game stores? Has WotC finally gone too far? Will District 10 be better than District 9?
Please tell me what you know about the program because I need ammo I mean uh facts.
So I just became aware of this today. I read the link above and also read online that "Premier Stores" will get to sell DnD and stuff 2 weeks before the street date. In other words, unless you just through WotC's hoops you'll be 2 weeks late to the party?
I have a friend who owns a store, hosts draft tourneys every week and he is up in arms about this. He contacted WotC directly and told them how he felt. I believe it was a way more colorful version of, "You are failing to support independent, local game stores... friend!" I don't know, I wasn't there for the phone call.
Anyway, I came here to find out what you all know and think of this Premier Store Program. Yeah it's nice to get the new Monster's Manual 2 weeks early but is this really fucking over our favorite Mom & Pop game stores? Has WotC finally gone too far? Will District 10 be better than District 9?
Please tell me what you know about the program because I need ammo I mean uh facts.
"I don't know why people ever, ever try to stop nerds from doing things. It's really the most incredible waste of time." - Tycho
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(edit to sound less like a dick: I could certainly imagine their being under-the-hood factors that make this far more sinister than it appears, but on the surface this:
is reasonable and very smart.)
"I don't know why people ever, ever try to stop nerds from doing things. It's really the most incredible waste of time." - Tycho
This is the kind of thing that's hard to judge on the surface. Have you asked your friend why it's not a good thing that he can become a Premier Store and get products two weeks ahead of, say, Amazon? It seems like a really big boon to physical game stores in an era where being a physical game store is really fucking hard.
"I don't know why people ever, ever try to stop nerds from doing things. It's really the most incredible waste of time." - Tycho
Any store that has that space but doesn't make it available is a store I don't see why I'd patronize when the internet is right here.
Side note: I would love to hear what the WotC rep who took the call is saying to his coworkers about it. "Your program designed to help FLGS's is screwing over my FLGS!!!"
But the majority of the space in the store is dedicated to rows of tables for gaming (comics are on the walls all around, with one wall for board games and RPGs, with MtG cards in a display case and behind the register).
Last night, they had about 16 people for the MtG tournament, 6 or so playing EDH, 7 playing D&D, someone playtesting a self-made game with 2-4 people, and 4 of us playing Runewars.
On that note, I'm not a big fan of "saving" Mom and Pop stores if they're trying desperately to *not* turn a profit; I've been in far too many game stores that seem to think it's a hobby, rather than a business. They don't deserve my dime and I don't mind watching them fall.
I don't think anyone tries "desperately" to not turn a profit, I just think that when they're looking at a choice between making a little bit more money and helping their customers have more fun, they usually choose the latter.
Most game stores are treated like glorified clubhouses with stuff for sale, and not like a business. I'd rather do my shopping online, honestly.
My advice is to stop complaining and jump through the hoops, lie a little if you have to, if you're a brick and mortar hobby shop where people can hang out and play games that will do. My store sets up extra tables in the mall for release events because is it space limited.
My hobby shop has friendly professional staff and I support them.
So open a clubhouse.
Seriously. There is no excuse for disgusting stores, unfriendly staff, and listening to Yu-Gi-Oh stories from neckbeards. I go forty-five minutes north to reach the store that's the complete opposite of that and spend lots of happy money there.
I'm not sure how you managed to find a store completely devoid of neckbeards and disgustingness, but I want to go to there.
Jumpgate Comics and Books. Route 1, Portsmouth, NH.
Yeah, I usually end up going to the game store with the higher neckbeard/sq. ft ratio on account of it's prices being reasonable. I still haven't entirely decided whether the staff are just useless or whether they're horribly understaffed, because in order to actually buy anything you have to:
Find what you want on the handy dandy computer terminals set up which shows there website.
Press the handy dandy button that processes the order and gives you an "order number"
Track somebody down who works there (usually the hardest part)
Give them order number
Wait for them to retrieve your items and charge you for them
If I could actually walk up to a counter with my order number and give it to someone, it wouldn't be as bad, but usually there's a good 15-20 minute wait involved where you're just kind of standing around awkwardly waiting for someone to appear so you can get the hell out of there, and you can just forget about it if there's an ongoing magic tournament.
twitch.tv/tehsloth
The idea is that you have to actually host sanctioned play on a regular bases. I agree that it doesn't really matter how much space you have if you're not actually promoting the game via getting people playing it in your store.
It's about helping physical stores because gamers (magic, D&D, etc) need physical places to play in, and incentives to play more (tournaments, prizes) so that they buy more WotC product. It's been working out pretty well for WotC, the stores that choose to participate and (from my perspective) the people who play their games.
Given the recent massive success I highly doubt WotC is going to change their marketing policy.
Bull Sloth, I don't think I've ever waited more than a few minutes at CoolStuff unless there was a line. And yes, sometimes there is a line because we go when there are Magic tournaments and there are people buying 5-6 specific magic cards.
My local hobby shop is actually in the major mall in the area and they have a good chunk of space given over to play tables. This is a store that killed a Games Workshop store in the same mall. Was rather impressed with that. Anyways, there are a couple empty spots in the mall so they probably got a reasonable price on that space after being a tenant for awhile.
As for this helping D&D like it helped Magic.....I don't see it. Organized play in Magic can actually mean something competitively and it's not like it's easy to organize a booster draft every week at your house. Compared to D&D which doesn't work well competitively and with random strangers (with pre-generated adventures) that's actually easier to get running out of your home than in a shop....
I like the idea I just don't hold high hopes for it to work.
Because if so, I can see this having a positive impact.