This is basically going to cripple the hobby for me and my argentinian community, MM in general and Discount games in my particular case, have been feeding our gaming needs since the very begining, we have no brick and mortar stores, the only store we have charges tyraniccal 50% or more overprice on any product that enters the country, a 15 dollars ship may very well end up costing 30 o more dollars.

Worst part is I was starting a small gaming groups, and i really really hoped we could get return to hoth to bolster a new campaing for imperial assault, now it seems that hope is lost

Honestly I guess we are supporting FFG/Asmodee too much. Absolute power corrupts and becoming monopolistic does encourage abuse of position. Its human nature really I suppose.

Funny I watch Tom Vassels you tube videos often and he talks about how there are no real big gaming companies. FFG/Asmodee seems to have proven him wrong with these moves. FFG/Asmodee is a big company and they intend to push everyone around, including us their consumers.

We as consumers will have to choose to support or not support this behavior. The second statement by FFG president today was so vague it answerer zero questions really. That does not bode well for all of us.

Edit note - Statement today was from Aaron Elliott - VP Marketing - Asmodee North America

Well if I can't buy online I can't buy at all I don't have a fgs that sells x-wing.

I suspect I'm not alone in that situation.

Even in their main announcement, they note that they will still be maintaining their business relationships with companies like Amazon, Target and Barnes & Noble, both of whom sell online. If they were to try to tell any of those stores, "You can't sell online," those stores would quickly tell them to pound sand.

Most of the ships I've purchased have been from the FLGS, so this doesn't bother me.

So basically exactly what GW did...we lost a lot of LGS's when that happened.

But GW also tried to shoe-horn us into one man shops that didn't have any support for gamers, they raised prices consistently and made it much harder for independent retailers to actually stock their product.

FFG could handle this properly and we all know it. Just relax and have breakfast already guys.

Restricting online sales is not handling it properly. Giving other incentives for us the consumer to shop at B&M stores is appropriate.

We the consumers should be the most important factor in this process. Without us there is no company. 100% of this process ANA is doing is obscured from us the consumer and they obviously don't care about us. If they did they would not be limiting our purchase options.

Think this practice is stupid? Vote with your wallet.

For me, I've typically bought an entire wave all at once. Now I think I'll be far more selective in what I buy.

FFG/Asmodee has another thing coming if they think they can control consumer patterns by changing distribution channels.

I can see the issues that the local gaming stores have, trying to compete with MM and CSI.

...

It's simply not a sustainable model.

You're right.

Many or most local stores provide zero value for the physical product. Buying product from a local store takes longer, is less convenient, and is more expensive. Local stores don't offer any value whatsoever in the product that they sell.

What they do offer is a convenient place to play. I think the future of the local gaming store is going to need to shift to a subscription based model. You pay to go to the gym, why not pay to use table space at your local game store? Unfortunately most game stores are run by gamers that are NOT business smart.

The reality is that the world is changing. You have to innovate or die. The stronger FFG tries to hold onto the old entrenched models, the worse of they will be for it in the long run. Rather than helping to lead the industry in innovating, FFG uses monopolistic practices to try and keep us in the dark ages. Good luck with that.

This newer business model is already starting to spring up all over the place. It comes in the form of a cafe, coffee shop or bar that offer places to sit and pay. Sakes and Lattes in Toronto is this newer business model with many following suit. Most of these places sell games as well as sell space to play. The benefit of paying to have their space is better choices in food and beverages.

The move to level the playing ground between online and brick and mortar is nothing new. There are plenty of companies who operate under this fixed pricing type of model. The only things different is the change happening in front of you rather then from the beginning.

If the hobby is to grow it needs the brick and mortar stores. If the players all buy online and stay at home in their kitchen no new players get introduced to the hobby. The casual shopper will not stumble in and discover the hobby on their own if your at home. They would have to be introduced to the hobby by a current member.

If I can't buy online then they will lose all my business. I have no brick and mortar store less than a 2 & 1/2 hour drive away from me. That is three games worth of business they will lose from me between armada, xwing, and IA.

If they go the games workshop route then they can kiss my ass and I will play with what I already have. I will spend my money on other games for new stuff.

I seriously don't understand the angst here.

Everybody chill out if you don't have an LGS near you. Online sales will still be there! Just probably no longer at ridiculous discounts.

The MSRP is there for a reason. If you have a membership to Barnes & Noble or an LGS that does discounts, you will get 10% off or so. That's reasonable. If you're only buying from a massive online service and used to getting 30 or 40% off, well, that's going to end and if you're outraged by that, I think the greater ethical burden of greed falls on you, not the corporate "man."

If I'm off base somewhere, I welcome alternative views.

But I just don't see any reason for people to feel offended. This will benefit my two LGSs directly.

I can see the issues that the local gaming stores have, trying to compete with MM and CSI.

...

It's simply not a sustainable model.

You're right.

Many or most local stores provide zero value for the physical product. Buying product from a local store takes longer, is less convenient, and is more expensive. Local stores don't offer any value whatsoever in the product that they sell.

What they do offer is a convenient place to play. I think the future of the local gaming store is going to need to shift to a subscription based model. You pay to go to the gym, why not pay to use table space at your local game store? Unfortunately most game stores are run by gamers that are NOT business smart.

The reality is that the world is changing. You have to innovate or die. The stronger FFG tries to hold onto the old entrenched models, the worse of they will be for it in the long run. Rather than helping to lead the industry in innovating, FFG uses monopolistic practices to try and keep us in the dark ages. Good luck with that.

Not the feeling that I got from my recent chat, as you mentioned so we will have to just wait and see. I do not think the online restrictions are going to be so great if they think they can brush off the volume they get in sales from MM & SCI they are going to have a change of heart I think. Most people who buy this product do not give a crap about hanging around in a dingy little game shop in a hole in the wall strip mall.

Also many people are only abel to buy online as there are no game stores that sell this type of product friendly or otherwise.

I have lots of great game stores next to me, but I still buy online from time to time. I just want the best price. I don't care about having game space -- my home is more comfortable, my table is better than anything a game store has, I can drink beer, and I can crank up the imperial march whenever my rebels lose again. I do understand that some prefer to go out to a managed location to meet up, but I don't understand this link between buying games and having a place to play games. If you want a space to play games, then pay for a space to play games. If you want to buy a game, then pay for the game. Paying for a space to play games by buying marked up copies of games just seems convoluted and silly.

Tiberius is correct here. There is no way FFG will cease online sales. Barnes and Noble, Amazon, hell even Coolstuff and Miniture Market will still sell them online, just not at the huge discounts they are offering now. As a small town store owner that prides himself on trying to be competative with the online market by having a clean, fun, and competative atmosphere for all of my gamers this will only help me in small (not drastic) ways. I have to charge msrp for my products just to make a small.... very small profit. I wish I could charge $9.99 for a K-wing, but it's just not reality. Do I feel bad for those large online retailers for having to charge atleast a little closer to msrp... no. Will coolstuff and mm not carry x wing because of this, maybe. But for those who do not have an flgs near you... the online market will still be there, just not one the cuts brick and mortar stores off at the knees.

Miniature Martket is a huge online retailer and they have a really nice store in St. Louis. They fit both categories so what will ANA do with them? This doesn't make anything clearer!!!

I hope you are right, if not hobby in my country is definitely ruined at least for x wing and ia.

I have lots of great game stores next to me, but I still buy online from time to time. I just want the best price. I don't care about having game space -- my home is more comfortable, my table is better than anything a game store has, I can drink beer, and I can crank up the imperial march whenever my rebels lose again. I do understand that some prefer to go out to a managed location to meet up, but I don't understand this link between buying games and having a place to play games. If you want a space to play games, then pay for a space to play games. If you want to buy a game, then pay for the game. Paying for a space to play games by buying marked up copies of games just seems convoluted and silly.

I hear your points and your perspective is a valid one.

But are you really talking about marked up prices above MSRP? Or just less/no discount relative to the bargain price slashers of the online volume sellers?

I personally have three physical sources for my products, and one of the LGSs offers no regular discount (although he did privately arrange good 20-30% discounts for a few of us regulars who wanted first dibs on the Raider). I still buy from him to show my support for the shop and camaraderie his facility provides. I just don't commit to buying everything from him. Having a common place to play is worth the extra $1.50 to $3 I pay per expansion, over the other nearby sellers who give me a 10% discount.

I have lots of great game stores next to me, but I still buy online from time to time. I just want the best price. I don't care about having game space -- my home is more comfortable, my table is better than anything a game store has, I can drink beer, and I can crank up the imperial march whenever my rebels lose again. I do understand that some prefer to go out to a managed location to meet up, but I don't understand this link between buying games and having a place to play games. If you want a space to play games, then pay for a space to play games. If you want to buy a game, then pay for the game. Paying for a space to play games by buying marked up copies of games just seems convoluted and silly.

Well the shop I go to is pretty darn awesome, so...

I don't know. I tried to do the online thing with GW stuff, and it never worked out. NoS, Used, Kinda Used, Glued Together With Elmyers... I get what you're saying though, you can relax differently at home. I'm not a social person and for me having a comfortable environment to play X-Wing is really important. I'm under no illusions, it's a business. We're only allowed to flood the shop with x-wingers because it has a number of benefits for the store, but I don't think the shop is the only ones prospering. My wife? She will tell you, a year ago, I'd never have even thought about starting a gaming club, and I was MIRED is 40k crap.

A good game shop can be a really positive thing.

I think greed is a hypocritical word in this context. The gamer is greedy for wanting the game for as cheap as possible? What about the greed of the game company for wanting to get as much money as possible? Or the retailer that sells them as cheap as possible in order to profit from increased sales volume? It's all greed, or capitalism, depending on your viewpoint. To act like this is even close to some sort of altruistic effort to help the brick and mortar stores is the worst kind of self delusion. Make no mistake friends, they want money from you. Full stop. If they think stopping deep online discounters is the way to do it, we need to vote with our collective wallets and not buy their game pieces. If they lose money on this new policy, you can bet your mama's dentures that they will reverse course. Other than that, welcome to capitalism I suppose. I mean it's not like an older, less efficient, obsolete model is being overrun by a more efficient, and cheaper way of doing business...oh wait..

Gamesworkshop had to double their prices after so many people stopped buying their products after a similar policy change.

Then they lost more customers so had to raise the prices again...

I play on my kitchen table with my brothers, sometimes I buy a ship or two at a local shop when I'm there to play magic cards when our friend's house is unavailable. Most of what I buy, I buy online.

It's like they are saying we are scum for buying their products online. meanwhile they only print a single copy of certain upgrade cards in each pack, so if you wanted to actually play at a shop under tournament rules, you'd have to buy multiples of ships you won't use. If I play at home, I can just proxy the multiple copies I need when playing with my bros, to play some different lists I couldn't at a local shop (that is strict with rules).

I'm not whining about the Raider, I bought one, I've purchased at least one of every Imperial ship because I think they are awesome. I have 2 Starvipers because I got a 2nd one online, it was cheap enough that I didn't feel bad purchasing it just for 2 more Autothrusters.

I'm whining a little bit about the Experimental interface that only comes with the Outrider. It's fun to use on Deathrain. My Bro has all the Rebel ships, I don't see the need to purchase one for myself since I only get the Rebs I really like (B-wings, Z-95s and A-wings).

No Imperial ships come with Engine Upgrade and I own 2 Lambda Shuttles. I bought the Houndstooth because I liked the way it looked so it isn't much of an issue. If I saw it on a store shelf, I would pick it up, turn the box and see the $40 + sales tax price tag, then set it back down.

But GW had also been hiking prices since well before the advent of the online retailer. The deep discounts were needed to keep GW gamers in the game. I don't think X-Wing really needs deep discounts to be a viable game for everyone to enjoy.

What the heck happened to kids saving up for crap anymore anyways? I had a bunch of self mythologizin' childhood jobs! Now a days we call it child labour, but back then it was pocket money.

Sheesh. I only just bought into the game last week. Apparently I have great timing.

The reason I play at the FLGS is to meet other people, and expand the circle of friends I play with. It's hard to meet new people at your kitchen table. Everyone has different preferences, but it seems like most people don't just want to play the same person over and over forever.

You may want to rethink your expanding circle of friends. Read some of the DnD horror stories about the guys that answer requests for players smearing **** on the walls, or maybe your friends get you addicted to more games that cost $$.

People are terrible, why would you want to know more of them?!

The reason I play at the FLGS is to meet other people, and expand the circle of friends I play with. It's hard to meet new people at your kitchen table. Everyone has different preferences, but it seems like most people don't just want to play the same person over and over forever.

Actually, I've found that most people like to have the same group of friends to play with forever if they can find the right people.

Some of my gaming buddies have been playing together for over fifty years. That's one fun group of guys.

There are a lot of different issues involved in this, from product line devaluation due to constant discounts to maintaining logistical channels for a competitive tournament game. On the FLGS side, physical retailers are under increasing pressure to stay competitive in today's market. Online retailers typically work on a different business model than your standard brick and mortar store. Online businesses can operate on profit margins that will simply not support a physical location, especially in smaller cities and towns.

Most of the people I know in the industry that own or operate a brick and mortar store know that in order to stay in business you have to offer your customers more than low prices. Simply put, you will lose to the big discounters every time in price race to the bottom because you will hit bottom first. From Knowledgeable staff, play spaces, community involvement, and demos to more direct revenue sources such as game or table rentals, physical stores have to offer something other than or in addition to a lower price.Time will tell if any of these models or tactics will stave off overall declining physical retail sales in our economy as a whole, let alone boardgaming.

For example, game cafes and pubs are great (as mentioned by a previous poster), but they seem the most successful in urban areas that have a combination of decent paying jobs and high rent/small square footage. That type of environment provides both customer saturation and a need to find play space. This is not a model that can work in all cities or towns. The reality is that there are a variety of models and that some are better fits for some regions than others. In the end, no amount of adapting will compensate if a majority of players only care about price.

I for one am willing to wait and see what ANA actually does and how this plays out. My hope is more robust OP support (FFGs team does a great job already, I would love to see what they can do with a larger budget and greater corporate plans for supporting FLGS). The more added value a FLGS can provide to customer's experiences the better able they are to attract and keep customers.