Carcassonne Wheel of Fortune

One of my favorite board games is Carcassonne. It's so simple to pick up (I play it with my kids all the time) and yet so deep and strategic. I really enjoy it. Anyway, it's been around for a long time, and and a new version came out today. It's called Carcassonne Wheel of Fortune. It's a stand alone game, but it actually includes the full base game (for the same price actually). So it's the base game... with an added Wheel of Fortune portion that basically brings some random crap to the game.

Anyway, it's up for sale now, and I highly recommend it, as I have for years enjoyed Carcassonne.

Magic the Gathering

Wizards of the Coast as accepted us to sell Magic the Gathering again! We will start again November 2nd, about 2 weeks from now. I'll get some M2010, Zendikar, Shards, Conflux, and Reborn at that time. Do I know my numbers yet? No. I think I'll get as much Shards, Conflux and Reborn as I want, and I have heard that M2010 and Zendikar will be allocated. This brings up a delicate point. In the past Magic has always been abundantly available, and so I could sell extra online. But now with this allocated, I might have to keep all the allocation to my local Heber Valley customers, of whom there are many very much wanting Zendikar AND 2010. I don't know my numbers yet, but I MIGHT be faced with the possibility of only selling in the store for a while. I know there are a lot of you out there who used to buy regularly from me online, and will be expecting some. At this point, until I get my numbers, I won't be able to tell you.

Another problem is that I don't know how many customers I have LOST during this time. Feelings have run VERY NEGATIVE toward Wizards of the Coast during this time because they unjustly shut us down. We have instore attempted with all the zeal we could muster to introduce customers to new games, and in fact, succeeding in starting quite a large Games Workshop Warhammer group here in the store.

Anyway, I will keep you informed, and if you have any questions, let me know! :)

Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast asked if I wanted to sell Magic the Gathering again. I'm thinking about it.

Good Morning!

Good Morning Gamers! This week we'll be gearing up more Halloween themed games, and doing some Amazon orders. Still no word what so ever from Wizards of the Coast, who seem blindly determined to hurt themselves and their game by not even communicating. It's a sickness in their culture, that they see game stores as the enemy. The Marketplace always works to the advantage of the buyer when free market principles are employed. When Wizards meddles with free market principles, and begins trying to control things, it will NEVER WORK. It simply doesn't. Yes, they have a monopoly on Magic the Gathering, but they don't have a monopoly on GAMES. And that is where they are going to hurt themselves. The more they try to control things... the more star systems will slip through their fingers.

And as they start to lose things, instead of letting go they are going to grab on even tighter and spiral out of control.

Witness how large they grew when they put out 3.0 D&D in an OPEN environment letting everyone hop on board and letting competition reign! Now witness how their 'control' has hurt them. It's simply short sighted. And in a recession as their bottom line is smaller and smaller, they probably are AFRAID. And instead of being bold and fearless, they are terrified and terrorizing those people, like you and me, who have the most to offer to new Magic Players and the Community.

I'm the LAST person you want to stop selling Magic, and that's exactly who they just shut down. It makes absolutely no sense. The arrogance, the pride, that leads to such a decision is incredible to fathom. And in a gaming universe, where we are all suppose to be on the same side. Ego run crazy. It will all crash on them, and that's a BAD and SAD thing. Wizards of the Coast has long been an icon and a beacon to gamers.

Witness again how open things are at Magic the Gathering.com with Mark Rosewater talking so openly about design. And then you have Steve and his folk over on the Internet side close things up, not talking, not answering emails. It's NUTS.

Well, there ARE other games! We'll keep in touch this week! Write if you have any thoughts!

Jason

Good October Gamers

How are you all doing out there? Getting ready for Halloween? Yes... I have my costume already, and yes... I'll give you a picture, but only after Halloween. The costume is still a surprise! :) Know any good games for Halloween? Zombie like games?

Right now we did NOT sell Zendikar. The new Wizards of the Coast Magic the Gathering product. Steve at Wizards not only wouldn't sell it to us, but he doesn't even have the courtesy of responding to emails. It's weird. I've never seen anything like it. He treats some of his biggest customers like criminals, without presenting any true evidence of wrongdoing.

But what are you going to do? Have a good attitude is the only thing you can do. Tell customer after customer who came through our doors Friday and Saturday... sorry... Wizards won't sell to us. You figure there has to be kharma in the world. What comes around goes around, and that really DOES work. So I'm not really too worried. Wizards of the Coast is causing themselves a lot of problems by hurting small stores that bust there butts to promote and sell their games on a ground level.

Did you know I just asked him if we could get a FEW boxes, just a couple, so I could at least run a few drafts? That's how much he thinks of YOU GUYS. He didn't even respond. Nothing. Just... nothing. He doesn't care that customers here in Heber can't even run a draft.

That will come around to him. Personally. He's building himself a lot of negative kharma.

Anyway, we played Warhammer all weekend instead. And most of my customers, amazingly enough, a spending money on Warhammer instead of Magic. It's kind of similar, a game you put a lot of effort and love into, collect, build, and then play. And an army full of well painted minis is way cooler than a stack of cards.

:)

Well, good luck to you all finding Zendikar, or if you are tired of Wizard's treatment of us and other small companies, then find a new game. Warhammer is just one of them. But until Wizards of the Coast feels the pinch, and people like Steve learn that hurting the people who are the foundation of your job and company is a bad thing, they will just keep doing what they are doing.

It makes me sad. My kids and I play Magic together. It's a family game. A family company. And this guy Steve has put us out. It's weird. I don't get it.