2006 Indy GenCon Questions for Rob and Craig list.....

[jcb231]

Please do not merge this. I think it needs to be separate.

Many board members are going to Gencon, and many questions remain to be asked about this game. I thought this would be a good time to get a running list going so that everyone's not just throwing stuff at the HS team left and right.

I'll update this first post periodically, so fire away.

When it gets towards con time, if my trip there falls through (which it may), I'll give the list over to one of the guys that are going, and they can run with it.

RULES:
1. Can the Marro Plague affect the castle door?YES Can Ullar Enhanced Rifle affect it?NO Self-destruct?YES
2. If the door is built above lava field, does it roll for damage each round?NO
3. Are road and wall-walk tiles considered identical regarding all game rules? YES In other words, can a figure walk from road to wall walk and possibly back again and still get the +3 bonus?YES Can a Dumutef benefit from wall walk?YES

GENERAL GAME QUESTIONS:
1. Does Hasbro plan on organizing official events and tournaments in the near future?
2. Is there any validity to the rumor that WOC is going to take over the line?
3. The game seems to be having some real distribution problems, with Wave 4 showing up very sporadically and Wave 4.5 hardly at all. What is being done to improve the speed and regularity with which new product hits the shelves and old product is restocked? Why is Hasbro.com so often out of stock of it's own items?
4. Will distribution to foreign markets, including Canada, be improved? Are there any new deals in the works to speed availability overseas?
5. Will Nerak ever be available again, perhaps via Hasbro's online store?Not likely.
6. Will there be more scenarios and official maps released? Possibly....two were released at last year's ConPossible ones that utlilize multiple sets or combinations of various expansions?Possibly.

UPCOMING "CLASSIC" HEROSCAPE PRODUCTS:
1. When will we see Kee-mo-shi? [ANSWER: In Wave Six Hero Pack] What about the large Marro figure from Thormun's journal? Was that an early version of Su-bak-na or is it something we still haven't seen yet?
2. If and when all-terrain boxes are sold, will they be available in brick and mortar stores or only available online, like replacement parts?
3. Will the prototype female Kyries from early product shots ever be released? Speaking of Kyries, will we be seeing anymore, or does that recent absence mean you suddenly under pressure not to include "angels and demons" in a kids' game? [ANSWER: Both protos are in Wave Six Hero Pack, and a squad of Kyries (Einar?) are in Wave Six]
4. Will we see another preview video of upcoming items?

MARVEL LEGENDS HEROSCAPE:
1. Why, specifically, are the Marvel products "not recommended" to be used with classic Heroscape? Are they not playtested with each other? Are they not point balanced with each other? Is a different ruleset or play system in place that is incompatible with standard scape? [ANSWER: No different rules, figures are point blanced and playtested against classic scape...mixing not recommended due to mostly "flavor" reasons.....ie no mixing of universes....they ahve triedvery hard tomake Marvelbalanced with classic.]
2. Given the long development time, we assume expansions are already in the works....when can we expect those and how will they be packaged or sold? Five or so heroes a pack, similar to standard scape, or in some new way or larger box set?[ANSWER: Expansions are in the works...this is a whole new line, packaging format as yet unknown.]
3. You said there are no squads in the game. Does that mean there are no squads simply in the starter set or that there are no squads planned, period?
4. Are there additional types of terrain and ruins in the works?

[jcb231]

Updated the list with new questions from the castle thread....

[reapersaurus]

distribution problems distribution problems distribution problems distribution problems distribution problems distribution problems distribution problems distribution problems distribution problems distribution problems distribution problems distribution problems distribution problems distribution problems distribution problems distribution problems distribution problems distribution problems distribution problems

Nothing else is remotely as important as the designers directly addressing this Heroscape-killing issue.

[ultradoug]

dont forget... distribution problems!

also why do Tae cost that much :(

[netherspirit]

I think reaper wants to add some questions to the list but I can't seem to decipher his post as to what those questions may pertain to. Can anyone help me out? :shrug:




:D

[jcb231]

I'm going to go ahead and add some questions about distribution problems....it just kinda came to me that I should do that.

[markwars]

The question that they will be asked the most is "Where does the line for the exclusive start?"

[MacG]

SPECIALIZED QUESTION
Is there any way to get sales figures on [Terrain pack] vs. [Big Monster] pack?

BACKGROUND
My experience is that it's just right in my area. There are a few Tundra in Grant's Pass, but few or no heroes on local shelves. Of the ten kids who own Heroscape who came into the game club at the end of school in June, eight owned Major Quiddler and only two owned Tundra. (The two who owned tundra also own the heroes.)

Obviously, the ADULT experience is just the opposite. Many adults have their own stories just the opposite of mine. Sandra's selling the Heroes off in other sets to balance her needs, for example, and Nick at Funagain mentioned the same problem last time I was in.

Is there any evidence about how many of each unit sold?

[countblah]

Quick question, and I'm serious.

Can the issue of distribution to foreign countries be addressed? Right now, Hasbro isn't even supporting the game anywhere but the continental usa, and even then (according to Reaper) not that much anyway.

[CornPuff]

Scapers: please dont lay into any Hasbro employees about distribution or hard sales data. You can ask, just don't push. Even Rob or Craig did tell us, it might get them in trouble.

:2cents:
I think we'd all have a bit more fun if we focused on the game aspect instead of the business aspect.

I sincerely doubt Rob and Craig are unaware of distribution problems. It was recently revealed that Craig pays attention to the boards, so I'm sure he's heard our bitching in moaning too. However this 'evil marketing lady' that the community scapegoats probably would prefer if he just stuck to talking rules and fun at Gencon, not sales, distribution, pain and suffering.

Just remember that we know HS is going strong, we are up to wave 5 with many more waves planned, a 'big announcement' at gencon, and the recent news of Marvelscape at comic con.

Disclaimer: My :2cents: are only valid in US. Countblah's post is a whole different issue

[bunjee]

A note, some of these questions have been answered in Oogie and Doc Savage's interviews, I may go in and edit posts in this thread to add the answer if one can be found or comes to light.

Thank you for starting the thread, I was going to be getting on this, I'll sticky it in a few moments.

[dickflea]

Yes the issue with distribution overseas needs to be addressed as i have only seen wave 1 hit the stores here in Australia.

This is totally unacceptable. Considering there are scapers from all over the world who are dying to get their hands on the waves.

[Doc_Savage]

I said this elsewhere, but here goes...

Every single question in the Rules questions to Hasbro thread should be asked.

The wave 5 cards should be examined and questions asked.

[jcb231]

A note, some of these questions have been answered in Oogie and Doc Savage's interviews, I may go in and edit posts in this thread to add the answer if one can be found or comes to light.

Thank you for starting the thread, I was going to be getting on this, I'll sticky it in a few moments.

Actually, only a couple were even asked....and they were ASKED but not ANSWERED.... :-P

I'd be interested to know which ones you think were answered?

[bunjee]

Distribution problems is probably about as answered as it will be from the people at conventions:
ODB: Now what distribution problems? The only place we have seen Raknar’s Vision and Thaelank Tundra is online. We used to see things maybe 2 weeks after the first online sighting, but now it’s been months and still virtually no sightings.

CVN: Well you see. Things are a little different when dealing with Large Retail Chains, than dealing with local hobby stores or online retailers. Normally smaller retailers put their new stuff out right away, but with large chains, they take their order and store in a large warehouse. Then it is up to the individual stores to order from the warehouses. Then after they receive the product, the local stores put it in their back room and sit on it till they feel it’s time to put it on the floor. We don’t really have control over that.

ODB: Then what about packaging. 2 Heroes to 1 terrain? Heroes are unique and people buy multiple terrain packs. Why is it packaged that way.

Marketing Rep: When it comes to sales and marketing, our demographic is 8-12 years (IIRC) and most kids when they are asking their parents to buy a product, they want heroes and dragons, not more trees.

CVN: Good news is, that Wal-Mart has requested a 3 terrain only SKU from us. So for Wal-Mart we will be packaging 3 Thaelank Tundra in a box. Since they asked for it, we were more than happy to make a new assortment for them.

[bunjee]

2. Does Hasbro plan on organizing official events and tournaments in the near future?
ODB: Will there be an official tournament structure? Rules? Supported by Hasbro or otherwise?

CVN: We’re looking into it.

[reapersaurus]

See, the problem with Craig's "answer" is that it fundamentally is in disagreement with previous HS expansion distribution. :headshake:

This isn't the first HS expansion that has been put out. His explanation does not take into account the fact no other HS expansion, from the MS to Wave 1 to Wave 2 to lava to RttFF/Orm's to Wave 3 did the big retailers exhibit this behavior he described.

Why would they have changed the way they do business, and run counter to capitalist principles (i.e. make profit by selling wanted product that you have in a wherehouse) :?:

Similarly, the marketing rep intercepting the 2/1 Raknar's/Tundra question is a slap in the face to every observant HS fan.

She may be ignorant of the sales data, but we ALL know that Orm's Return was overproduced in VAST quantities compared to the Trees. We've all seen shelf after shelf of the large dragons sitting there, even a year after it came out. Her "answer" in no way addresses this sales reality.

[MacG]

She may be ignorant of the sales data, but we ALL know that Orm's Return was overproduced in VAST quantities compared to the Trees. We've all seen shelf after shelf of the large dragons sitting there, even a year after it came out. Her "answer" in no way addresses this sales reality.

Dude, I know it's 4 1/2 hours each way, but come visit the Rogue Valley in beautiful Oregon. We don't have shelf after shelf of large dragons. We have a very few large dragons and more RTTFs on the shelf up here.

My anecdotal evidence is as good as yours!

[jcb231]

Ah, I see bunjee, you think that's as good as we'll ever get, and while I kinda agree, don't you think we should bother to ask again, just to keep them on their toes?

I'll consider removing it from the list.

[CornPuff]

I'm with Doc Savage:
Every rules question should be asked.

Frankly, we have HouseMouse and HasbroToyShop do pretty respectable jobs of distribution in the US. I mean, I like my cheap boosters at walmart too, but its more important that I will be able to get them at houesmouse even if Walmarts implode.

Actually, what is most important to my scapeverse is what the designers had in mind for when MBS stares down a gorillanator. Sigma and I reached a friendly impasse on the 'tough' question thread, and we need designer help to resolve the whole thing.

*sigh. It seems people will bug the devs about US distribution anyway, and who knows, maybe we will get some new info.

[bunjee]

Ah, I see bunjee, you think that's as good as we'll ever get, and while I kinda agree, don't you think we should bother to ask again, just to keep them on their toes?

I'll consider removing it from the list.Don't remove it, I just want people to know that there has been some discussion on it with the designers.

And yes, any questions unanswered that have been proposed in the "Rules questions to Hasbro" thread will be asked at gencon. I'm hoping some will be answered before then for tourney reasons.

[Venom]

3 questions here

1. Will we ever get a chance to buy Nerak for those that weren't able to get him from last year's exclusive? if so when and how, i guess?

2. The Marro unit from Thormun's Journal. When?

3. Will we ever get a sneak peak vid of upcoming figs. like when they 1st came out?

I'm hoping they will be in the next large unit expansion along w/ Kee-Mo-Shi, but i'd rather be sure.

[bunjee]

3 questions here

1. Will we ever get a chance to buy Nerak for those that weren't able to get him from last year's exclusive? if so when and how, i guess?

2. The Marro unit from Thormun's Journal. When?

3. Will we ever get a sneak peak vid of upcoming figs. like when they 1st came out?

I'm hoping they will be in the next large unit expansion along w/ Kee-Mo-Shi, but i'd rather be sure.Oh, 1 and 3 are excellent, so is two, but I think someone mentioned it. Maybe not in this thread, maybe I'm confusing it with the questions for comic-con thread.

I should go to bed.

[Venom]

thanks bunjee. i'm sure that was me asking in the other thread of #2. kept getting no reply so i might as well post it here.

[jcb231]

Updated.

[skyknight]

I agree Venom, I hope they will soon allow us to get Nerak somehow.

[netherspirit]

I agree Venom, I hope they will soon allow us to get Nerak somehow.

I heard they only made so many of them...who knows though. I am glad I got mine for $13 before the huge Nerak craze hit.

[skyknight]

Thats what Chris told me when I told him we got jipped at the great toys r Us event. I do not know how hard it would be to fire up the swog rider mold, repaint him and include him in a new pack. I would buy it.

[netherspirit]

Thats what Chris told me when I told him we got jipped at the great toys r Us event. I do not know how hard it would be to fire up the swog rider mold, repaint him and include him in a new pack. I would buy it.

Except hes not a true "repaint" hes molded in a different color plastic.

[bunjee]

Thats what Chris told me when I told him we got jipped at the great toys r Us event. I do not know how hard it would be to fire up the swog rider mold, repaint him and include him in a new pack. I would buy it.

Except hes not a true "repaint" hes molded in a different color plastic.THANK YOU! I always wander in and say that when I hear repaint. Call me picky.

In many ways it seems like it wouldn't be too difficult to make more, but it is hard to say, perhaps after x number of exclusives, they'll release an anniversary pack that will have all of them in it. In part, this depends on Walmart's agreement with them on the EOV. Or maybe that "send in proofs of purchase" idea.

Hopefully, they get incorporated into a release that can be purchased at some future point. But on the plus side, you can always proxy figs you have when they are using recasts.

[Grungebob]

Ask those designers if future Heroscape releases will be made out of a substance other than unobtanium. :wink:

[Venom]

should we also ask if Thormun himself will be a fig. someday?

[jcb231]

Eh....I think we'll start falling into a slope of "Will this be a fig, will that be a fig?" if we go too far with this. Best just to ask about Kee-mo-shi as that was quite a big deal with the contest and comic and all. I may even take off the proto kyrie and marro questions so as not to clutter it up.

[bunjee]

Leave all the questions, and then we can drop the repetitious ones to the end of the list. If they're feeling chatty, we can ask!

[CornPuff]

Question:
Are you planning on releasing more tourney suitable maps? If not, could we request some? :)


I think it would be a boon to our community if they released more 1v1, 1 or 2 MS even maps. They are more easily accepted by the masses as tourney suitable, and I always like to see what they come up with! Maybe they could even make a 'tournament scenario'

[Venom]

Leave all the questions, and then we can drop the repetitious ones to the end of the list. If they're feeling chatty, we can ask!

thanks bunjee :bunjee:

[skyknight]

Are we going to be getting alot more straight terrain sets in the future? any discussion of a new type of Master set? :pray: Could you imagine how nice it would be to have an entire new master set, new figs, new terrain, right at the same price level. That would force my hand into the holy crap I gotta buy a crapload mode :D

[Venom]

Are we going to be getting alot more straight terrain sets in the future? any discussion of a new type of Master set? :pray: Could you imagine how nice it would be to have an entire new master set, new figs, new terrain, right at the same price level. That would force my hand into the holy crap I gotta buy a crapload mode :D

:drool:

[bunjee]

Are we going to be getting alot more straight terrain sets in the future? any discussion of a new type of Master set? :pray: Could you imagine how nice it would be to have an entire new master set, new figs, new terrain, right at the same price level. That would force my hand into the holy crap I gotta buy a crapload mode :DThey mentioned they are looking into the straight terrain option. One might even say the castle is straight terrain as there are no figs with it.

Master set. mmmmmmmmmm.

[jcb231]

Yeah, those questions were sort of answered at comic-con.

I will add the thing about new scenarios/maps. Someone over on BGG had the idea that Hasbro could publish a magazine-length pamphlet with numerous scenarios and maps, and charge a few bucks for it or include it as an incentive you can get with proofs of purchase. I thought it was a good idea, maybe.

[skyknight]

I did not think the master set idea had been answered yet.

[bunjee]

I don't think it is, but I bet the answer will be:
CVN: We’re looking into that… Can you tell that is the standard answer we give when we can’t say what we want to.

:wink:

[skyknight]

:lol: now that was probably the truest statement on this site so far.

[Venom]

how bout since they're many unique samarai now, will there be a few for the ninja as well? :ninja:

[jcb231]

That's not a bad question, but again, I'm just trying to make sure the big things are covered...the key issues. We don't want to get into "when will you make figures X Y and Z" all the time....at least that's my two cents. Anyone else think we shouldn't flood Rob and Craig with "when will you make blank figure" questions or am I just totally crazy here? It's not like you'll get any real answers for ANY of those type of questions (excpet may be the Keemoshi one because that was a special case), unless the stuff happens to be sitting right there in the booth and he can point to it.

[Fallen Templar]

Why dos Deathwalker 9000 have explosion and Deathwalker 8000 have rapid fire? Were the Figures mixed up?

[Fallen Templar]

Also do they browse the custom unit forum and if so do they take idea from that forum?

[Venom]

Why dos Deathwalker 9000 have explosion and Deathwalker 8000 have rapid fire? Were the Figures mixed up?

i see what u mean. 8k has the rocket, and the 9k doesn't . kinda funny if u ask me

[Doc_Savage]

all rules ? from ask Hasbro...

[bunjee]

all rules ? from ask Hasbro...Yep, that is the plan, though there have been a bunch of answers recently, so we better come up with more! :wink:

[skyknight]

Heres one, they were just jokin about the Marvel stuff right :lol:

[reapersaurus]

Why dos Deathwalker 9000 have explosion and Deathwalker 8000 have rapid fire? Were the Figures mixed up?You know someone made "fixed" cards of those, right? ;)

I'll try to put em up in the Gallery section.

[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

You know someone made "fixed" cards of those, right? ;)

Doc Savage, IIRC

[Fallen Templar]

Why dos Deathwalker 9000 have explosion and Deathwalker 8000 have rapid fire? Were the Figures mixed up?You know someone made "fixed" cards of those, right? ;)

I'll try to put em up in the Gallery section. I know they were fixed but i want to know officially. In fact i use those cards :D

[K/H_Addict]

Can we look forward to Fortress additions or modifications such as Turretts and draw bridges?

[Fallen Templar]

Will Sir Hawthorne be handed out a TRU demo day like Nerak was.

[Annerios]

Will Sir Hawthorne be handed out a TRU demo day like Nerak was?

Someone better move that one to the top of the list!

[jcb231]

Not much time...added a couple answers.

[Venom]

any more answers to the questions? :popcorn:

[reapersaurus]

Yeah - how bout the DISTRIBUTION PROBLEMS????

:roll:

Did everyone the entire weekend, when they had constant communication with Craig, just ignore the elephant in the room?

What's the point of all this new product if noone can buy it?

[bunjee]

Yeah - how bout the DISTRIBUTION PROBLEMS????

:roll:

Did everyone the entire weekend, when they had constant communication with Craig, just ignore the elephant in the room?

What's the point of all this new product if noone can buy it?
Actually, the only time I saw Craig at the Con, he was working with his volunteer team and the Hasbro crew. It was Sunday, and he was very very tired. All previous times I stopped by there, he was surrounded by tons of people, and I am not an interrupting type.

The only time I saw him outside the con, I was not going to be asking questions unless they were personal chit chat. Which didn't happen, cause he was busy playing and talking with many people.

When I found out that JCB was going, I left the questions to him. I'm not good at interviewing, it makes me feel ill.

[Hahnarama]

.....it makes me feel ill.


No Happy Hour on Friday does! :P

[bunjee]

.....it makes me feel ill.


No Happy Hour on Friday does! :PPoodlehead.

[Doc_Savage]

Are we going to get an update on these questions? And the outstanding rules questions from the ask Hasbro thread??????????

[Grungebob]

Craig said three times at Gencon that YES marro plague can affect the castle door!!

[netherspirit]

Craig said three times at Gencon that YES marro plague can affect the castle door!!

I love being right :)

[markwars]

Did he acknowledge that plagued doors are not intuitively logical...unless you're from the Hoosier state of course. :wink:

[Grungebob]

Did he acknowledge that plagued doors are not intuitively logical...unless you're from the Hoosier state of course. :wink:He said that in order to have other appropriate abilities affect the door he had to allow plague to affect it. They were aware of it and felt that it was justifiable for game play.

[netherspirit]

Did he acknowledge that plagued doors are not intuitively logical...unless you're from the Hoosier state of course. :wink:

HAHA.

I believe he or someone else from the HS group there said they wanted DW7K's explosion to work on the door and the Plague had to came along for the ride.

EDIT - Dang the slow network in this lab...GB you beat me!

[markwars]

Cool. It's nice to know that they are aware that everything can't be wrapped in a neat little bow, but rules can still be applied.

[jcb231]

Yeah - how bout the DISTRIBUTION PROBLEMS????

:roll:

Did everyone the entire weekend, when they had constant communication with Craig, just ignore the elephant in the room?

What's the point of all this new product if noone can buy it?

Distribution problems were sort of answered at Comic-con, and the same general answers were given here.

They acknowledge that product is slow to arrive, but they said that Castles were getting a big push, and (what's this now?) oh look, they're ON THE SHELVES!!!!!!!! Glee! Castles are out there, for the buying. Distribution for other stuff really is as they say....big retailers hold product. The reason HS doesn't have any Tundra at their site is because they don't hold any back...Tundra is out there, in warehouses, awaiting restock orders. They didn't have more than 30 Castles at Gencon....the rest were all being pushed to stores.

I don't view this as a huge issue. It's a pain sometimes, but it's been bery possible to get everything so far. The only thing that I have HAD to go to the web for was Tundra and Raknar's....Wave Four was pretty scarce and remains so, but I did see more than enough of it out there to get my share. Everything else up to and including Castles I have seen in stores in large amounts now...Castles are getting the mother of all pushes. I fully expect to see Wave Five on shelves soon, as it seems to be turning up around the country in much greater numbers than Wave 4.

I complained a little about delays, but I didn't even notice a true distribution problem until Wave Four and 4.5 came along, and it seems that was an exception to the rule. Things may come out a lot later than we are told, but they do come out....there's enough of everything up through Castles (that doesn't involve a "4" in the wave number) to choke a horse.

That poor horse....coughing up MacDirks and Minions, crapping out Charos and RTTFF.

[Venom]

out of curiousity, are these the only answers we got then? or are there more to be answered later?

[bunjee]

out of curiousity, are these the only answers we got then? or are there more to be answered later?I'm not sure if jcb got the questions answered from the first page. I know he was planning to update that page with answers, but if his post con week has been anything like mine, he hasn't had the time.

[Venom]

i sure do hope there's more answers out there waiting to be posted. thanks :bunjee:

[Grungebob]

i sure do hope there's more answers out there waiting to be posted. thanks :bunjee:Venom, are there any specific answers you are looking for?

[reapersaurus]

i sure do hope there's more answers out there waiting to be posted. thanks :bunjee:Venom, are there any specific answers you are looking for?:raises hand:

I'm still looking for answers on the DISTRIBUTION PROBLEMS.

It's funny how people think that if they have product in hand, than there's no distribution problem. :headshake:

Here's a hint:
* No new product in most stores for almost an entire year (Wave 4 and Tundra/Raknar's were almost impossible to obtain - Raknar's only was being regularly stocked about a month ago). They have NOT been readily available, despite your belief, jcb.
* They saw how the product FLEW off the shelves at Gencon.
* They can get the reports about the new product flying off the shelves at stores when it IS stocked in the first few months of a release.
* Walmart monopolized the Castle release, leading to less competetition & less HS fans getting product. This is a WORSE, not better situation. Sorry, that's fact.
* The entire West Coast seems to have been passed by for Castles and Wave 5. Who knows when a second shipment might make it in stores? Wave 4 never got a second shipment, remember guys.
* If Wave 6 doesn't get the problems fixed that Wave 4 exposed, than it may as well be released by mail order, because no non-hardcore player will ever see it on a store shelf.

Those are HUGE problems, guys, that cut to the very heart of the sales model that Heroscape is based on.

I find it appaling that so many otherwise-smart and knowledgable people are missing the current sales realities of this game.

[Grungebob]

i sure do hope there's more answers out there waiting to be posted. thanks :bunjee:Venom, are there any specific answers you are looking for?:raises hand:

I'm still looking for answers on the DISTRIBUTION PROBLEMS.

It's funny how people think that if they have product in hand, than there's no distribution problem. :headshake:

Here's a hint:
* No new product in most stores for almost an entire year (Wave 4 and Tundra/Raknar's were almost impossible to obtain - Raknar's only was being regularly stocked about a month ago). They have NOT been readily available, despite your belief, jcb.
* They saw how the product FLEW off the shelves at Gencon.
* They can get the reports about the new product flying off the shelves at stores when it IS stocked in the first few months of a release.
* Walmart monopolized the Castle release, leading to less competetition & less HS fans getting product. This is a WORSE, not better situation. Sorry, that's fact.
* The entire West Coast seems to have been passed by for Castles and Wave 5. Who knows when a second shipment might make it in stores? Wave 4 never got a second shipment, remember guys.
* If Wave 6 doesn't get the problems fixed that Wave 4 exposed, than it may as well be released by mail order, because no non-hardcore player will ever see it on a store shelf.

Those are HUGE problems, guys, that cut to the very heart of the sales model that Heroscape is based on.

I find it appaling that so many otherwise-smart and knowledgable people are missing the current sales realities of this game.Reaper, I have seen your posts harping on this and I don't want you to think everyone is ignoring you. As I recall, Craig mentioned the distribution in Oogie's interview. While I was at Gencon I never asked Craig about distribution problems. He is the game designer. That would be like asking a chef why the service was so bad. I did hear Craig mention that there were some manufacturing problems that delayed some items. There are a thousand things that can go wrong with manufacturing. When something does go wrong then it is a domino effect. BUT at all times there was at least a trickle of product continuing to move. Kids don't keep up to date on releases. They go to the store with parents and if they see something they want, they ask their parents to buy it. The folks really upset by distribution are us, and believe me they are more than aware.

[Venom]

Venom, are there any specific answers you are looking for?

well, i was really looking forward to hearing some news on the marro unit in thormun's journal. mainly it

[bunjee]

Reaper, as a quick note for the West Coast of Castles, I called the 1-800-walmart line and my closest walmart, which is a tiny dingy thing, called me back to say they are expecting their 6 they have on order in the next few days. Since i have them on order from HouseMouse I didn't call the 800 number during 9-5 central time to talk to anyone about getting more store information from Western Washington.

I know that Sandra received a second shipment of Wave 4, so I suspect that Craig's ComicCon statement of "sitting in warehouses" may not be too far off for some of this stuff.

All the Walmarts that I went to over the summer had low toy stock because all their summer gear was stuffed to the gills. And immediately after the summer gear thinned out it was taken over by the back to school items.

My main distribution concern is that Sandra's Hasbro rep told her to expect shipment that was promised to Walmart. Massive communication problem there. Hopefully that second shipment she gets stuff from is right on the heels of this one. It will be intresting to see if there is a push of Heroscape around Thanksgiving for the gift shopping season.

[Buddy Lee]

I think its time to UNSTICKY this and the other Gen Con threads.

Buddy Lee

[jcb231]

Here's a hint:
* No new product in most stores for almost an entire year (Wave 4 and Tundra/Raknar's were almost impossible to obtain - Raknar's only was being regularly stocked about a month ago). They have NOT been readily available, despite your belief, jcb.
* They saw how the product FLEW off the shelves at Gencon.
* They can get the reports about the new product flying off the shelves at stores when it IS stocked in the first few months of a release.
* Walmart monopolized the Castle release, leading to less competetition & less HS fans getting product. This is a WORSE, not better situation. Sorry, that's fact.
* The entire West Coast seems to have been passed by for Castles and Wave 5. Who knows when a second shipment might make it in stores? Wave 4 never got a second shipment, remember guys.
* If Wave 6 doesn't get the problems fixed that Wave 4 exposed, than it may as well be released by mail order, because no non-hardcore player will ever see it on a store shelf.

Those are HUGE problems, guys, that cut to the very heart of the sales model that Heroscape is based on.

I find it appaling that so many otherwise-smart and knowledgable people are missing the current sales realities of this game.

First off, I said that 4 and 4.5 were hard to find....the only waves for which I felt there was a real distribution problem. I'll give you that. But I think we've moved beyond whatever caused the problem. Castles and Wave 5 are showing up all over the place, in solid numbers.
Before Wave 4 came out, all previous items were available in large numbers for reasonable periods of time.
Wal-mart monopolizing castle distribution is a great thing, I think....it means we have a guaranteed source for castles. Just go to almost any Wal-Mart and they are there on the shelf.
And again, Wave Five is showing up in many, many, many areas, in a very short amount of time since it's official reveal at Gencon.

[LilNewbie]

Here's a hint:
* No new product in most stores for almost an entire year (Wave 4 and Tundra/Raknar's were almost impossible to obtain - Raknar's only was being regularly stocked about a month ago). They have NOT been readily available, despite your belief, jcb.
* They saw how the product FLEW off the shelves at Gencon.
* They can get the reports about the new product flying off the shelves at stores when it IS stocked in the first few months of a release.
* Walmart monopolized the Castle release, leading to less competetition & less HS fans getting product. This is a WORSE, not better situation. Sorry, that's fact.
* The entire West Coast seems to have been passed by for Castles and Wave 5. Who knows when a second shipment might make it in stores? Wave 4 never got a second shipment, remember guys.
* If Wave 6 doesn't get the problems fixed that Wave 4 exposed, than it may as well be released by mail order, because no non-hardcore player will ever see it on a store shelf.

Those are HUGE problems, guys, that cut to the very heart of the sales model that Heroscape is based on.

I find it appaling that so many otherwise-smart and knowledgable people are missing the current sales realities of this game.

First off, I said that 4 and 4.5 were hard to find....the only waves for which I felt there was a real distribution problem. I'll give you that. But I think we've moved beyond whatever caused the problem. Castles and Wave 5 are showing up all over the place, in solid numbers.
Before Wave 4 came out, all previous items were available in large numbers for reasonable periods of time.
Wal-mart monopolizing castle distribution is a great thing, I think....it means we have a guaranteed source for castles. Just go to almost any Wal-Mart and they are there on the shelf.
And again, Wave Five is showing up in many, many, many areas, in a very short amount of time since it's official reveal at Gencon.

I agree it's nice to see the product showing up en masse but I don't care for the "monopolizing" that WalMart has pulled. It's hurt HMG and others since WalMart pulled strings and removed the product from those resellers too. Especially when some of those resellers prepaid for their product and it was still taken from them.

Newb.

[Buddy Lee]

I agree it's nice to see the product showing up en masse but I don't care for the "monopolizing" that WalMart has pulled. It's hurt HMG and others since WalMart pulled strings and removed the product from those resellers too. Especially when some of those resellers prepaid for their product and it was still taken from them.

Newb.

Not to mention we know of at least one retailer, HouseMouseGames, who passed up the opportunity to attend Gen Con, and do some meaningful networking and customer interaction, to support her customers in the mistaken assumption that product would arrive per plan. Those of you who screamed and hollered for Sandra to send you your **** should be at least a little mollified that she lost this opportunity with no benefits.

Buddy Lee