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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Wafflemiesters <evamarie@**********.NET>
Subject: gaming history / stores
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 04:55:10 -0600
<snip tlae of woe re; Magic sales slipping>
> This in
> turn has led to the closing of 5 Gaming shops and the downsizing of two
> others. The only ones left are having to chronically support Games
> Workshop, thus Shadowrun / AD&D / Spacemaster or anything else is no
> longer available to the 'Drop-in gamer. The only way to get any products
> these days is to pre-order.

I've had similar experiences in North Carolina where I live.
The local hobby shop (owned by a good friend) is currently supporting
itself almost entirely on the sale of card games.

+++====++++====++++====+++

I think thisis a problem in Chicago. Our new local store,run by 3
hardcore gamers who left the employ of a mall store, used to complain,
but now seem to be doing well. Magic actually was what let them open
and stay open long enough to get established, but they are really broad
now, and have always aimed for as broad a selection as possible. I
think Magic is about 35% percent of thier cash flow, GDW 25%, which
still leaves a market RPG's, dice and stuff like that... They have the
GDW minimum order problem, but big enough GDW sales to bring in the
needed money (not always on the things GDW pushes, like "Gorkamorka" and
Epic... but hey, they get back the wholesale price, and somebody gets a
cheap game!)
Its not like RPG's don't require a minimum stock, especially if you want
them to move.
This is a GREAT store, BTW- the only one in Chicago with gaming tables
in the back, comfy(ish) chairs, and knowledgable staff. Yeah, the card
players takeover the place on weekends, but who needs to RP in a STORE?
(even though they offer that, too)

Mongoose
Message no. 2
From: John Vots <jvots@**.KO.COM>
Subject: Re: gaming history / stores
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 18:33:38 -0500
This being my first postto this list I had hoped it to be on a diferent
subject but it seem s to be driftig to something I know a little about.

<Snip stuff on CHicago Store>


>Magic actually was what let them open and stay open long enough to get
>established,


This is sadly a true event, I know of no store in my area that has opened
recently that was not bouyed by the rise of the CCG's (M: TG) in specific)


<Snipped stuff about GW>


>"Gorkamorka" and Epic...

These games while interesting did not go over well for GW, especially
"Epic". The Gorkamorka system was a scaled down 40k system similar to
Necromunda and has a short lived production and support time. Epic was
redone poorly in the opinion of most of the Old Epic players to much of the
fluff and style were taken out of the game. GW has quickly gone from a
Gamers Company to a Dollars Company with some Gamers attatched.


>Its not like RPG's don't require a minimum stock,

That is what hurts RPG's most of all. They have to be visable to be
interesting. Every RPG I ahve ever played was done because someone else had
the rules and showed me how to do it, same for Wargames. My point is that
RPG's wihout players do not sell and thus do not get stocked.
The local Games/Comic Store stays afloat with Comic sales (which is common
here) and then has a limited selection of GW MIni's (Highest Selling Game
here) and then a Very Limited section of various RPG's. 50% of the entire
selection of RPG's is over 2 Years old and will never be sold. I know that
there is one set of rulesbooks (Rolemaster by ICE) that has been on the
shelf collectig dust for over 5 years. New RPG's do not getintroduced here
unless someone goes to a con and gets in on a demo or an new person brings
it with them and can also GM the game. That's life, and a sad one. I never
ever get to play my SR character anymore because I am the only one to run
it (used to be three of us alternating, RL sucks). I do occasionally get to
play my 2nd fav. RPG but only on rare ocassions (that RPG BTW is Pendragon)


>Yeah, the card players takeover the place on weekends, but who needs >to
RP in a STORE? (even though they offer that, too)

It is needed, just to tempt some new people the games, it also works. A
couple of friends and I played some 40k at our local games store about
twice a month for 3 months and it garnered somewhere around ten new players
(after the expense warning) of which seven still play regularly. The
exposure was the key without none of these people would have ever started
playing. On the RPG front I have introduced no less than 20 people to SR
and of those 6 are still playing in my group regularly andf 3-4 more that
drop in irregularly, but once again the exposure was the key. Most of those
people heard me and someone else discussing whatwent on in a game the night
before and asked what it was and we invited them to play and they were
hooked. For RPG's to floursh they have got to be promoted and the only way
I know that RPG's are promoted is by the players on a local level.

Anyway CCG's and RPG's can and will have to co-exist because neither is
going to disappear anytime soon. That and they cohabitate the general
demographics and lifestyles.

Oh, lord this turnd into a rant. Not what I inetended.



Jester

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