A possible reason why they don't is because in the old days (of TSR) they did. I remember a while back going into Kay-bee and seeing a number of the AD&D boxed sets for sale. Later on I was back and they were _on_ sale. I bought the Spelljammer Box set for about 3 dollars.
|-----Original Message-----
|From: LaPierre, Bob [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
|Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2001 12:19 PM
|To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
|Subject: RE: [Open_Gaming] Unorthodox D20 modules
|
|
| I have to agree on this, most gaming and/or comic book
|stores appear to be dens of inequity. However there are two
|notable exceptions, Wizards of the Coast Stores, and The Game
|Keeper (both owned by Hasbro). Now my question is: Why doesn't
|Hasbro use it's not inconsiderable strength to get DnD and
|Star Wars into K-Mart, Walmart, Target, etc? Once in sales
|should keep us there and we could be seen by, and appeal to, a
|larger portion of the market. Granted some of the "gaming"
|products out there probably wouldn't appeal to many "straits"
|but a lot will.
|
|Food for thought.
|Bob
|B-)
|
|-----Original Message-----
|From: Margaret C Vining [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
|Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2001 8:29 AM
|To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
|Subject: Re: [Open_Gaming] Unorthodox D20 modules
|
|
|On Wed, 21 Feb 2001 02:10:36 EST [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
|> Here's the thing. You can do focus groups, panels, and testing aimed
|> at
|> making RPG products more likely to appeal to women. However, the
|> non-gaming
|> women you want to attract are extremely unlikely to go the one place
|> your
|> products are going to end up: the local hobby store.
|
|
| I think you hit the nail on the head. Comic stores are usually
|disgusting. I know there is no way I am going to be able to sell my
|products in conventional gaming stores because I know my
|target audience
|will never set foot into them. And even if they did I doubt they would
|ever go back Dirty store fronts, cluttered counter tops,
|noisy groups
|of rough-looking people gathered to paint miniatures, lack of customer
|service, and lack of some type of store directory are all
|common reasons
|why gaming doesn't reach out to a variable customer base. Stores like
|Barnes and Noble sell gaming materials, but IMO you have to be looking
|for them and know what you are looking for. I doubt that many newbies
|are drawn to D&D through book stores.
|
| In time, RPGs will spread to a wider variety of people as
|young gamers
|grow up and as more gamers invite new gamers to play. But for now the
|look and customer base of most gaming stores will make reaching new
|customers difficult. Personally, I know that most gamers are harmless
|and I feel comfortable in the gaming environment, but it wasn't always
|like that for me. People who looked like the average gamer truly
|frightened me. I was taught that people who wear suits and ties and
|designer casual clothes could be trusted. I was also taught
|that people
|who look dirty, smell dirty, talk dirty, and played games about evil
|things _were_ evil and wanted nothing more than to hurt me. I got that
|assumption from movies, books, my private school, my sorority, my
|college, my family, TV....
|
| My point is that many women grow up like I did. We are taught to
|avoid men who look like most gamers and avoid places that look
|like most
|comic stores because if we don't we are going to get raped and pregnant
|and uneducated and jobless and it will be all our fault.
|
| At some point everyone grows up and sees the world for that it is
|(that everyone is evil, some just look nicer than others ; ) ), but
|different people reach that stage at different ages. So, if you want
|your products to reach the people who are not comfortable with the look
|of most comic stores then you need to get your products to them through
|another route. I don't know what that route is, but believe me I am
|looking for it. Right now the Web and popular bookstores are the best
|option.
|
|Maggie
|-------------
|For more information, please link to www.opengamingfoundation.org
|
