PG product glut

[Hugmenot]

I believe APL's strategy is similar to the one used by Victory Point Games, except that it is lagging 12 to 18 months behind. My guess is we will see some online retailers offering the new games sometimes next Summer, when Mike can show his portfolio of new PG and naval games to be interesting enough to distributors. With a few distributors on board, retailers will follow.

I am assuming the new laser counters will require less time to prepare (less cleaning and sorting) before shipping. That and the back catalog being brought to date should free some of his time to tackle other important activities that are currently being currently ignored or not prioritized.

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There are two gaming stores in town and Axis & Aliies is the only wargames I have seen on their shelves. The shelves are full of RPG (including miniatures), CDG, and Euro style games. One has wargames in the back room from time to time but only because they buy pallets of scratch and dent games that they resell on eBay. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

[campsawyer]

What about on-line retailers? I always assumed that's where most folks got their games. Much of my post-2000 collection came from Boulder Games (gone now), and some from Noble Knight and Dean's FineGames, and TrollandToad. Isn't there also a big European online outfit (Udo...Grebe?), that stocks most US wargames for the across-the-Atlantic folks?

I rarely bought games from APL, unless it was blowout sale + GC.

There are essentially zero brick/mortar wargame stores within 50 minutes of my area (East Bay / CA), and those within 90 min are still small. Oddly, I found Cambridge, MA, similar to my area, while Houston, TX still has some great stores with many wargames like Nan's.

-Jim

When in Cambridge, you needed to go into Boston to find the games. The Complet Stratagist does a decent job.

As for online, with the email flyers I get it seems to mirror the stores.

[stear]

Thanks Alan,

I'll look that up. I don't tend to cross the Charles River when there (no car / stay close to campus), maybe it's near a metro stop.

-Jim

[Shad]

But the game players are old guys like us.
...
But I feel that it will not be good for traditional wargames when it is only us old guys playing them.
...
Now before Shad jumps it and says he is a young guy, there are exceptions to my observations.

No no, I totally agree. You're all a bunch of old farts!

[campsawyer]

well Shad, if you are hanging out with old farts you might turn out to become one too.

[Matt W]

Having a toddler holds age at bay.

[vulcan558]

Maybe I'm becoming something of a cynic, but I can't get too excited about the new announcements as I'm still waiting for Ironclads and IA: Fall of Empires to be released and reach the UK. I would like to see Liberation 44, Kursk: Burning Tigers and Pusan Perimeter on my table next year, but much depends on when the other two games are released, and also how much the new PG games are here in the UK. Prices are creeping up and up, even with 'discount' sellers here in the UK. Buying direct is an expensive business - I built up my GWAS collection that way, but I was single and wasn't a dad back then. I appreciate that AP need to produce some big sellers to make money, but there are games on the AP website I'd have bought years ago, had they ever come out. Knowing my luck, they'll all come out as direct sale only editions within about two months of each other

[larry marak]

I'd sure like to see IE: Fall of Empires before Christmas, but I'm sure the PG 4 will keep Mike busy through Feb at least. I suspect that Jim has convinced Mike that he works for a living and Ironclads will need more time, so maybe end of 14 is my projection for that opus.

I think what we are seeing here, and what is producing the "glut" of new titles, is that new games generate money and pay for printing of the older, games, and Mike is painfully aware of this. Hence the surprise quick production of Saipan right after KSF. Saipan was boxed with satin boxes that had been held in anticipation of additional KSF orders that never came. 80% of the people who would have bought KSF right away had given up on Avalanche years ago and AVP has a much reduced customer base right now.

[dengelwood]

"From my perspective, I now have mixed emotions about having purchased Sword of Israel and I have not even received a shipping notice yet. Maybe I should have saved that money for another PG product (I will definitely get Kursk: Burning Tigers and Conquest of Ethiopia) but I will think long and hard before I decide whether to shell out for the other 2 products. "

I "purchased" Sword and my card was charged, only to be told a day later that shipping was temporarily terminated. Hold on here...my card gets charged and then I'm told about shipping problems??? Most businesses will only charge AFTER the product ships (that's how Amazon works and a host of other vendors). I cancelled Sword and requested KSF and WinterWonderland maps instead. These shipped promptly, to my relief, but only after some public cajoling on CSW.

I truly enjoy PG, but honestly APL's business model has some serious problems. Its unlikely I'll ever purchase from APL again, preferring instead to find titles at Ebay or Noble Knight Games, for example. I realize this post may raise the ire of APL defenders, but that's how I see it.

[campsawyer]

Degelwood, buying from APL requires a leap of faith, a rsther large leap by by the way. yes they charge early but they are a hand to mouth operation.I too have been one that has waited, many years to get games. In the end they are worth it, even though it is nerve racking to get there.