price hike France 40

[robert t]

I don't question the enjoyment factor, I merely question cost versus components.
Is laser cutting that much more?
I understand the low inventory part, but the cost to the company and customer base might be too high.

[larry marak]

I believe only part of the re-stocked France 40 countersheets needed to be produced ala laser to restore the game. See Lawrence of Arabia, same components, 20 dollars more..all sheets laser cut.

[Hugmenot]

Personally, I don't see why Lawrence of Arabia cost $20 more than Fall of Empires when it's only a 4 map difference (same number of laser cut counters). I've tried to guess at the pricing formula Mike is using but to no avail.

[larry marak]

Empires is 6 maps (web page was wrong, Mike corrected it), Lawrence is 8. Prices are hard to figure. I bought a spare East Front for $40 last month. It was that price because the components were paid for years ago and it had not cash value at all to Avalanche just sitting on a shelf....that's where the print on demand technique should help Avalanche in the long run.

[Hugmenot]

I saw the corrections on the website and the price difference makes more sense given that Lawrence of Arabia includes more pieces than Fall of Empire.

[robert t]

and now if he can figure out how to get the games into distribution, we would be set.
I've talked/e-mailed a few game stores with an on-line presence and they want to stock AP games.

[campsawyer]

Robert,

I think it is going to be tough for APL to get games to stores due to the pricing. As we are seeing the webstore pricing on the games, now is approaching and breaching $100. I think that it is fair to say this is the lowest cost you are going to find because I cannot see APL cutting any volume deals with distributes. There margin is so low already on the stuff you get from the webstore. So even if a distribute takes mercy and buys at the retail rate, you will be looking at a 10-15% price about that for there margin. This will put all games, even the one at the $75 level up at the $100 mark which will make them a tough sell.
Going along with distributors, this means that APL will need to print extra games besides any that people continue to preorder. In the new "print on demand" model that APL is doing this will not fit as they will have alot tied up in inventory. This was another issue that put APL in the red. Having 10k copies but only selling 2k, alot of money tied up in "cardboard futures".
Lastly, having distributors will require management of them. Granted it will not take much effort, but it will require some. Given the 1.5 person company model at the moment, there is not much room to add more work, even this.
So in the end APL is what it is a very small boutique game business that runs hand to mouth. Unless there is a buyout or a windfall of cash to the organization you can expect it to run the same as you are seeing for a bit.

[robert t]

understood, but there are other game companies out there with 1 employee (the owner) who seem to make it work.
OSG is a prime example of this. Kevin produces only Napoleonic games, a niche in an already niche market.
At least APL has two series with a solid following which should garner more of an audience.
I question this print on demand as it will lose the overseas market. Shipping will cost more than the game using APLs on-line store.
APL needs to find a distributor to ship these games to who will then distribute them to those customers.
Without a presence in stores or through gamers, the business will fail. It is only a matter of time.
Unless he expects to live off solely the USA market, which is fine BTW.

[larry marak]

A solution that might allow limited retail distribution runs against APL's product philosophy. Manufacturing small games, 2 map panels, one full countersheet incorporating both units and markers, and maybe 8 scenarios. Avalanche's production model is to give maximum possible value in each boxed game, and they have been consistent in delivering this for years.

Western Desert is the most recent example of a small game. They shall not Pass, a book with game included, attempted to do this but it didn't fly, as most of us already had it in the boxed version, or else weren't interested.

[Hugmenot]

I do not share Alan's assessment of Avalanche Press. Just a 30 second search on Amazon can show that Art's Game Store is able to sell Kursk: South Flank, Sword of Israel, Russo-Japanese War, and Western Desert Force for a price equal to or lower than the price listed on the Avalanche Press website. And Art's Game Store includes free shipping.

I can't access eBay from work but I know is also an e-tailer that carries some of the newer titles that has a store front on eBay.

So there is room for Avalanche Press to sell to e-tailers.

I believe this will become more common when Avalanche Press is in a better financial position. Slightly bigger runs (the extra copies for the e-tailers), and a staff member that can assemble the games, manage relationships with e-tailers and customers, and can prepare advertisement for printed media. I am optimistic and I think it will happen (but not as soon as I predicted in the thread below).

Anyway, you may want to check the PG Product Glut thread to see what me and others have written about another similar perceived issue.