Every time I go to a different city I try to check out the game stores that are there. Most of the time I will look for new titles in the game I am currently playing, though in most cases I already likely have acquired them. Having said all of that I found myself in a different city yesterday with several game stores so I went to see if they had anything new for the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying game.
Launceston hunt
I was in Launceston, Tasmania. A place I used to live in and was wandering the city with my wife. It was close to the end of the day and she had looked at what she wanted so we headed for these stores. The three stores in question all exist within 150 metres of one another so it would not take long. In the quick visit I found that the two stores that carried role playing games believe that Dungeons and Dragons is the only game in existence now (that is all they had in stock).
But, at the third store I found complete and utter madness.
The Warhammer Store
One of the hardest thing for me to get over is this bit of logic. I went into a Warhammer store. Yes, a store dedicated to the intellectual property of the game I play. Of course I realise that they are largely a tabletop miniatures type store but surely if you have a store dedicated to this game you are going to have peripherals. In fact, while there I bought a Warhammer themed notebook – so peripherals they have.
I asked the store keeper if they had anything in the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying Game range and he advised me that they do not. In fact he told me that they did not even stock it. Complete madness. He gave me the reason and it is;
We do not make it.
Which is true. Games Workshop have given the rights to Cubicle 7 to create the current version of the game. BUT it is still Games Workshop’s intellectual property. Infact, their logo is still on all of the books.
Complete madness
I understand that Games Workshop is this corporate engine that is ruthless. But why would you agree to sharing your intellectual property and then refuse to sell it? Do they want the game to fail? OK, a hundred percent of the profits would not all be theirs but still it seems like an idiotic business model.
Regardless of this madness I think I have all of the in print items currently out. One of my players bought me the Rough Nights and Hard Days book that recently made it to print – which I am thankful for. I hope to get around to reading it shortly. Until next time keep rolling!
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Hi. As a Launcestonian I have to agree. The prop of the GW store (I guy I used to work with in a different business), used to be a well rounded mini/rpg gamer, although I take credit for re-introducing him to gaming. Since working for GW he has become a loyal drone of the system. GUF (Goodgames) are open to most anything and are stocking small amounts of Warhammer thanks to a couple of us showing some interest, but due to their customer base being small and DnD focussed tend to fall back on the old favourite. AIME and 13th age are two I have suggested, but to little avail and Jesse (vast gaming experience, but not the owner) would like more diversity in their rpg stuff, but it a case of not knowing what will sell without trying it and not trying it because it has not sold. Frustrating! If I personally gamed/GMed more-i.e. led the way- maybe more would be achieved.
I guess we are well serviced considering our population, especially after loosing Birchalls, Stories and Tiger models, but as is usually the case small populations are serviced by tentative retailers (I currently work at camera house and am constantly amazed by people expecting us to carry huge depth in fringe or expensive gear, so I see it from both sides, but we must at least offer variety or we would fold).