II find it VERY hard to believe that NYC has only 2 venues in the entire ctry. Do a community search on the WK site and I bet you'll fne at least a dozen more...there are like 12 HC tourney-running venues in Montreal and the surrounding area alone, and we have a pop. of less than 1/3rd of NYC's...

Hey Beverins you ever hear the expression "less is more"?

That's the ironic thing Kergillian I have, and they are only ones in manhattan at any rate.

Sides heroclix isn't the only game I play. and the DBZ CCG is pretty much dead in nyc

"Less is more"

Visit the newsgroups if you want some real articles to read, all debating detailed minutiae. LOL

;-)

Maybe there are no venues in NYC because all the NYC'ers buy their stuff online! Hurray point made, Supporting venues win! One to nothing! Can't play your precious DBZ CCG anywhere and it died due to the fact you did not support the stores! Oneononeonone! Who's house? Run's House!

Completly kidding. Could not help myself.

They appear to be a store that sells online...

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http://www.seattlegamecon.com/ these people seem to be sponsored by some online order houses.

This is a con, not a store

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But what does an online store's running a tourney and such, have to do with this? The only appeal an online store has is the lower price. The physical store cannot compete with the lower price. So basically, you have given up all hope and have written an article about how it is the gamer's duty as a gamer to go to your local store and support it, because the store owner is too uncreative to think of ways to create revenue.

My point is that tourneys are an example of support for a game and its customer base. Online stores have no sense of community. They are all business, with no involvement in the community nd usually little knowledge about what they are selling. It's all about product sales and nothing about the product itself.

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Why is a custom useless in terms of gameplay if it has the same dial / data? A modified card can be done with minimal effort. Its of course easier for Clix games, than it is for card games, that I will concede. In an official tourney, they're worthless, perhaps, but not for that venue-prize. You make the custom, you offically grant it to be legal in your store, and nowhere else....

How many people will be thrilled to receive a fig or card that they can only legally use in that single venue? One that also has no value outside of the store? Even a trophy has prestige value. A card with a color photocpy of a different pic on it is hardly a drool-drawing prize...

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The giftcard would have strings attached, or only usable to buy certain things, or only inconjunction with another purchase, or some other qualifier. Those Buy 1 get 1 free things you see in the supermarket - surely you know that they have managed to wrangle the profit in there, right? You're a business major, and have done your statistical analyses, yet you can still cannot see the way out of this?

I'm not a business major, never said I was. But this kind of solution still costs the store a lot of money - buy one get one free does not make money. Theowners of my local store are smart and they have implemented reduced prices when you buy multiple packs/boosters ($1 off each CCG booster when you buy 5, $2 off each HC booster when you buy 3. This kind of solution is one that works for both store and customer. But the prices per booster are still more expensive, even with this discount, than you coule get online...

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No, no business degree, but I have run a simple store, albeit small and without the attendant concerns of overhead costs other than getting money to buy the stocks with. Its detailed in an above post. So while I have no direct retail experience juggling revenue and debits, I do have SOME small clue as to what I'm talking about. I believe I never said it was easy. I did say that its the retailer's responsibility to draw the crowds in, and not to appeal to buyers to support the store, for fear of the game dissolving.

So you have run a store that is like an onlne store - no overhead, just buying and selling. Now factor in rent, employee salaries, electricity and heating, prize support and tournament fees, promo and demo costs, computers to run video games and the vid games to run on them, occasionally replacing display cases and shelves, tables and chairs, and other assorted repairs. Plus buying many different kinds of products, many of which are untested, and hoping they'll sell.

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There is nothing false about your own feelings, but to attempt to place them onto others as a sense of "do this, or the games will die" seems to show that you've run out of ideas for improving business flow. So, with that assumption, one can assume that you have done all the examples I have stated to try to improve your percieved value, and they have all failed. If that is so, then I apologize for assuming too much.

I place nothing on others. I merely state my opinion in an editorial. It is up to the reader to agree/disagree, to follow my example or not. My perception is that if the LGS system disappears and we are left with only online gaming stores, there will be no gaming. I believe that we, as gamers, have a responsibility to ensure that the games we want to play stay alive and healthy. I believe that in order to do this we must support out LGS. Period. Nowhere did I put the onus on your individual hed or put a gun to it.

Well, from reading the responses, I will say I have no formal business experience, but I still think that store owners could be more creative and caring in building a revenue stream, placing the blame on themselves, instead of placing the blame on the customers who buy online, and instead of placing the blame on online retailers who can stock and drop product.

My attitude rests with the belief that we are all responsible for our own outcomes, and while asking the customers to come to the store instead of online may be a legitimate request, it does generate a bit of ire, as this thread has seen.

But, as Kergillian and Praxismmii have pointed out, there are difficulties in my approach, so I guess it will have to remain down to agreeing to disagree. I concede that renovation is a difficult prospect, however, I still can't believe that a renovation could not be done piecemeal, like they do on trading spaces... only over a longer period of time. A wall here, a cabinet there, track lighting over here... *shrug*

I guess back to talking about games, which is what we're here for.

geez - well I truly feel sorry for your guys then, cause that well and truly sucks rocks.

Still you're stuck in the mode of moving product. Are there no other methods of revenue generation that can increase percieved value? I guess that pretty much sums up these pages of argument. LOL

You said Kergillian, while I like neutral ground, it's kinda depressing that it's the only real option out here...

Basically, I suppose you can blame NYC for our similar attitudes LOL

Okay... let's just blame it on NYC and be done with it.

"Support your local game store if you don't live in the NYC area!"

evilspider: The post about DBZ CCG dying in your area due to lack of local support does speak to the validity of Kergi's article.

Now... I hate to cliche this thread but...

"Can't we all just get along?!?"

Ok... I've gone and done it... I hope there's no Realms rules about bad cliches.

um has anyone tried this link?

http://gamestoredirectory.com/wwwthr..._directory.php


it lists:
New York (404)
Jersey (248)
Connecticut (106)
thats ALOT of entries.

also: what is wrong with neutral ground? Sure they charge you to play but it is THE premier place to play in NYC.

what amazes me about these pro-online people is how hypocritical they are. You ##### about the lack of GOOD gamestores in your area but you do NOTHING to help CREATE a good atmosphere and community. In fact your lack of support creates a worse enviroment.

I also think it is interesting that the TWO people arguing against kergy are from NYC. You don't happen to know each other do you?

I heavily support my local store because he in turn supports the game community in the store. No online store will ever do that. but I guess cheap cards are worth not having anywhere to play for some people.

Heh.

And I thought this discussion was over.