Here's a link to an interview with Christian Peterson. The short version is that they are reducing the number of online retailers, and jacking up prices on the few that will remain. Stock up now while you can still get a deal.
Interview about new FFG policy. Yes, they're jacking up online prices.
I understand what they are trying to do, but this sucks for a small subset of people. I live in rural "bush" Alaska where there literally are no roads to the outside world and a trip to the FLGS requires two flights each way and a overnight hotel stay which adds a minimum of $775 to every trip. I order /most/ of my stuff online and the significant discount helps offset the extreme logistics cost involved with living here. On the flip side, I do know of several FLGS's that are low volume enough that they often have items that are sold out online. For example, earlier today, I called the excellent staff at Boscos of Anchorage, AK and ordered a couple of Y-wings and the "sold out online" Imperial Fighter Squadrons for Armada. They even agreed to hold processing on my order an extra day to see if any new X-wing or Armada stuff came in their weekly shipment at the end of today. Under this new policy, they will no longer be able to mail out orders to people like me who represent the 1/3rd of the state's population that live off the road system.
-MaxGravity
Trust me. Most people are not happy with this.
Even the normal people like me who just want things for cheap.
On the plus side, perhaps this will teach me to buy less from now on.
As I've I think, now officially gone over $1000 =D
Until today, I was saying this wouldn't affect me. But today I found out my FLGS is closing. 
This is the second one that I've supported but it's gone under anyway. Maybe I should have just bought online all along ... 
Granted, there are other stores in town, but it'll take 30-40 minutes to get there. It's nothing compared to maxgravity, but it is much more inconvenient than a 10-minute drive. But I suppose it really won't change how much I'm spending. I may not get the deals everyone else had all along, but I'll still get my product.
Ugh. I guess we'll find out how price-sensitive Asmodee customers are.
So, my reading of this is not that you won't be able to buy online but that it just won't be at the same discounts as before so geogrpahically challenged players like MaxGravity will be able to buy online, it will just be closer to the cost of buying at an LGS. I get that there are logistics costs involved and am not saying that this won't impact someone, but it's not like you will ONLY be able get them at a LGS.
What impact do you expect this change in policies to have on the online marketplace for products from the Asmodee companies?
We believe that online sales is a viable and important marketplace, and that some consumers either prefer to buy their games online, or do not have access to a high-quality brick-and-mortar gaming retail store. As a publisher, we obviously still want to serve those consumers. We expect to authorize a number of excellent online specialty dealers, and would expect our products to be easily found online.
It is reasonable to assume that product will still be discounted online; this makes sense as that channel has a number of disadvantages (such as product receipt delay, shipping expenses, etc.). However, given the fact that our trade discounts to the online channel have been aligned with the services they provide, it is likely that online discounts will not be as disproportional as they have been in the past relative to pricing (which includes the volume or loyalty discounts) offered by many brick-and-mortar retailers.
Ugh. I guess we'll find out how price-sensitive Asmodee customers are.
Yup. Having bought every single item online (I don't have a LGS that I go to or play at) and having spent over $1200 (yes, I know, amateur), I'm also not happy about this change and even though I think this is a mistake, I understand their stance.
Guess we will just have to see how this pans out in April, glad now I have a Wave 8 pre-order in 
Realistically this is the change.
Before: online 40% off, FLGS 10% off
After: online 20% off, FLGS 10% off
Does it suck personally for you if you only ever buy online? Yes. Is it a good change for the long term heath of the game? Yes.
Does it suck personally for you if you only ever buy online? Yes. Is it a good change for the long term heath of the game? Yes.
That has been hotly contested on these forums recently but I hope you are right.
And I think that people will be unhappy and some will stop playing but overall, people will adjust and keep playing and the whole time they are rolling dice, they won't be thinking about any of this.
MaxTeranous, on 30 Dec 2015 - 02:22 AM, said:MaxTeranous, on 30 Dec 2015 - 02:22 AM, said:MaxTeranous, on 30 Dec 2015 - 02:22 AM, said:Realistically this is the change.
Before: online 40% off, FLGS 10% off
After: online 20% off, FLGS 10% off
Does it suck personally for you if you only ever buy online? Yes. Is it a good change for the long term heath of the game? Yes.
That's the dumbest thing I have ever read on this forum.
Why is that a good change for the long term health of the game? What real evidence are you basing that on?
Edited by TokyogrizRealistically this is the change.
Before: online 40% off, FLGS 10% off
After: online 20% off, FLGS 10% off
Does it suck personally for you if you only ever buy online? Yes. Is it a good change for the long term heath of the game? Yes.
We Brits never got the absurd cheap prices you chaps over the pond got.
If a few dollars really makes a difference then perhaps there are more issues you should be worried about rather than entirely voluntarily purchased space toys.
Realistically this is the change.
Before: online 40% off, FLGS 10% off
After: online 20% off, FLGS 10% off
Does it suck personally for you if you only ever buy online? Yes. Is it a good change for the long term heath of the game? Yes.
That's the dumbest thing I have ever read on this forum.
Why is that a good change for the long term health of the game? What real evidence are you basing that on?
Then you can't have been around for very long.
I'm not certain why you think it is dumb.
I think Peterson is absolutely correct, and Asmodee NA is making a very sound decision. Yes, it will suck for those people buying only online (and not playing at FLGSs) - but it can help the FLGSs, because it can help them compete against the online retailers, who have had to suffer what is essentially an unfair disadvantage while did more to grow the hobby as a whole.
Until today, I was saying this wouldn't affect me. But today I found out my FLGS is closing.
Granted, there are other stores in town, but it'll take 30-40 minutes to get there. It's nothing compared to maxgravity, but it is much more inconvenient than a 10-minute drive. But I suppose it really won't change how much I'm spending. I may not get the deals everyone else had all along, but I'll still get my product.
Yes I back this move 100%.
Edited by CrosteWell they'll be making less money then as people vote with their wallets.
May affect me slightly. But over all not that huge for me, considering my purchase pattern. I'm not us based so buying tru us e-tailers is a hassle for me. But some of my lgs do take stock from them so it does affect me somewhat.
MaxTeranous, on 30 Dec 2015 - 02:22 AM, said:MaxTeranous, on 30 Dec 2015 - 02:22 AM, said:MaxTeranous, on 30 Dec 2015 - 02:22 AM, said:Realistically this is the change.
Before: online 40% off, FLGS 10% off
After: online 20% off, FLGS 10% off
Does it suck personally for you if you only ever buy online? Yes. Is it a good change for the long term heath of the game? Yes.
That's the dumbest thing I have ever read on this forum.
Why is that a good change for the long term health of the game? What real evidence are you basing that on?
Anecdotal evidence, but everyone I know that plays miniatures games either saw them at the store or was introduced by someone who did. There would be no X-Wing at all in this city if we didn't have an LGS, or at the very least there would be a massive drop. Even the guys that play at home tend to buy at the store and most are regulars. Brick-and-mortars are like free marketing, and in my case often the only source of information I have on what's new. Stop letting your bitterness get in the way and at least consider that there are upsides to this even if they don't apply to you personally.
As a UK customer I've very rarely found discounts greater than 20% so I don't really care. US based customers of most products get things much cheaper than we do.
As a UK customer I've very rarely found discounts greater than 20% so I don't really care. US based customers of most products get things much cheaper than we do.
Same in Canada. Seems like once you step outside the US prices and wages both go up, though. I found a map showing the minimum wage in every mainland state and province and their highest was about the same as our lowest. I'm curious as to how many jobs in the States pay above minimum*, and what the difference in price becomes if you factor in wages.
*Specifically, how many jobs pay minimum up here but above minimum in the States.
Wrong button.
Edited by DagonetMy FLGS consistently has its X-Wing product marked down. The Gozanti was $59.99 (with a 30% off year-end sale on top of that). They'll pretty regularly have the small expansions for $9.99 on release, and often have the bigger boxes for $5 or $10 off. So most of my X-Wing collection has come from them. The only times I've bought online is when there's been stupid low prices on Amazon or CoolStuff (I have Prime for Amazon so shipping is free and I'm less than 30 minutes from two CSI locations so I don't have to worry about shipping there), and that's not so often that them not being able to offer those discounts is going to affect my buying all that much. So this move really doesn't affect me at all.
Honestly, online discounts are nice, but I think we've gotten a little spoiled on them. The Amazons and the CSIs of the world can afford to sell for less because they're making up for it in volume, with a reach a FLGS can't possibly match. But Amazon didn't break open a core set and show me how to play. Amazon doesn't let me in to play games every Sunday. Amazon doesn't hold tournaments with prize support. My FLGS does all those things, and frankly, those things are more important to the growth of this -- or any -- game than letting people buy it cheap online.
Ugh. These threads are like watching neanderthals discussing astronomy.
Online prices have been artificially low and now they're going back up to WHERE THEY SHOULD BE. Sorry-not-sorry that you're hurt by being forced to pay MSRP. Find a new hobby perhaps? Something cheaper?
I don't post very often on here but due to this topic and the last one regarding the announcement by Asmodee I thought I would weigh in a bit.
For all the people saying well the people getting spoiled with online discounts should just quiet down and pay what people pay at their local stores I will explain it to you like this. I live in Canada and my local store is a 30 minute drive from my house. The last time I was there I wanted a second IG-2000 the price tag on it 39.99 the small ships price tags were 18.99, hounds tooth was 49.99. We have a 13% tax in Ontario on all purchases made. That local store which I won't name does not run X-Wing nights, does not have much space when there is open gaming night and holds tournaments however they are filled by regulars who get priority when registering which leaves no space for anyone new.
So I don't get out very often due to work and 3 kids so when I do go out it won't be to go there and hope someone else is there with their ships to play a game.
Now back to why I buy online. The last time I placed an order online even after the exchange rate from Canadian to US, and to pay for my postal box in the US. My order was 120 US and I saved somewhere in the ball park of 75 Canadian for it. I would have almost payed double for my order had I bought it in Canada at my local store.
And for all of those people saying that their stores closed down due to people buying online. Then tell me why is mine still open? All of their product not just X-Wing is marked up unreasonably because they are the only game store in the area. If your stores are closing its not because people buy their miniatures online it's because they do not have a great business sense and adapt with the times. I know most of you don't want to hear that but it's the truth.
I know for one if the prices shoot up at MM or CSI I will be buying a lot less or not at all and its not because I cannot afford it but I don't want to support someone with those ridiculous prices.
Ugh. These threads are like watching neanderthals discussing astronomy.
Online prices have been artificially low and now they're going back up to WHERE THEY SHOULD BE. Sorry-not-sorry that you're hurt by being forced to pay MSRP. Find a new hobby perhaps? Something cheaper?
Amazingly short sighted people said the exact same thing to people unhappy about gw prices look where they are now.
X-wing is not yet on par with 40k and unlike gw ffg does not have any kind of monopoly on miniature gaming.
Drive people away and we all lose out as the game becomes a footnote and cancelled.
Look at it this way: if online retailers had had to charge closer to MSRP from the get-go, would you have never started playing X-Wing at all? If ordering from Amazon was always the same price as going to your local store, would you have decided not to bother due to the cost?