Was always going to happen. Its GW all over again, shareholders see its going well and want more and more cashola.

And how exactly is this gaining Asmodee more money?

Asmodee is getting more cash RIGHT NOW without doing ANYTHING. Maximium profits so they can buy more companies and take over more and more.

How? They are selling to Online stores that make up a huge chunk of their business for more, seems to be a wholesale price increase of around 10%. I don't have hard numbers but really think around 50% of games are bought online these days.

If thats the case getting a 5-10% increase in revenue from 50% of your total sales for a truly massive company that owns 20% of the gaming market is ALOT OF CASH instantly.

Just Asmodee CEO squeezing the market for more money to take over more companies and get the greatest short term return.

Yeah, using your made up percentages isn't a great argument. Especially since you don't seem particularly rational to begin with.

EDIT: I recently picked up Imperial Assault for $70. How does that hurt the gaming industry?

Because eventually it will trigger a race to the bottom.

But isn't that good for us?

Yeah, using your made up percentages isn't a great argument. Especially since you don't seem particularly rational to begin with.

What percent of games are sold online? Please enlighten me if you have better estimates? I didnt think so. Many Many games are sold online these days. 30 to 50% is not out of line as an estimate. In the US at least.

Asmodee with the aquisition of FFG and Days of Wonder has been estimated many times in podcasts and you tube reviewer videos to have roughly a 20% share of the hobby gaming market.

If you have better information please list it.

EDIT: I recently picked up Imperial Assault for $70. How does that hurt the gaming industry?

Because eventually it will trigger a race to the bottom.

But isn't that good for us?

I think the crux of the argument is less around "is this good for us", and more "is this good for the industry"?

Low prices are always great for me but - and I speak as someone who hasn't been to a LGS in 20+ years and who plays almost exclusively in a bar or at home - if low online prices really do affect LGS's and this move helps prevent the decline of what many view as their gaming hub, then being good for us is arguably being bad for the industry.

As I always felt like I was getting my ships at a discount via MM, CSI and Amazon, the price changes irked me for about 2 nanoseconds until I remembered I could still drive to an LGS and pay full retail and tax, and then I was OK again.

I did make a thread when the prices changed, but the intent was purely informational and not to whine.

oh, and

Yeah, using your made up percentages isn't a great argument. Especially since you don't seem particularly rational to begin with.

What percent of games are sold online? Please enlighten me if you have better estimates? I didnt think so. Many Many games are sold online these days. 30 to 50% is not out of line as an estimate. In the US at least.

Asmodee with the aquisition of FFG and Days of Wonder has been estimated many times in podcasts and you tube reviewer videos to have roughly a 20% share of the hobby gaming market.

If you have better information please list it.

He isn't the one throwing %'s around and the burden of proof doesn't like on him to disprove things you're (gu)estimating, it lies on you to prove it or have your credibility called into question (as he did).

Or, to play your game - by my estimate, only 7% of sales are done online. Now what?

Yeah, using your made up percentages isn't a great argument. Especially since you don't seem particularly rational to begin with.

What percent of games are sold online? Please enlighten me if you have better estimates? I didnt think so. Many Many games are sold online these days. 30 to 50% is not out of line as an estimate. In the US at least.

Asmodee with the aquisition of FFG and Days of Wonder has been estimated many times in podcasts and you tube reviewer videos to have roughly a 20% share of the hobby gaming market.

If you have better information please list it.

He isn't the one throwing %'s around and the burden of proof doesn't like on him to disprove things you're (gu)estimating, it lies on you to prove it or have your credibility called into question (as he did).

Or, to play your game - by my estimate, only 7% of sales are done online. Now what?

Oh, why did I let myself get pulled back in?

EDIT: I recently picked up Imperial Assault for $70. How does that hurt the gaming industry?

Because eventually it will trigger a race to the bottom.

But isn't that good for us?

Yes it would be.

But its not about us the consumer its about whats best for Asmodee.

The whole helping the brick and mortars stores argument Asmodee NA presents is blatantly a lie. With the Revelation they are doing these ONLINE ONLY or Brick and mortar ONLY contracts shows they are simply trying to manipulate the price to the online sales chain.

By increasing their profits from online sales they don't have to lift a finger and get anywhere from 5-10% increase in revenues. That is millions of dollars they can use to pay CEO bonus checks and take over even more companies.

Would you go to the supermarket or Nutella?

'Morning, Dagonet.

Would you go to the supermarket or Nutella?

'Morning, Dagonet.

G'day!

Coffee?

EDIT: I recently picked up Imperial Assault for $70. How does that hurt the gaming industry?

Because eventually it will trigger a race to the bottom.

A race to the bottom fulled by consumer expectations on service, product quality and convenience. Plenty of things which keep the prices up. And lower prices increase sales numbers, larger numbers allow for cheaper production and reduce the R&D spending per unit sold. Sure at some point racing to the bottom becomes a negative, but in many ways the race to the bottom is one of the big strengths of a free market environment.

It's good for the customer in the short term, but terrible in the long run as businesses are unable to reinvest in new product lines, companies go under from inflation, and the hobby dies.

By increasing their profits from online sales they don't have to lift a finger and get anywhere from 5-10% increase in revenues. That is millions of dollars they can use to pay CEO bonus checks and take over even more companies.

Or, as it's known in the industry, "do their jobs."

As COO of a relatively large company, my job is to maximize profits and keep operational expenses down, blah, blah, blah. My job, obligation and loyalty is to my company, as they pay my bills. If I manage to increase company profits it means bigger bonuses for the whole company. What they have done is a smart move and puts them in a better market position. Good for them.

If they had raised the MRRP to the end user then I might have agreed with you that the consumer got screwed, but what happened was that the amount of discount I enjoyed decreased and it was still significantly cheaper than going to a store. You can paint it how you like, it's still a great deal, even if it's not as great as it once was.

I don't pretend to know enough about the industry to say if what they are doing is rooted in short-term greed (and you also don't know, you just guess) or if they truly believe what they are doing will stabilize the market but, oddly enough, those things aren't mutually exclusive and no amount of ranting from you changes that.

Or changes the lack of fact in your posting.

But hey, that's why I love forums and the honest and frank exchange of ideas that comes with the territory. Have at it.

Would you go to the supermarket or Nutella?

'Morning, Dagonet.

G'day!

Coffee?

Yes. please. A double shot, intravenous would be really nice. My system has start issues, instead of actually working I am just browsing x-wing stuff.

Though I would guess this kind of off-topic spam is really a good way to pollute a forum with. Hopefully the mods accept my excuse of not having my coffee yet.

EDIT: I recently picked up Imperial Assault for $70. How does that hurt the gaming industry?

Because eventually it will trigger a race to the bottom.

But isn't that good for us?

Long term? Probably not. Not a race.

Stores function remarkably well as demonstration points, as places for people to learn about new games and as places for people to gather and grow the hobby. As a company, therefore, it makes sense to keep stores alive in some shape. We are hobbyists, and way above average gamers in the way we keep ourselves informed and how much we spend, we are not the norm. The average consumer will not notice any price increase for online purchases.

This is also not a branch like consumer electronics, or books, or music. Not yet at least. While there may be a large percentage bought online, those sales would also go to a small percentage of actual buyers.

Most gamestores survive on MtG, that is not a healthy long term business model. And if Asmodee NA wants to get more people into stores so they can get more people to events and this is a way to do so? Why not, a growing community is better for the game than us saving a few bucks.

It's good for the customer in the short term, but terrible in the long run as businesses are unable to reinvest in new product lines, companies go under from inflation, and the hobby dies.

A race to the bottom fulled by consumer expectations on service, product quality and convenience. Plenty of things which keep the prices up. And lower prices increase sales numbers, larger numbers allow for cheaper production and reduce the R&D spending per unit sold. Sure at some point racing to the bottom becomes a negative, but in many ways the race to the bottom is one of the big strengths of a free market environment.

This might be my ignorance of this specific vertical but how are those statements true as relates to FFG/Asmodee? If they have established discounts then it's up to the middleman how much he retails the items for, so no matter if someone decides marking it up $0.01 over their cost price is the way to go, FFG still get the same amount of money, no?

This was all long enough ago that I would need to reread the original interviews (bleh) but didn't think any of this sordid story had to do with FFG's pricing to retailers/distributors changing, only the amounts of discount they allowed?

Because they lose control of price fixing if they give in. It devalues the product, so when the inevitable price increase happens people will lose their minds for a few percent increase.

Like is happening now, though they aren't even increasing the msrp in this case.

Yes. please. A double shot, intravenous would be really nice. My system has start issues, instead of actually working I am just browsing x-wing stuff.

Though I would guess this kind of off-topic spam is really a good way to pollute a forum with. Hopefully the mods accept my excuse of not having my coffee yet.

I'm working AND browsing at the same time! The joys of working in bursts and a manager not caring, as long as you make it before the deadline.

Tomorrow is a quiet day, so it'll be working and getting some gametime in. Then after work, picking up the blu-ray!

It's good for the customer in the short term, but terrible in the long run as businesses are unable to reinvest in new product lines, companies go under from inflation, and the hobby dies.

Why is not really related to a race to the bottom on the retail market. And besides, iirc Asmodée is french based, so inflation is the last of their problems right now.

@Bojanglez Jup, not all of my post was directy aimed at Asmodés price changes. Though naturally encouraging competition between retail means more competitive pricing, which helps with sales and indirectly effects production and R&D. So a price war of retailers would be indeed a good thing for them as long as their retail structure can take such a war and does not limit customers access to FFG products. And we are really getting far to much into business studies, its 9am and I rather should get coffee than discuss stuff which we have no direct influence about anyway.

Good day, time for coffee for me.

Ummm what I said is related to a race to the bottom. I was pointing out why it was bad for the consumer in the long run.

It's good for the customer in the short term, but terrible in the long run as businesses are unable to reinvest in new product lines, companies go under from inflation, and the hobby dies.

Why is not really related to a race to the bottom on the retail market. And besides, iirc Asmodée is french based, so inflation is the last of their problems right now.

Then again, it's Asmodee NA doing this, here in Europe I've not heard of any changes (then again, the discounts aren't as staggeringly huge either).

Everyone on this board will keep buying x wing.

The real point is these changes are not for the "greater good". They are in fact simply to make more profit instantly for Asmodee by increasing their profit margins on online wholesale sales. Its that simple. The increase seems to be around 5-10% and online sales are massive. This instant profit is going to be MILLIONS of dollars instantly for Asmodee. Bonus check is going to be fat this year for the CEOS.

IF you have a FLGS they are unlikely to receive any benefit from these pricing changes. Some will in fact suffer or go out of business if they relied on online sales.

Everyone denying this fact on here simply live in an echo chamber. .

Love the price increases online or not these are the facts.

I haven't checked the most recent interviews, but are Asmodee charging distributors more for the product then?

The hobby is stronger than ever as well. This race to the bottom Jargon is total crap and everyone knows it.

Talk about propaganda jeez. lol

Hobby gaming including board games is getting MASSIVE. every year more and more joining the ranks. This is one of the fastest growing hobbies out there.

Companies are making huge profits, not less.

I haven't checked the most recent interviews, but are Asmodee charging distributors more for the product then?

Right. They will charge more for a certain percent that is suppose to go to ONLINE only accounts. Thats were they are getting the increase in profits without lifting a finger. I dont know about the EU but online sales here in the US of board games is HUGE. This increase of 5% or so is going to be tens of millions of dollars each year for ANA.