I love playing D&D and have no problems with 4e or Essentials. This post isn't about my experiences as a player of D&D, this is about my experience as a retailer of D&D.
As well as playing the game I also work in a shop in the UK that sells comics and games. However, at the moment we're not selling D&D.
Not because we don't want to, in fact we'd love to. We're not selling it because we can't get any of it to sell. We've not been able to get any D&D restocks since before Christmas.
No red box, no Essentials and no PHB/DMG/MM. I've had to watch people (admittedly, only a few) come into the store, express an interest in D&D and leave with nothing because I have nothing I can sell them.
Not just our store either, another FLGS I have close contacts with has the same problem. He can't get any either.
I want to point out, new releases aren't a problem. we can get and re-stock those no problem, but the core essential books you need to actually play the game are completely absent.
Word from our supplier is that they don't really know what's going on just that they can't get any of it from the manufacturer (WotC/Hasbro presumably).
I guess that, like myself, most of the people on these forums already own all the core stuff but I want to ask, have you noticed a lack of these products out there in your FLGS?
I'm just trying to figure out what's going on? Are WotC winding down 4e in advance of 5e? Is it part of their financial plan to not keep these things in print? Are they effectively giving up on 'new gamers' and concentrating on the consumers they have already? Are they not shipping overseas at the moment? Or is it simply a problem with the distributers here in the UK, are they deciding not to order in any more of this product (unlikely, I know).
Finally, a little context for why I'm posting this. It's not about the shop. Even when we could get the books, D&D sales are a very tiny part of the stores turnover, we make much, much, much more on comics. If we didn't sell D&D at all it would have NO impact on the store.
This is about me as a lover of the game. I'm concerned/confused about it's future (especially with all that's been going on lately with their release schedule. Cancelations, changes and such). Is this problem foreshadowing something or is it just a curious blip?
I posted here as it seemed the most appropriate place.
Well, thanks for listening to my observation.
Daz
This is an issue that WotC should be made aware of, because it puts a blemish on that promise.
This doesn't make much sense. WotC has specifically declared that you can ALWAY order in more copies of the 10 products in the Essentials line. There shouldn't be a problem.
This is an issue that WotC should be made aware of, because it puts a blemish on that promise.
It is likely more a distributor in the UK problem than a WOTC problem.
As a retailer you need to contact your distributor to see whats up. If they cant give you the answers that you need then you need to contact WOTC.
I'm just trying to figure out what's going on? Are WotC winding down 4e in advance of 5e? Is it part of their financial plan to not keep these things in print? Are they effectively giving up on 'new gamers' and concentrating on the consumers they have already? Are they not shipping overseas at the moment? Or is it simply a problem with the distributers here in the UK, are they deciding not to order in any more of this product (unlikely, I know).
Daz
Interesting Daz;
They are still stocking in California. I wish they were having difficultly. I would see it as a sign that the PHB/DMG/MM could be getting a Errata corrected printing.
But the Red box and Essentials are already updated. AND Essentials is supposed evergreen.
I hope this is evidence that Essentials failed.
It's either a problem with supply or a problem with demand. I suspect whatever conclusion one draws from it will be based on how much they think the current direction is a good idea.
If it's a problem with supply: WotC underestimated just how much people love Essentials, and they just didn't print enough to meet the demand. Yay, great success!
If it's a problem with demand, then there aren't enough people un the UK who want to buy the books to justify the cost of shipping them there. In this case, fail.
I know which one I think is more likely, but it's just my own conjecture.
1. PHB2 - eventually gave up trying to get it from Amazon direct and ordered it from the US.
2. Adventurer's Vault - one of the more important rulebooks, but impossible to buy new.
3. Heroes of Shadow - 2-3 days delay and supplier stock levels/release date not being reported to Amazon correctly
Many other products, including most of the Essentials line, are showing out of stock at Amazon. You can buy them from partners, but I wonder if this is just because they still have old stock.
Obviously this doesn't answer the fundamental question, but more evidence to suggest that the whole region is not being supplied perhaps.
Do WotC ever post here? Probably the only way we'd get a definitive answer.
Do WotC ever post here? Probably the only way we'd get a definitive answer.
The forums? Sure. Future Releases? Not really.
Amazon UK seem to have got completely confused with their D&D lines after WOTC's changes to the release schedule e.g. these two still have entries:-
Gazeteer: The Nentir Vale: A 4th Edition D&d Supplement
www.amazon.co.uk/Gazeteer-Nentir-Vale-4t...
Player's Option: Champions of the Heroic Tier: A 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Supplement (4th Edition D&d)
www.amazon.co.uk/Players-Option-Champion...
And the won't let you pre-order this one:-
Monster Vault: Threats To The Nentir Vale: A 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Supplement
www.amazon.co.uk/Monster-Vault-Threats-D...
Lords of Madness was only released in the US. Perhaps a loss in profits forced them to concentrate on US alone.
Recently though books from Amazon have either not materialised at all or been delayed for weeks. I pre-order pretty much everything but it has made zero difference.
The most realistic answer is that WotC is having issues with whoever your distributer is. The UK book distribution system is quite a bit different from that of the US and sometimes there are issues (conflict/misunderstanding/legality) between American publishers and UK distributers.
Your best bet is to call your distributer and ask to speak to a manager. Failing that, call WotC directly and tell them about the situation.
Esdevium Games is the UK distributor.
If that's true, they've dropped almost all of the D&D products from their catalog: they don't list anything expect the Board Game, the Red Box, Dungeon Tiles, and DM Screen. Has anyone contacted them? They still carry plenty of MTG and Monopoly products.
If that's true, they've dropped almost all of the D&D products from their catalog
You missed this bit on the first page of their catalog:-
Not Only The Catalogue!
At Esdevium Games we supply an extensive range in addition to the lines shown
in the Catalogue. We offer advice & knowledge with a commitment to support our
clients’ individual requirements in the Toy, Gift, Game’s & Hobby Markets from the
sole trader up to Mass market.
Their update sheets list all the new releases, I don't think there's any danger of Esdevium dropping the D&D lines. I think this is a specific issue with the supply of some of the essentials book lines.
In the meantime, the store manager could try working his way up the chain of supply a stage or two in an effort to find out where the snag is occurring.
Steve
Turns out there’s more to the story than we thought …
The OP’s store isn’t the only one reporting a shortage. Here’s what happened, according to our man in the UK:
- Esdevium placed conservative orders for the Essentials line, stocking only what they thought they could move in 3-6 months, and then sold out on most of the items.
- They re-ordered in April, but a heavy workload in the Belgian office meant that the order took longer to process than usual.
Esdevium is projected to get their re-stock in one to two weeks. At that point, the crisis should be over.
So thanks to the OP for bringing this to our attention.
Steve
I, and probably others too, appreciate the fact that someone inside WotC can give us meaningful answers to legitimate questions.
So thank you Steve.
Turns out there’s more to the story than we thought …
The OP’s store isn’t the only one reporting a shortage. Here’s what happened, according to our man in the UK:
- Esdevium placed conservative orders for the Essentials line, stocking only what they thought they could move in 3-6 months, and then sold out on most of the items.
- They re-ordered in April, but a heavy workload in the Belgian office meant that the order took longer to process than usual.
Esdevium is projected to get their re-stock in one to two weeks. At that point, the crisis should be over.
So thanks to the OP for bringing this to our attention.
Steve
Now this is what i call a respone ! Well done WOTC on this one for finding out the problem. I look forward to hopefully being able to get hold of a couple of books im missing.
Turns out there’s more to the story than we thought …
The OP’s store isn’t the only one reporting a shortage. Here’s what happened, according to our man in the UK:
- Esdevium placed conservative orders for the Essentials line, stocking only what they thought they could move in 3-6 months, and then sold out on most of the items.
- They re-ordered in April, but a heavy workload in the Belgian office meant that the order took longer to process than usual.
Esdevium is projected to get their re-stock in one to two weeks. At that point, the crisis should be over.
So thanks to the OP for bringing this to our attention.
Steve
I'm not trying to be rude here sir, but I'm finding this to be very confusing (And I actually have suspicions that this may have an honest happy answer)...
-The OP says his store hasn't been able to get books since prior to Christmas, ~5 months ago.
-You say the distributer didn't order sufficient quantity for demand.
-You say the distributer reordered in April, having waited 4 months after running out of stock to reorder.
-You say a heavy workload at someone's belgian office, I'm assuming not the distributer's, made processing the order take somwhere between 11 and 40 days.
I'm very confused. Why would a distributer wait 4 months to reorder, and why would it take 11-40 days to process what really should be a ten minute or less computer transaction?
TBH, this really reinforces my belief that something is happening with D&D at WOTC, and that there's some kind of reoganization occurring.
It's either that, or someone is seriously in the stone age of buisness, still working with carbon paper, snail mail, and triplicate approvals.
It's either that, or someone is seriously in the stone age of buisness, still working with carbon paper, snail mail, and triplicate approvals.
It is Belgum after all.
Son, I'm going to offer some advice that I wish someone had given me at your age: Never pick a fight with the Belgians. Nothing but grief comes from it.
Son, I'm going to offer some advice that I wish someone had given me at your age: Never pick a fight with the Belgians. Nothing but grief comes from it.
You mean they don't have waffles as a random drop? Dang and I just thought the drop rate was just really bad...
Hey, if it weren't for Belgium, where would Germans and British settle their matters?
France?
I dont think anything ever gets settled in France...