Preorder Madness

[alcyone]

Pre-orders seem to be all the rage these days. I have pre-orders pending from 3 companies right now. That means I will get items trickling randomly to my front door over the course of the next year (or more). Makes me think I should just be on some kind of subscription plan. Send me whatever you make once every couple months, I'll end up buying it anyway. I don't seem to care much what, anything from a grab bag of old school and C&C RPG stuff. I should just give my wife my wallet and tell her to hide it someplace.

[Demiurge]

Heh, I'm in the same boat. I just got my pre-order of "Black Monastery" from FGG and hope to be getting my pre-order of the new Monster book from TLG soon. I'll soon be pledging more of my dollars for the Dwimmermount kickstarter and a hardcover of Barrowmaze.

[MormonYoYoMan]

Are the Chenault boys reading this? Do you think they might get the hint that we are suckers -- I mean, fans! -- willing and ready to invest in future products, especially for our favorite roleplaying system?

Hint, hint!

[moriarty777]

Are the Chenault boys reading this? Do you think they might get the hint that we are suckers -- I mean, fans! -- willing and ready to invest in future products, especially for our favorite roleplaying system?

Hint, hint!

I don't mind the pre-orders and Steve did mention on Twitter that another one would happen soon but I would rather see movement on the stuff already pre-ordered before a new one goes up.

M

[Omote]

Heh, I'm in the same boat. I just got my pre-order of "Black Monastery" from FGG and hope to be getting my pre-order of the new Monster book from TLG soon. I'll soon be pledging more of my dollars for the Dwimmermount kickstarter and a hardcover of Barrowmaze.

Ditto.

~O

[MormonYoYoMan]

Are the Chenault boys reading this? Do you think they might get the hint that we are suckers -- I mean, fans! -- willing and ready to invest in future products, especially for our favorite roleplaying system?

Hint, hint!

I don't mind the pre-orders and Steve did mention on Twitter that another one would happen soon but I would rather see movement on the stuff already pre-ordered before a new one goes up.

M

Good point - I really need to hold off on new pre-orders until current stuff starts coming in.

[redwullf]

Pre-orders seem to be all the rage these days. I have pre-orders pending from 3 companies right now. That means I will get items trickling randomly to my front door over the course of the next year (or more). Makes me think I should just be on some kind of subscription plan. Send me whatever you make once every couple months, I'll end up buying it anyway. I don't seem to care much what, anything from a grab bag of old school and C&C RPG stuff. I should just give my wife my wallet and tell her to hide it someplace.

I don't think I'll be pre-ordering again, as a recent experience has really soured the excitement for new products. A certain publisher who shall remain nameless took pre-orders for a couple of products some 2 to 3 months ago, with deliveries promised in early December, then by Christmas, then at the first of the year, then at the end of January... I'm still waiting for both products and starting to get pretty tired of the whole thing. Unfortunately, it's a publisher whose products I really enjoy, and who I really want to support - but the repeated failure to deliver on promised deadlines is getting old. They've had my money for months, I have nothing to show for it. There's a point where the desire to support someone just starts to feel like one is getting screwed instead.

And, having to pull teeth to get status updates on said products? That's just too much...

Anyway, no more pre-orders for this kid. I'll wait 'til products are available, knowing full well that means I'll risk losing access to all of the "special offers" that come with such pre-orders.

[Sir Ironside]

I can't think of any pre-orders other then Brave Hafling Productions. I ordered Delving Deeper and I hope, hope that things go better than X-Plorers. (They've been kind enough to send me another package and hopefully this one doesn't disappear like the last one.)

I don't mind the Troll Lord Games pre-orders as they have decided to emulate Kickstarter and give you more goodies than just buying the book. (Casebound maps, Airdhe case bound CK screens amongst other things. The Troll coins mean nothing to me as I don't go to conventions, so they are just pretty baubles to me.)

Even with the price for the goodies it is always unclear if some of these perks will be an item you can purchase after the pre-order expires.

The Airdhe pre-order is the most interesting of all the others, as I can see the more practical use for any campaign within the world of Airdhe.

[alcyone]

I've also pre-ordered the new Metamorphosis Alpha from Signal Fire.

I get Redwullf's point of view, and get pretty close to fed-up myself when a date is listed and isn't met. I guess what keeps me from going over the edge: 1. I am a veteran of waiting for the CKG. Nothing can faze me now. 2. If the books came today, I'd probably not get anyone to play them for quite a while anyway.

[dachda]

I can empathize with Redwulff's post too. I also play Advanced Squadleader and when Multiman Publishing does a pre-order they offer a reduced price before printing. BUT they only require a credit card number be on file, they do not actually charge the credit card until the game is printed and your copy is about to be shipped. That allows them to get a loan for printing costs, based on the number of people who signed up for the pre-order, but allows customers to keep their money in their bank until the product has actually been printed and is ready for shipping. It also keeps the window for making your pre-order open until the game is printed. None of this, you only have a month to pre-order or you lose out on the reduced cost thing. Not sure why RPG companies couldn't follow a similar process.

[CKDad]

/hijack

Dachda - didn't realize you were another ASL player (though I'm mostly retired). My leader counter is in Doomed Battalions.

/hijack off

[dachda]

/hijack

Dachda - didn't realize you were another ASL player (though I'm mostly retired). My leader counter is in Doomed Battalions.

/hijack off

/hijack on

Yes, love ASL. (Cool you have a leader counter)

I only play two games. ASL and C&C. The two scratch all my gaming itches!

/hijack off

[Coleston the Cavalier]

I don't think I'll be pre-ordering again, as a recent experience has really soured the excitement for new products. A certain publisher who shall remain nameless took pre-orders for a couple of products some 2 to 3 months ago, with deliveries promised in early December, then by Christmas, then at the first of the year, then at the end of January... I'm still waiting for both products and starting to get pretty tired of the whole thing. Unfortunately, it's a publisher whose products I really enjoy, and who I really want to support - but the repeated failure to deliver on promised deadlines is getting old. They've had my money for months, I have nothing to show for it. There's a point where the desire to support someone just starts to feel like one is getting screwed instead.

You are much kinder to me than I deserve.

If it helps, I have changed my business model since November. I will no longer offer any pre-orders on any future products. Instead, I will only offer products that are on-hand and ready-to-ship.

[redwullf]

I don't think I'll be pre-ordering again, as a recent experience has really soured the excitement for new products. A certain publisher who shall remain nameless took pre-orders for a couple of products some 2 to 3 months ago, with deliveries promised in early December, then by Christmas, then at the first of the year, then at the end of January... I'm still waiting for both products and starting to get pretty tired of the whole thing. Unfortunately, it's a publisher whose products I really enjoy, and who I really want to support - but the repeated failure to deliver on promised deadlines is getting old. They've had my money for months, I have nothing to show for it. There's a point where the desire to support someone just starts to feel like one is getting screwed instead.

You are much kinder to me than I deserve.

If it helps, I have changed my business model since November. I will no longer offer any pre-orders on any future products. Instead, I will only offer products that are on-hand and ready-to-ship.

How do you know I wasn't referring to another publisher (i.e. Goodman Games, Palladium, WotC, or even the Trolls themselves), my good man. I am content to maintain anonymity in this matter, because my intent was to voice my experience with pre-orders of unpublished products, not to disparage the hard working folks who continue to breathe life into the OSR for us old farts.

But, as you say, you've changed your business model for your particular situation - to which I may or may not have been referring - and that's great news. And, regardless to whom I may have been referring, you should also know that I will continue to support you and your products (X-Plorers, incidentally, is a HUGE hit with my gaming group). I just will not buy pre-orders from any publisher for materials that do not yet exist in physical form. It's a personal thing for me ... I LOVE surprises, like Christmas, and the wait makes me cry inside.

[mgtremaine]

How do you know I wasn't referring to another publisher (i.e. Goodman Games, Palladium, WotC, or even the Trolls themselves), my good man.

I think you are suppose to say "These are not the Droids you are looking for." At least that's how it's done in the movies

-Mike

[Omote]

/Palladium.

Word.

~O

[Coleston the Cavalier]

Yeah, but I AM losing sleep over it.

[serleran]

Not a fan of the pre-order. I would rather know the product exists before spending money on it.

[Tadhg]

No problem for me with pre-orders . . from the Trolls, Goodman, Brave Halfling and mebbe a few others.

I think the C&C PH was a pre-order, no?

I do recall the Eastmark Folio that Gary signed at GenCon (was it 2007) was a pre-order.

[tylermo]

Was the folio a pre-order? I bought one at GC, but didn't remember pre-ordering.

[Tadhg]

Was the folio a pre-order? I bought one at GC, but didn't remember pre-ordering.

Hmmm, yeah. Mebbe it wasn't a pre-order, but a limited edition or limited availability.

They were printed and brought to GC and then Gary signed a bunch there and then a reserved number that those of us who couldn't attend would receive.

Ha, they were reserved pre-order (ordered before release rather than before print).

[moriarty777]

Was the folio a pre-order? I bought one at GC, but didn't remember pre-ordering.

Well, I have a signed one and I didn't go.

M

[Omote]

The East Mark Gazetteer was definitely a pre-order. I think they came out at the same time as GenCon 2008. EGG signed them at the con. I picked up my pre-order at GenCon. The Gary signed copies were limited to 300. There were definitely a a large order of non-Gary signed East Mark Gazetteers too.

~O

[tylermo]

Either way, I got a signed copy at the con, and had some late 70's core books signed by Gary, as well.

[serleran]

I have signed copies and I, too, did not attend. Seems some may have been set aside...

[Tadhg]

I just remembered that Rob Kuntz's PPP had many pre-order releases and I bought into all of them.
All shipped on time and flawlessly except one . . when Rob had a life threatening illness during a huge winter storm season in Milwaukee. It was only delayed about 2 months or so, but everyone got their product.

[Dead Horse]

I like the idea of preorders, but if they miss deadlines i get very twitchy very fast

[moriarty777]

I just remembered that Rob Kuntz's PPP had many pre-order releases and I bought into all of them.
All shipped on time and flawlessly except one . . when Rob had a life threatening illness during a huge winter storm season in Milwaukee. It was only delayed about 2 months or so, but everyone got their product.

Yes... I remember that. People (mostly collectors it seems) were very unkind towards PPP during that time.

M