So it begins:
"Fantasy Flight Games has announced the early 2013 release of a new, less expensive version, of Reiner Knizia’s award-winning Ingenious board game, which will be available at the lower MSRP of just $29.95.
"...The new lower priced mass market edition of Ingenious offers virtually the same gameplay as the original (though the rules do not include the “solo” version). The major difference is that the tiles are made out of punchboard not plastic, and there are no separate stands for a player’s tiles (in this version the tiles in a player’s hand fit into slits on the edge of the game board). The new version of Ingenious comes packaged in a colorful 10” x 10” x 2” game box."
Actually, it already happened with Apple to Apples a few years ago, and probably some other games I'm talking about.
So here are three elements that make this dangerous:
1.) It's "mass market" version, which means it won't be offered to hobby shops.
2.) It's got a lower Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price.
3.) It's a crappier version made with inferior parts but no one will know that.
I have to disagree with (commenter) Mark about whether these games are going to start selling more and more in the mass market.
Only two things you have to ask yourself. Are they selling? And can they be manipulated into cheaper versions?
If the answer is yes, than of course the mass market will carry them.
But instead of it being a special word-of-mouth thing, it will be ubiquitous. Instead of being finely made, it will be cheap. Instead of hand-sold by a human, they will be mass sold by a juggernaut.
Nothing will change this trajectory.
As far as Mark's point that the mass market can't carry all the games. They don't have to. They could carry the top 20 best-selling games, and they can scoop up at least 80% of the profits. Frankly, they might be able to do that with the top 5 to 10 games.
Even carrying "exclusive" (cheaper) versions of Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride would put a dent in my ability to carry the rest of the games.
It's all part of the deal. You can't subvert the best parts of the deal and expect it to hang together.
"Fantasy Flight Games has announced the early 2013 release of a new, less expensive version, of Reiner Knizia’s award-winning Ingenious board game, which will be available at the lower MSRP of just $29.95.
"...The new lower priced mass market edition of Ingenious offers virtually the same gameplay as the original (though the rules do not include the “solo” version). The major difference is that the tiles are made out of punchboard not plastic, and there are no separate stands for a player’s tiles (in this version the tiles in a player’s hand fit into slits on the edge of the game board). The new version of Ingenious comes packaged in a colorful 10” x 10” x 2” game box."
Actually, it already happened with Apple to Apples a few years ago, and probably some other games I'm talking about.
So here are three elements that make this dangerous:
1.) It's "mass market" version, which means it won't be offered to hobby shops.
2.) It's got a lower Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price.
3.) It's a crappier version made with inferior parts but no one will know that.
I have to disagree with (commenter) Mark about whether these games are going to start selling more and more in the mass market.
Only two things you have to ask yourself. Are they selling? And can they be manipulated into cheaper versions?
If the answer is yes, than of course the mass market will carry them.
But instead of it being a special word-of-mouth thing, it will be ubiquitous. Instead of being finely made, it will be cheap. Instead of hand-sold by a human, they will be mass sold by a juggernaut.
Nothing will change this trajectory.
As far as Mark's point that the mass market can't carry all the games. They don't have to. They could carry the top 20 best-selling games, and they can scoop up at least 80% of the profits. Frankly, they might be able to do that with the top 5 to 10 games.
Even carrying "exclusive" (cheaper) versions of Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride would put a dent in my ability to carry the rest of the games.
It's all part of the deal. You can't subvert the best parts of the deal and expect it to hang together.