Ares Games
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 50 of 103

Thread: Availability of WW2 Miniatures

  1. #1

    Default Availability of WW2 Miniatures

    I've been helping my local store with WofG issues, what to carry, how much, etc. In spite of advice they've only landed a few WWII airplanes (as in, three) and a couple of copies of the Battle of Britain kit.

    The problem -- lack of availability via Alliance. Until recently they have been solely an Alliance shop, an inheritance from their sister Comic Book store. They didn't go through any other distributor. With Alliance's recent business agreement with Asmodee I mentioned to the store's inventory guy that Ares materials likely wouldn't be a priority for Alliance, and in some ways could be counter-productive to stocking Wings of Glory material. In response he said, "and there's the broken stock issue with Alliance as well." Apparently Alliance isn't terribly gentle when they pack things.

    So this past month they started business with a second distributor and -- suddenly JU-87s are on the shelf. Oh my. They're wading into WofG gently, as the only real rattle they're getting for it is my monthly sessions, usually between five and ten players.

    I don't know how many people have insight into the business aspect of Wings of Glory but I'd like to hear how many of you are seeing stock on shelves available for sale, WW2 planes packs in particular. It just appears that the faucet isn't open, which may be Alliance's fault or may just be that they've sold out. Don't know.

  2. #2

    Default

    Bouncing this back to the top since it got inadvertently trampled.

  3. #3

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Sagrilarus View Post
    I've been helping my local store with WofG issues, what to carry, how much, etc. In spite of advice they've only landed a few WWII airplanes (as in, three) and a couple of copies of the Battle of Britain kit.

    The problem -- lack of availability via Alliance. Until recently they have been solely an Alliance shop, an inheritance from their sister Comic Book store. They didn't go through any other distributor. With Alliance's recent business agreement with Asmodee I mentioned to the store's inventory guy that Ares materials likely wouldn't be a priority for Alliance, and in some ways could be counter-productive to stocking Wings of Glory material. In response he said, "and there's the broken stock issue with Alliance as well." Apparently Alliance isn't terribly gentle when they pack things.

    So this past month they started business with a second distributor and -- suddenly JU-87s are on the shelf. Oh my. They're wading into WofG gently, as the only real rattle they're getting for it is my monthly sessions, usually between five and ten players.

    I don't know how many people have insight into the business aspect of Wings of Glory but I'd like to hear how many of you are seeing stock on shelves available for sale, WW2 planes packs in particular. It just appears that the faucet isn't open, which may be Alliance's fault or may just be that they've sold out. Don't know.
    North of the border, there appears to be only one distributor for Wings of Glory. That distributor appears as responsive as a pithed frog. It took repeated requests and two months to finally get the Battle of Britain starter set in to my FLGS, despite a pre-order. For my pre-order of the latest release of WWI minis, it still took two weeks to appear.

    Imperial Hobbies in Richmond, BC put up prices and products fairly quickly, but Meeplemart in Toronto is still listing the latest WWI releases as 'TBA' (Note: Meeplemart was really slow with the BoB release, too). Is this a distribution issue, or a demand issue? From my FLGS's point of view, this is a 'small store with small orders' issue, as they have lots of problems with getting pre-orders for many products, especially for popular products.

    I personally am not happy with whatever is happening locally, and it seems to be nationally, with exceptions.
    Mike
    "Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
    "Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59

  4. #4

    Default

    Mike I think thisproblem of supply is endemic across the international front. Perhaps these 'importers' do not have the cash flow to carry large stocks for long periods of time and are concentrating on what sells quickly. It's a viscious circle, we need models on shelves to promote the game and we need members of the public to buy them if they don't 'cause there is no stock then how can they buy and how is the game going to expand!
    See you on the Dark Side......

  5. #5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Skafloc View Post
    Mike I think thisproblem of supply is endemic across the international front. Perhaps these 'importers' do not have the cash flow to carry large stocks for long periods of time and are concentrating on what sells quickly. It's a viscious circle, we need models on shelves to promote the game and we need members of the public to buy them if they don't 'cause there is no stock then how can they buy and how is the game going to expand!
    Well, that I can understand, and using the activity on this site as a gauge for popularity of Wings of Glory in Canada, there really isn't much demand.

    That being said, I will be putting on a demo of the WWI Latest Releases at my FLGS on the 15th of July. I will be bringing samples of the new planes, and their Ace and Equipment cards along to showcase the lateset and greatest. Also, I will be using some of my home-made Ace and Equipment cards, and handing out Aerodrome business cards to promote our awesome resource for Wings of Glory. I am already promoting MosaiCon 2017 in September for another demo venue in Nanaimo. I may have boycotted WWII, but I am still pumping the game, for now.

    All the above to generate some through-put of Ares product, and get more stuff in local stores.
    Mike
    "Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
    "Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59

  6. #6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Sagrilarus View Post
    I've been helping my local store with WofG issues, what to carry, how much, etc. In spite of advice they've only landed a few WWII airplanes (as in, three) and a couple of copies of the Battle of Britain kit.

    The problem -- lack of availability via Alliance. Until recently they have been solely an Alliance shop, an inheritance from their sister Comic Book store. They didn't go through any other distributor. With Alliance's recent business agreement with Asmodee I mentioned to the store's inventory guy that Ares materials likely wouldn't be a priority for Alliance, and in some ways could be counter-productive to stocking Wings of Glory material. In response he said, "and there's the broken stock issue with Alliance as well." Apparently Alliance isn't terribly gentle when they pack things.

    So this past month they started business with a second distributor and -- suddenly JU-87s are on the shelf. Oh my. They're wading into WofG gently, as the only real rattle they're getting for it is my monthly sessions, usually between five and ten players.

    I don't know how many people have insight into the business aspect of Wings of Glory but I'd like to hear how many of you are seeing stock on shelves available for sale, WW2 planes packs in particular. It just appears that the faucet isn't open, which may be Alliance's fault or may just be that they've sold out. Don't know.




    working at a game store ive also noted (disturbingly) distributors lessening or almost eliminating wings of glory stocks. hadnt noticed a drop off from alliance, but i have noticed a distinct drop off from ACD, golden has quite a bit but has had numerous on clearance that stocks of have run out and dont seem to be getting replaced, and southern once had the largest selection now has almost none including the latest releases. in fact last time i looked they didnt have any of the series 3 reprints at all. this disturbing trend is why ive made the business model suggestions i have. im frankly a bit worried by this trend.

    ive also noticed that the last couple releases have been selling out rather faster than the series 2 reprints and earlier. not quite sure what to make of it. is it because sales have been better and they sold out quicker than in the past or are distributors just carrying smaller stocks and run out sooner and just not replaced them.

    i have heard buzz thats both distributors and retailers have been unhappy over the last year or 2 over trying to compete with miniatures market and various deals and promotions offered at conventions that they felt cut into their sales potentials.

  7. #7

    Default

    Interestingly enough, I had a conversation about this a couple of weeks ago with the guy that owns the local game store. He had an interesting take on the issue.

    He says that the problem of being chronically under-stocked on Wings of Glory is not limited to just this one game, but is an issue he has with any game that’s being produced in Europe. He pointed to a Star Wars game he says is popular in his store, and that is apparently in great demand. He says he can’t get it back in stock, and when he does get it he never gets the numbers he needs or orders. There’s apparently a much sought-after piece in this line – he says he’s never been able to get one in stock. He says he has even gone to the extent of ordering about triple what he thinks he can sell (both WoG and Star Wars) in the hopes he’ll get what he actually needs, and he still can’t get adequate stock.

    He said he has never had adequate stock on Wings of Glory (or its predecessor). The day I was there he had 2 Battle of Britain starter sets, 2 Spitfires, 3 or 4 bf 109’s, several WWI aircraft, a couple of mats – and that was it. He said he simply can’t get the planes in the numbers he needs. As an example, he had several people who have asked him to order the He 111 everyone’s trying to find, and he says he’s never gotten one in spite of ordering it several times.

    His take on this is that it is no coincidence that the games & items he can never get enough of are made in Europe. His opinion is that manufacturers in Europe don’t truly understand gamers in the U.S. and the amounts of money they will spend on a line of product if they get hooked on it. He said he could sell hundreds more WoG aircraft if he could just get them in stock. Meanwhile, he said he had no problems getting things restocked that were produced by U.S. companies. He’s owned this store for about 20 years or so, so I’m guessing he has some idea of what he’s talking about.

    I don’t know if he’s right or wrong, but I just recently finished reading a book on global geopolitics right before I went to Origins. While there I was struck by the notion that only in the U.S could you have so much in resources used to produce things that are purely entertainment. As such, it may well be difficult for an overseas company to get their hands around just how much people like us are willing to spend on our hobby.

  8. #8

    Default

    Andrea Angiolino pointed me to this thread. The discussion here is very interesting, and I appreciate you worry as much as we do about the commercial health of the game.
    Ares, from a distribution point of view, is essentially an American company - we do ship almost all of our production to the USA and we have a flooring agreement with Alliance. This means that typically Alliance should be the more reliable source at the distribution level, but all the other major US distributors can get stock if they order it.
    There are a FEW models which are out of stock (in WW2, only the P-40 and the "green" He.111 - a few more for WW1) but the rest of the line is there in our warehouse, ready to be ordered.
    Across the US borders, things are definitely more difficult - until very recently (as you know very well), we did not have a reliable source in Australia; and while we sell to two distributors in Canada, they do not stock products very regularly. In Europe, Esdevium restocks pretty regularly, but it is essentially the only good distributor we sell directly to.

    The key issue is that all miniature games have a tendency, over time, to slow down in sales per model (as more models are available). And distributors tend to be very conservative, essentially just servicing pre-orders and keeping very little stock themselves.

    There IS one solution to handle this - direct sales. Until now, we have decided NOT to take this road, as we believe we can - with your help and good intro products like Battle of Britain - to keep on promoting the game so that it does not end up out of stores altogether. If we started doing direct sales, stores will have even less interest in the range, and we don't think currently this is the path to go.

    On this subject - Please know that we are welcome to support stores with free Battle of Britain demo kits. If you have a FLGS in your area interested in presenting/promoting the game, he can contact us at events[at]aresgames.eu to request one.

  9. #9

    Default

    Thanks for posting Roberto, your input on the forum is always welcome. I think the promotion kits are a fantastic way of introducing Wings of Glory to new players.

  10. #10

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by robdimeglio View Post
    There are a FEW models which are out of stock (in WW2, only the P-40 and the "green" He.111 - a few more for WW1) but the rest of the line is there in our warehouse, ready to be ordered.
    I guess the question that needs to be asked here is - given the obvious popularity and demand of these models - will they be reprinted?

    My other thought is this. Several of the models that are, according to your statement, still available - show as out of stock at all of the online retailers. If they are available at your warehouse, but stores can't get them - and the owner of the store I mentioned says he can't - it sounds like there are serious issues with your distributor(s). From the other posts in this thread it sounds like like the stores are all telling a similar story. I won't pretend to understand how the distribution system in the game industry works, but if there is an issue with your distributors (and it sounds like there is) would it be possible to bypass them and allow retailers to order directly from Ares?

  11. #11

    Default

    Alright, just had another WofG session at my local store on Monday, and a Kaboom card gave me the chance to talk to the stock manager for a few minutes.

    At one point I joked that I should have gotten into X-Wing instead because there's always stock. His reply -- "Oh no there isn't. The stuff you see on the shelf is what everybody already has. There's stuff that's in demand that we can't get. Fantasy Flight is worse than most." That surprised me when he said it. So you're off the hook Roberto!

    But, he said they cannot get stock for WofG through Alliance. They have orders out that are not filled. They found a different supplier that had some material, and this is their first step away from ordering from Alliance only. So they're looking.

    I'll note that this is a killer store, exceptionally well managed and always looking for feedback. They keep changing locations because they're growing so quickly. When I told them there are planes out there that they didn't have they perked up and started looking for an alternative distributor.

    Roberto, Andrea, I'm not going to tell you how to run your business. But if you have information like you said above -- "There are a FEW models which are out of stock (in WW2, only the P-40 and the "green" He.111 - a few more for WW1) but the rest of the line is there in our warehouse, ready to be ordered" you might do well to get it out to us, like, via website or newsletter, so that we can pass the word along to our local stores. It may be that my local guy is shading the truth a bit, but regardless of that, if Alliance starts seeing more orders because evangelists are telling stores to keep ordering in spite of OOS, they might crack their wallet open a little and get some more materials into the channels.

    Oh, and I need the address of your U.S. warehouse. You accept cash presumably.

  12. #12

    Default

    There IS one solution to handle this - direct sales.
    By the way, does this mean direct sales to consumers, or direct sales to retailers?

  13. #13

    Default

    As I said, I don't know how the game business works, but I do have first-hand experience with distribution problems.

    Back in the early 90's I was a district manager for several years for what at the time was the largest music and video distribution company in the world. We were the primary distributor for music and video for Walmart and Kmart, among others. One of the main complaints that we received regularly from Walmart was that we never had adequate stock of Disney movies in their stores. There were circumstances involved, but the primary factor here was that our company didn't do its job. There was adequate stock at Disney/Buena Vista, but we didn't order sufficient quantities. Often we did have adequate inventory in our warehouses, but we didn't get it into the stores. Eventually, Walmart had enough and signed a deal with Disney for direct distribution.

    While I do believe that Ares has underestimated the demand for the WoG line, the fact that several of us seem to be telling the same story about stores complaining about not being able to get enough stock suggests that there are some serious issues with the distributors. When you say you say you have good quantities of product in your warehouse, but stores say they can't get product, I'd say someone with Ares needs to have a serious chat with your distributors.

    Or, follow the Walmart example and allow retailers to order direct.

  14. #14

    Default

    Apart from my current job at Ares, I have been selling games as a distributor for a long time. Malfunctioning in a distribution chain are often present when the product is in low demand (and in this case, the store does not see the merit of stocking; and often in this case the store clerk gives lazy answers "it's not out yet", "it's out of stock"; or the distributor does not see the merit of restocking, maybe because only a few of his retail customers ask for product, and each of them in low quantities).

    Malfunctioning in the distribution chain can also happen for the opposite reason - a product is in very high demand, so nobody is properly stocked along the chain (distributors get allocated, for example, and so they don't have enough stock to service everyone, for example).

    That said, and assuming the store (at least in this case) is doing its job properly - and as we know what is in our warehouse - then the fault lies with the distributor (which is especially weird in the case of Alliance, as I explained). So the best thing to have a better understanding of what is going on is to have a clear picture of WHAT and WHEN the store was trying to order and from which distributor. You are welcome to send us an email to info[at]aresgames.eu indicating the issue (e.g. Dragon Games in Minneapolis ordered the BOB set from ACD and they are not receiving it).

    Direct sales: what we do NOT want to do is a full-fledged ecommerce, bypassing stores and wholesalers. If a store has sufficient business with our products, please invite them to contact us at sales[at]aresgames.eu. We will talk with them, and find together what is the best way to get them stocked (through a distributor, or directly if this is necessary).

  15. #15

    Default

    I'll pass this along to the store owner - if he doesn't follow up, I guess he can't complain.

    I would still like to know if the out-of-stock P-40s and He 111's will be reprinted?

  16. #16

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by robdimeglio View Post
    Andrea Angiolino pointed me to this thread. The discussion here is very interesting, and I appreciate you worry as much as we do about the commercial health of the game.
    Ares, from a distribution point of view, is essentially an American company - we do ship almost all of our production to the USA and we have a flooring agreement with Alliance. This means that typically Alliance should be the more reliable source at the distribution level, but all the other major US distributors can get stock if they order it.
    There are a FEW models which are out of stock (in WW2, only the P-40 and the "green" He.111 - a few more for WW1) but the rest of the line is there in our warehouse, ready to be ordered.
    Across the US borders, things are definitely more difficult - until very recently (as you know very well), we did not have a reliable source in Australia; and while we sell to two distributors in Canada, they do not stock products very regularly. In Europe, Esdevium restocks pretty regularly, but it is essentially the only good distributor we sell directly to.

    The key issue is that all miniature games have a tendency, over time, to slow down in sales per model (as more models are available). And distributors tend to be very conservative, essentially just servicing pre-orders and keeping very little stock themselves.

    There IS one solution to handle this - direct sales. Until now, we have decided NOT to take this road, as we believe we can - with your help and good intro products like Battle of Britain - to keep on promoting the game so that it does not end up out of stores altogether. If we started doing direct sales, stores will have even less interest in the range, and we don't think currently this is the path to go.

    On this subject - Please know that we are welcome to support stores with free Battle of Britain demo kits. If you have a FLGS in your area interested in presenting/promoting the game, he can contact us at events[at]aresgames.eu to request one.
    Roberto,
    Thank you very much for your overview of this issue. I would like to know the two distributors in Canada, as my FLGS is only aware of one, and that one is not very responsive. You can PM me, or email me, if you'd rather not provide that info on this thread.

    Also, the offer of a Battle of Britain Starter Set for local stores is awesome, for those interested in demonstrating the game. The 77th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain is during a 'local' convention (Links: M-Con.ca ; M-Con 2017 - Wings of Glory Appearance). I won't be showcasing WWII, but there are now players in the area that might, and a FLGS that is willing to support the demos. I will get the store event coordinator to contact your North America Rep and set something up.

    Some Duel Packs for WWI would be nice, too. Any plans for Duel Pack for WWII? Spitfire Mk.V vs FW 190A, perhaps?
    Mike
    "Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
    "Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59

  17. #17

    Default

    I'm not sure if it's Cause, or Effect, but: Most of the FLGSs I know of are operating on the same model as the Victorian-era gaming clubs -- run a game, the House gets a cut; and there's Light Food available.

    So I'm wondering if Direct Sales may not become a necessity....

  18. #18

    Default

    I wonder how much Credit Limits play into stock replenishment.
    I also wonder if orders are "supply or cancel" as in "No Backorders".
    That could make it difficult.

  19. #19

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by csadn View Post
    I'm not sure if it's Cause, or Effect, but: Most of the FLGSs I know of are operating on the same model as the Victorian-era gaming clubs -- run a game, the House gets a cut; and there's Light Food available.

    So I'm wondering if Direct Sales may not become a necessity....
    Yeah, but this is a game that really shines with more players. For those of you haven't had the chance, a game with 20 players really kicks ass. About the only way you're going to get that is through organized play, almost assuredly at a game shop for almost all of us.

  20. #20

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by robdimeglio View Post
    That said, and assuming the store (at least in this case) is doing its job properly - and as we know what is in our warehouse - then the fault lies with the distributor (which is especially weird in the case of Alliance, as I explained).
    Based on the lengthy experience my LFGS has had with Alliance (with some different product lines), as well as issues this last Origins (from a few vendors I talked to), Alliance has serious issues with getting things done right.
    Karl
    It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus

  21. #21

    Default

    I've had three retailers refer to Alliance as something they have to deal with, not something they want to deal with. One called it an arranged marriage.

    One mentioned that they get a lot of broken stock from them, more than from other distributors.

  22. #22

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by robdimeglio View Post
    ...
    ... and while we sell to two distributors in Canada, they do not stock products very regularly. ...
    Quote Originally Posted by OldGuy59 View Post
    Roberto,
    ... I would like to know the two distributors in Canada, as my FLGS is only aware of one, and that one is not very responsive. You can PM me, or email me, if you'd rather not provide that info on this thread.

    ...
    Of the two distributors that my local store deals with, the 'biggest and most responsive' has stated, to my store anyway, that they will not distribute Wings of Glory product. So, if there are still two distributors for Wings of Glory product in Canada, it would be nice to pass those names to my FLGS, Roberto.

    Update: I am now booked at two Vancouver Island gaming events to demonstrate Wings of Glory in the next two months. Besides M-Con in September, for which I have found a WWII game host, there is the 'The Board Game House/Curious Comics Mega Gaming Event' on August 5th.

    A good, reliable distribution source would be nice.
    Mike
    "Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
    "Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59

  23. #23

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by OldGuy59 View Post
    Roberto,
    Any plans for Duel Pack for WWII? Spitfire Mk.V vs FW 190A, perhaps?
    Ooooh! WW2 Duel Pack would be nice BoB - Hurricane v bf110 maybe.

    Is it likely the WW2 RAP will make a re-appearance or will we have to wait for the BoB starter sets to be exhausted?

  24. #24

    Default

    I had a brief training session at my local game store, because a customer came in looking for the Wings of War Deluxe Set for World War I and they couldn't speak to the issue with him. The next time I was in one of the guys explicitly asked me for an explanation.

    With the Battle of Britain set sitting next to the Duel Packs it doesn't look like they are the starter kit. The two games have a different shape to their footprint. So I talked three of their employees through the available packages for new players. My guess is that this is pretty clear on Ares' web site, but the store stocks more or less every game from every publisher available in the United States, so they don't have the time to do the search to find out.

    I have a very good relationship with my Game Store's staff which I realize is an exception to the rule. But it may be worth speaking to your local guys to make sure they understand the packaging available for each WWI and WWII. They may be very open to the learning opportunity.

  25. #25

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Sagrilarus View Post
    I had a brief training session at my local game store, because a customer came in looking for the Wings of War Deluxe Set for World War I and they couldn't speak to the issue with him. The next time I was in one of the guys explicitly asked me for an explanation.

    With the Battle of Britain set sitting next to the Duel Packs it doesn't look like they are the starter kit. The two games have a different shape to their footprint. So I talked three of their employees through the available packages for new players. My guess is that this is pretty clear on Ares' web site, but the store stocks more or less every game from every publisher available in the United States, so they don't have the time to do the search to find out.

    I have a very good relationship with my Game Store's staff which I realize is an exception to the rule. But it may be worth speaking to your local guys to make sure they understand the packaging available for each WWI and WWII. They may be very open to the learning opportunity.


    and the distributor listings are, more often as not, no help. very brief (if any description) and often they use the same pic over and over again, or no pic at all.

  26. #26

    Default

    I was at Games & Stuff (Glenn Burnie) last week and they do not stock Wings or Sails but said they could order if needed. The only historical type game I saw was Flames of War. Most of what I saw were RPG's and board games, which were not historically oriented. Seems to me that unless you go to a convention, HMGS type or other local ones, most stores cater to things other then historical games. Could be the reason distributers are slow with WOG as they see it as not a big seller but we are always looking for new or older releases.

  27. #27

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BobP View Post
    I was at Games & Stuff (Glenn Burnie) last week and they do not stock Wings or Sails but said they could order if needed. The only historical type game I saw was Flames of War. Most of what I saw were RPG's and board games, which were not historically oriented. Seems to me that unless you go to a convention, HMGS type or other local ones, most stores cater to things other then historical games. Could be the reason distributers are slow with WOG as they see it as not a big seller but we are always looking for new or older releases.
    Good Games in Australia does the same thing. They regard Wings as a niche game, preferring to focus on Xwing, cards games, Warhammer, etc. It all stems back to the 'Wings Interregnum' of 2011-2012. When I went to the new Good Games store just down the road from my office and mentioned Wings the assistant said, 'Oh that game folded years ago.' When I mentioned it was now available as Wings of Glory he seemed genuinely surprised. This brings us to the crux of the matter - without stock on shelves the game won't grow. With Battle of Britain going strong my local area has seen big increases in sales. One new player is so keen he has dropped $1K in just over a month playing catch up. My FLGS now has a weekly order with the supplier, the product is moving that fast. The converse however is also true - if the supply of miniatures dries up interest will wane in all but the most diehard fans (he says, looking around this forum!). That is the fickle nature of many in the modern gaming community.

  28. #28

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BobP View Post
    I was at Games & Stuff (Glenn Burnie) last week and they do not stock Wings or Sails but said they could order if needed. The only historical type game I saw was Flames of War. Most of what I saw were RPG's and board games, which were not historically oriented. Seems to me that unless you go to a convention, HMGS type or other local ones, most stores cater to things other then historical games. Could be the reason distributers are slow with WOG as they see it as not a big seller but we are always looking for new or older releases.
    Keep in mind that Games & Stuff has Family Game Store to its west that has Wings of Glory and Sails of Glory, Canton Games to its north that is six feet deep with historical gaming, and Third Eye Games & Hobbies to the south that carries Wings of Glory, has carried Sails of Glory, and is trying very hard to carry more. So I think that's Games & Stuff's decision is just one of what they want to focus on.

    Games & Stuff used to carry Wings of Glory.

  29. #29

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Carl_Brisgamer View Post
    Good Games in Australia does the same thing. They regard Wings as a niche game, preferring to focus on Xwing, cards games, Warhammer, etc. It all stems back to the 'Wings Interregnum' of 2011-2012. When I went to the new Good Games store just down the road from my office and mentioned Wings the assistant said, 'Oh that game folded years ago.' When I mentioned it was now available as Wings of Glory he seemed genuinely surprised. This brings us to the crux of the matter - without stock on shelves the game won't grow. With Battle of Britain going strong my local area has seen big increases in sales. One new player is so keen he has dropped $1K in just over a month playing catch up. My FLGS now has a weekly order with the supplier, the product is moving that fast. The converse however is also true - if the supply of miniatures dries up interest will wane in all but the most diehard fans (he says, looking around this forum!). That is the fickle nature of many in the modern gaming community.


    glad to hear its thriving somewhere. i cant seem to generate much interest in my area anymore.

  30. #30

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by milcoll73 View Post
    glad to hear its thriving somewhere. i cant seem to generate much interest in my area anymore.
    I am trying to revive the corpse of the old Wings of War player base and bring in fresh blood through public and campaign play. Set up a table in the shop, push planes around, get the punters in, sign them up to a campaign, get them to buy planes and invest in the system.

    It is a slow process but seems to be working. And it is only possible due to ready availability of product for the first time in years.

  31. #31

    Default

    We have four stores that I can get to. None have Wings of Glory WW1 or WW2 on the shelves and only one has them available for On-Line ordering.

  32. #32

    Default

    It's a critical mass thing. I've told my local store I'd run a demo day (I do presentations for a living and game announce on the side) and the offer above of a no-charge demo copy of Battle of Britain got the attention of my local store's owner. So I may be actively hawking for them in the near future. That said, there almost needs to be a monthly session nearby to keep people involved enough to make the trip to the store to keep up on the hobby. This is true for virtually any combat-oriented game, where the subject matter is esoteric enough to not attract a majority of players in general.

  33. #33

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by robdimeglio View Post
    There are a FEW models which are out of stock (in WW2, only the P-40 and the "green" He.111 - a few more for WW1) but the rest of the line is there in our warehouse, ready to be ordered.
    .
    I've tried to order the P51D/Ellington repeatedly and have been searching all avenues online with no success. So there still seems to be a disconnect somewhere.

  34. #34

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Stealth7 View Post
    I've tried to order the P51D/Ellington repeatedly and have been searching all avenues online with no success. So there still seems to be a disconnect somewhere.


    weve got a couple at the friendly local games store where im at.

  35. #35

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by milcoll73 View Post
    weve got a couple at the friendly local games store where im at.
    Who would that be? Will they ship?

  36. #36

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Stealth7 View Post
    Who would that be? Will they ship?
    dreadfully good games 202 south sugar st. celina oh 45822.

    possible depending on the size of the order. ill talk to the owner and see what he says.

  37. #37

    Default

    I spoke again with my friend who owns the game store here this afternoon. He says his distributer has told him repeatedly that the problem is with Ares. They tell him they can't get the product from Ares, which in turn means they can't get it out to the stores. Since he has the same problem with all of the products that come from overseas he feels that this is where the problem lies.

    Regardless of where the root of the problem lies I think it's evident from the fact that so many of us are telling the same story of stores telling their customers that they are not able to get product in stock that the problem is a real one, and that - for whatever reason - the stores can't get the product they need and want into their stores. I know that if this was my game I would definitely be looking into this to find out where the problem is so I could get it resolved.

  38. #38

    Default

    All I know is everybody I've played with has loved WoG but has either been unable to purchase the game or, if successful in that respect, has not been able to find any of the miniatures he's wanted. My wife has even had the same responses from Facebook friends who have inquired about the games we've played by ourselves at home that she's posted on her site. We've shared our sources with all comers only to follow up ourselves and find, disappointingly, they've all been right! Granted, BoB is now available and, from what I can see, in good quantities. But, with the exception of a handful of new releases or less popular and obscure planes, everything else in the WoG line, WWI and WWII, seems to be "sold out" both online and in stores.

    I personally believe the recent higher rate of purchase is due to most people (myself included) simply scarfing up whatever they can get before it becomes unavailable! The market is therefore being limited to those who have been playing for years and are tuned in to what is being produced. Only a few newcomers (those lucky enough who have friends in the hobby) are aware of its existence and, even so, are barely able to break into what has unwittingly become a rather exclusive club. Sadly, this will not allow the following to grow. If the shelves aren't stocked, the game will die.

  39. #39

    Default

    This all reminds me of a Dagwood comic strip I saw years ago. Dagwood is driving and at a store he shops at often he sees a sign that reads "Going Out of Business." He thinks as long as he's there he will go in to get some item (I don't remember what). When he can't find it he asks a clerk about it, and the clerk responds "They always sold out as soon as we got them and we couldn't be bothered having to constantly reorder them." The last frame shows him back outside the store and saying "Well, that explains the sign."

    That's kind of the vibe I'm getting with WoG.

  40. #40

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bobsalt View Post
    This all reminds me of a Dagwood comic strip I saw years ago. Dagwood is driving and at a store he shops at often he sees a sign that reads "Going Out of Business." He thinks as long as he's there he will go in to get some item (I don't remember what). When he can't find it he asks a clerk about it, and the clerk responds "They always sold out as soon as we got them and we couldn't be bothered having to constantly reorder them." The last frame shows him back outside the store and saying "Well, that explains the sign."

    That's kind of the vibe I'm getting with WoG.
    Shop owners these days don't want to hold a big inventory, preferring to buy product on order by the customer. The problem is that for Wings of Glory here in Australia there are only two suppliers, who also don't want to hold huge stocks. So the customer comes in looking for the game or sees it being played and gets excited - which would be exactly the right time for the seller to pounce - except that the shop doesn't have the necessary stock on the shelf to sell right away. If it has to come from interstate or overseas by the time they receive the goods the customer's passions have cooled and you either get no sale or sell less than you would have on the day.

  41. #41

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by robdimeglio View Post
    On this subject - Please know that we are welcome to support stores with free Battle of Britain demo kits. If you have a FLGS in your area interested in presenting/promoting the game, he can contact us at events[at]aresgames.eu to request one.
    In re-reading this thread I just saw this comment.

    Please take this in the spirit intended - I am NOT trying to be snarky here, but I do have to make a point. I think it's great that you're offering a BoB kit to any store that wants to run a demo - indeed, I wish more companies would do this. However, how many stores are going to want to run a demo of a game they can't get in stock?

  42. #42

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bobsalt View Post
    In re-reading this thread I just saw this comment.

    Please take this in the spirit intended - I am NOT trying to be snarky here, but I do have to make a point. I think it's great that you're offering a BoB kit to any store that wants to run a demo - indeed, I wish more companies would do this. However, how many stores are going to want to run a demo of a game they can't get in stock?
    Hi Bob, I think the point of Robert's email was that with a few exceptions stock is available from Ares, but for some reason shops can't or won't order it in at all or in sufficient quantities to satisfy or generate demand. Ares needs to examine the supply chain and see where the bottlenecks are occurring if that is the problem.

  43. #43

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Carl_Brisgamer View Post
    Hi Bob, I think the point of Robert's email was that with a few exceptions stock is available from Ares, but for some reason shops can't or won't order it in at all or in sufficient quantities to satisfy or generate demand. Ares needs to examine the supply chain and see where the bottlenecks are occurring if that is the problem.
    From the posts in this thread everyone seems to be saying the same thing - that the game store in their area can't get stock from the distributers. I appreciate the fact that Ares doesn't want to go the direct route and cut out the brick and mortar game stores. But if we have to go through an online retailer to be able to get anything isn't the effect the same? I'd rather buy from the store here in town, but he can't get anything in stock, so it's either buy online or not buy at all.

    The only thing more frustrating than seeing a game you want and not having the money to buy it is having the money to buy a game, but you can't get it.

  44. #44

    Default

    I ordered the BOB starter set 2 weeks ago from amazon. As of yet it is still not dispatched, as is the 2 hurricanes , but a mk9 spitfire should be delivered tomorrow. If amazon has problems getting new stock then it must be a production issue. The spitfire was out 5-6 yrs ago??

  45. #45

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tristan View Post
    I ordered the BOB starter set 2 weeks ago from amazon. As of yet it is still not dispatched, as is the 2 hurricanes , but a mk9 spitfire should be delivered tomorrow. If amazon has problems getting new stock then it must be a production issue. The spitfire was out 5-6 yrs ago??
    It would depend on how much stock the company keeps on hand. I get the impression the popularity of Battle of Britain product has caught some by surprise, as they have likely stocked levels on the basis of previous WGS releases. The Spitfire Mk.IX has probably been sitting on their racks for the last couple of years.

  46. #46

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tristan View Post
    I ordered the BOB starter set 2 weeks ago from amazon. As of yet it is still not dispatched, as is the 2 hurricanes , but a mk9 spitfire should be delivered tomorrow. If amazon has problems getting new stock then it must be a production issue. The spitfire was out 5-6 yrs ago??
    Amazon should have said how many were in stock, on the page. At least Amazon US does. I'm assuming UK is the same.
    This is true even with third party dealers. So if the haven't shipped yet, I would complain to the vendor, and then Amazon.
    Karl
    It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus

  47. #47

    Default

    I was wrong. It has been dispatched 5 days ago. . It should be delivered on the 30 Aug. A month in transit. Sigh

  48. #48

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tristan View Post
    I was wrong. It has been dispatched 5 days ago. . It should be delivered on the 30 Aug. A month in transit. Sigh
    Next time, try "Entoyment" in Poole first.
    Pete has the entire Battle of Britain range (minus the He-111 of course) on the shelves, despite my repeated attempts to clear them, and they sell online.
    I laugh in the face of danger - then I hide until it goes away!

  49. #49

    Default

    Meanwhile I have a Zero and a Dawn of War boxed set sitting in the Buy & Sell forum for over a week with no interest.... at all....

  50. #50

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Canestri10 View Post
    Meanwhile I have a Zero and a Dawn of War boxed set sitting in the Buy & Sell forum for over a week with no interest.... at all....
    Sorry, mate - I'm maxed out on both!
    I laugh in the face of danger - then I hide until it goes away!

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast


Similar Missions

  1. Gaming Mat Availability.
    By Tonx in forum Australian Wing
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: 03-01-2016, 04:47
  2. WGF WW2 miniatures for trade to get WW1 miniatures I'm missing
    By ldsdbomber in forum Sale/Trade/Wanted Classifieds
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 04-19-2013, 04:43
  3. National Availability of Ares miniatures
    By Harry Tate in forum UK Wing
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 07-28-2012, 08:06
  4. Aircraft Availability?
    By rosscoc87 in forum WGF: Historical Discussions
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 10-18-2010, 09:55
  5. Availability of WOW
    By Bigman in forum Hobby Room
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 11-06-2009, 09:39

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •