Re: [DL] My 10 cents worth

["David Wilson" <iamdavew@hotmail.com>]

Ok This will probably be my last post for a while though I will continue to 
read. I just want to make it clear that the David referred to in this email 
is not me. Last thing I want is any more confusion.

Dave Wilson


>From: Sam & Max <samnmax@swbell.net>
>Reply-To: deadlands@gamerz.net
>To: deadlands@gamerz.net
>Subject: Re: [DL] My 10 cents worth
>Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2001 14:45:46 -0600
>
>
>
>Steve Peterson wrote:
>
> > Pinnacle's recent releases were created by Pinnacle... and that's the
> > way it should be. Cybergames.com did not buy PInnacle to create their
> > products for them. The pace of new releases had to be changed to suit
> > the reality of the marketplace and Pinnacle's needs. Too many
> > products at one time are a problem for a variety of reasons. The
> > majority of gamers have only a certain amount of money to spend on
> > new products, and it takes time for them to read them and enjoy them.
> > If you release several products at the same time, you'll lose sales
> > overall. The game industry's major distributors now work on a 4-month
> > solicitation cycle, which means they require 4 months lead time from
> > when you announce a product before they will ship it in order to
> > maximize sales.  Distributors will substantially reduce orders (or
> > not even carry a product at all) if you don't give them 4 month's
> > notice with proper information.
>
>-SNIP-
>
> > - Steve Peterson, Cybergames.com
>
>First of all, David has let me use his account so I can remain anonymous 
>and not
>jeopardize my job. What follows are not his opinions or my employer's.
>
>	This statement by Mr. Peterson couldn't be more false. The distributor I 
>work
>for and the distributors I deal with closely as an inventory manager all 
>base
>their purchasing schedules around the announced release dates made by the
>manufacturers. Distributors order products based on pre-orders submitted by
>retail stores. If a certain product has x number on pre-order, the 
>distributor
>will order x + y, where y is equal to a certain percentage of x based on 
>past
>sales of that product line. Distributors don't' reduce orders, retailers 
>simply
>can't put in pre-orders if they don't know the product is coming out. There 
>have
>been many times when we have been given only a few days by the manufacturer 
>to
>give them our orders. In the case of Mage Knight, we were given 24 hours.
>Wizards of the Coast gives us about 2 months. Wizard's Attic gives 2 weeks. 
>The
>products being held back by Cybergames were solicited for six months ago, 
>seven
>in some cases. So even by the Cybergames version of reality, these items 
>should
>have shipped by now.
>	Distributors do not hold product until 4 months have passed either. Space 
>in a
>warehouse costs money and a shipment that is just sitting there does 
>nothing for
>you. It just gets in the way and collects dust. That's not a very good 
>business
>model is it?
>	In the past, Pinnacle would release 2-4 new products every 2 months. Does
>Cybergames really think that Pinnacle fans take over 2 months to read two 
>128
>page supplements? Retailers also buy multiple products at the same time to 
>keep
>the cost of shipping down. So releasing multiple products at the same time 
>isn't
>really a problem.
>	Next subject. No one here cares that you have been in this business for 
>over 20
>years. Its easy to stay in buisiness that long when you have no overhead 
>putting
>out any new products except to repackage all your old items with new 
>artwork and
>slaping a "new edition" logo on the cover. Age means nothing in this 
>buisiness.
>Quality products, customer relations and product support combine to make a 
>good
>company. And so far, I havn't seen any of these three qualities in your 
>company.
>	So lets tally up the score so far. First you blamed the freelancers. They 
>shot
>you down. Then you blamed the distributors. You were shot down. Are you 
>going to
>blame the comsumers (the gamers on this list) and shoot yourself next?
>
>  - Anonymous
>
>
>To unsubscribe, send a message to esquire@gamerz.net with
>	unsubscribe deadlands
>as the BODY of the message.  The SUBJECT is ignored.
>

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