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So I go to the local gaming store (we only have one in town) looking for a some fun and lots of free stuff. This was my first time to the "Free" RPG day and I was a little naive I suppose.
I arrived expecting to get some free stuff, and especially excited to get Revenge of the Kobold King from Paizo for FREE.
Well, little did I know that by free they actually mean you have to spend $10 to get one of the items. If you want another item you need to spend an additional $10. What a disappointment!
Fortunately, there was a nice guy at the checkout counter with the three 4E core books and got RotKK and gave it to me. He asked why I was so excited and I told him it was part of Pathfinder.
He had never heard of Pathfinder so I found the few items in the store (they hardly ever carry third party products) and told him about it. He was excited about the world and even with an arm full of 4E, was more excited to hear about PfRPG and that it would continue the 3.x rules.
So, while I managed to get my copy of RotKK- and may have a convert for PfRPG, I still think it is totally unfair to call it "FREE" RPG Day when we have to buy stuff to get anything. It is misleading in a way. But I am naive that way.
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So I go to the local gaming store (we only have one in town) looking for a some fun and lots of free stuff. This was my first time to the "Free" RPG day and I was a little naive I suppose.
I arrived expecting to get some free stuff, and especially excited to get Revenge of the Kobold King from Paizo for FREE.
Well, little did I know that by free they actually mean you have to spend $10 to get one of the items. If you want another item you need to spend an additional $10. What a disappointment!
Fortunately, there was a nice guy at the checkout counter with the three 4E core books and got RotKK and gave it to me. He asked why I was so excited and I told him it was part of Pathfinder.
He had never heard of Pathfinder so I found the few items in the store (they hardly ever carry third party products) and told him about it. He was excited about the world and even with an arm full of 4E, was more excited to hear about PfRPG and that it would continue the 3.x rules.
So, while I managed to get my copy of RotKK- and may have a convert for PfRPG, I still think it is totally unfair to call it "FREE" RPG Day when we have to buy stuff to get anything. It is misleading in a way. But I am naive that way.
It is my understanding that you can get a free PDF copy of it tomorrow.
So I go to the local gaming store (we only have one in town) looking for a some fun and lots of free stuff. This was my first time to the "Free" RPG day and I was a little naive I suppose.
I arrived expecting to get some free stuff, and especially excited to get Revenge of the Kobold King from Paizo for FREE.
Well, little did I know that by free they actually mean you have to spend $10 to get one of the items. If you want another item you need to spend an additional $10. What a disappointment!
Fortunately, there was a nice guy at the checkout counter with the three 4E core books and got RotKK and gave it to me. He asked why I was so excited and I told him it was part of Pathfinder.
He had never heard of Pathfinder so I found the few items in the store (they hardly ever carry third party products) and told him about it. He was excited about the world and even with an arm full of 4E, was more excited to hear about PfRPG and that it would continue the 3.x rules.
So, while I managed to get my copy of RotKK- and may have a convert for PfRPG, I still think it is totally unfair to call it "FREE" RPG Day when we have to buy stuff to get anything. It is misleading in a way. But I am naive that way.
It is totally supposed to be free. That's the point. I guess certain shops can charge a "cover" to make sure people don't walk in and just walk out with nothing else, but most shops just ask you to take one item and one item only so they can spread the love...
I'd be upset with your store, not the Free RPG Day people...
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So I go to the local gaming store (we only have one in town) looking for a some fun and lots of free stuff. This was my first time to the "Free" RPG day and I was a little naive I suppose.
I arrived expecting to get some free stuff, and especially excited to get Revenge of the Kobold King from Paizo for FREE.
Well, little did I know that by free they actually mean you have to spend $10 to get one of the items. If you want another item you need to spend an additional $10. What a disappointment!
Just so you know, the decision to only give away the "free" items with a $10 purchase was made by your local store. From reading some of the other threads, it sounds like each store did things a little different. Some stores required purchases, some determined randomly which (single) item you got, some allowed a choice but only one or two per person, and some allowed you to take as much as you wanted.
Also, the stores had to each pay $90 for a basic stock of "free" items.
mmmmmm
now I feel annoyed.
This is the same store, that when I asked them about PfRPG, the clerk said "I would never even look at that."
I am starting to wonder...
So did anyone else have to pay to get their Paizo goodness?
(OK technically I didn't pay but still)
As hinted above, the stores in my area allowed one item per person. That didn't stop me from hitting several stores (2 actually), but I made sure I stuck to the limit AND I made sure I purchased something at each store to thank them for participating.
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I visited one retail location and had a much different experience than the original poster. I got two copies Return of the Kobold King, two copies of Wizards of the Coast's Treasure of Talon pass, four D&D minis and two panels of the dungeon tiles, one copy of White Wolf's Hunter: the Vigil, and a set of orange Qwdice. A pretty good haul that I was not expecting.
I did judge two games of Treasure of Talon pass. So, I think the owner was hooking me up. Sadly, nobody wanted to play Return of the Kobold King. I was a bit disappointed, as I used most of my time preparing that.
In regards to how stores portion out there freebies, I think it's okay to give away at least one item with no obligation from the visitor. The store I visited had twenty-four of each item. Perhaps others stores were not so well-stocked. But still, the stuff should be a friendly giveaway. I think it's borderline dishonest to obligate visitors to get these freebies. It seems egregious.
I envy you and your access to Free RPG Day, spending money or not :(
My local store was only giving out free product with purchases as well. Luckily, they didn't have a minimum purchase to be had, though they limited the free product to two items per customer. So, I grabbed Revenge of the Kobold King, and a pack of maps.
Wow. I feel really lucky. My FLGS had all of the items mentioned above and many others. They had a whole table full of stuff. I was allowed to take one of each. For free. No purchase necessary. So I went ahead and bought W3 Flight of the Red Raven just as my way of saying thanks. (Although, I should note that I spend a *lot* of my discretionary income at this store)(And I hesitated to buy W3 because I'm still bitter about my submission not getting picked. It was *good*, darnit!) .
And Yeah, Revenge of the Kobold King looks pretty cool. I haven't finished reading it yet, though.
In addition to the RotKK, I also got:
The WOTC mini, Dungeon Tile and 4.0 adventure. (I guess I can convert it to PRPG with some work),
A Tunnels & Trolls introductory adventure (and intro rules),
Dungeon Crawl Classics--Punjar: The Tarnished Jewel,
Harnworld: Field of Daisies,
Cthulu Live's 'Mysteries of the Mythos' Murder at Miskatonic,
Heirs to Olympia Roleplaying Introduction (www.countessgames.com),
A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying Quick Start Rules,
Iron Heroes: Bloodwood--An Iron Heroes Setting,
"Terrain on the Spot" 2008 Sample,
Trail of Cthulhu--The Murderer of Thomas Fell,
Traveller, Book 0: An Introduction to Traveller,
Hunter: The Vigil--Free Rules and Adventure,
and
Starsiege: Event Horizon (Introductory Manual) by Troll Lord Games
So, um...yeah...I made out like a bandit.
Long live Free RPG Day!
I guess my FLGS is pretty good.
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Here's the problem with "Free RPG Day" it's bulls#$@!
RPG books costs WAAAAAY more then comic books. Marvel, DC, Image, and a few other can AFFORD to print 1000s of copies of a single book and not charge for it for Free Comicbook Day.
I don't know what the buy in for Free Comicbook Day is, but the "Free RPG Day" buy in was $90. That's right, the store had to give the organizers $90 to participate. So what's that mean? Everyone that shows up for "Free RPG Day" that doesn't stay and play in an event (that usually has an entry fee) or doesn't buy something in the store just causes the store to lose money.
While it MAY promote new products to new players for Paizo and others, if existing players just go to their FLGS and just get free stuff and leave, the FLGS loses money.
My FLGS pulled out of Free RPG Day this year because of the $90 cover charge because they had left overs last year and people just leeched off the freeness.
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Since I ran a demo, I got some more goodies, but I only took the ones I thought I would use, the 4e encounter/module, the matching dungeon tiles, the Goodman Games Gazeeter (Interestingly, they say on the inside back cover that their 4e game adventures are coming out in August...guess this was printed before they new about the moratorium until oct 1 or they have a separate non-GSL deal already), the Song of Ice and Fire RPG preview/encounter (which looks really, really cool), the Harn Product (also a very good production value..surprised actually that Columbia games was able to do this).
And I got a cool Celtic d20 and a d6 that had "2nd annual Free RPG day" on the 1's face.
The manager felt it went really well. Lots of games were being demo'ed, and product was flying off the shelves.
Here's the problem with "Free RPG Day" it's bulls#$@!
RPG books costs WAAAAAY more then comic books. Marvel, DC, Image, and a few other can AFFORD to print 1000s of copies of a single book and not charge for it for Free Comicbook Day.
I don't know what the buy in for Free Comicbook Day is, but the "Free RPG Day" buy in was $90. That's right, the store had to give the organizers $90 to participate. So what's that mean? Everyone that shows up for "Free RPG Day" that doesn't stay and play in an event (that usually has an entry fee) or doesn't buy something in the store just causes the store to lose money.
While it MAY promote new products to new players for Paizo and others, if existing players just go to their FLGS and just get free stuff and leave, the FLGS loses money.
My FLGS pulled out of Free RPG Day this year because of the $90 cover charge because they had left overs last year and people just leeched off the freeness.
I completely agree with you on this. The majority of Comics given out on Free Comic Book Day are also usually smaller than normal, and made specifically for that occasion.
I can seriously understand why most FLGS will require a purchase in order to get a "free" item. I'd hate to have people come in, just too get their "free" item and not purchase anything else in the store.
The original poster still got what he wanted, without having to pay, so I don't know what he's complaining about. Those who criticize stores who didn't give away products completely free don't understand what Free RPG Day is really all about, which defeats the purpose of it.
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Went to two local stores. Each one had a "cover". Didn't care, I spend money anyway, might as well get free stuff out of it.
My favorite had:
1) buy $35 and get the package of 3pp stuff.
2) buy $70 and get number 1 and the Wizards/Paizo stuff.
3) Old 3pp stuff from $1 to $10.
4) 15% off of 3.5 stuff. The hunt is on.
My alternate had:
1) buy $25 and get a handmade package, inc. complete RuneQuest RPG.
2) 15% off of 3.5 stuff.
Ended up getting all the free stuff. Half of it I won't use, but got some good deals on everything else, so I am happy! My favorite deal was the Living Greyhawk Gazzeteer for ONE DOLLAR (that's right, retail $41.99 for $1!)
What a haul! I could have got so much more, but where to put it all!
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I have nothing but good things to say about my local hobby store; not only did they not take a $10 donation for Revenge of the Kobold King, they have the Paizo product line on a prominent display area as you walk in.
Sorry if not everybody got what they were looking for but as for me VIVA Free RPG Day!!
[Bret your not by any chance the Bret who helped me on the phone in cali whilst calling from new york?]
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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My personal blessings to everyone who went out to support this event.
My kudos to Impressions and Aldo who made it happen. I hope this event goes on annually for years to come.
I got a lot of stuff at my local store (Gary's Games in Greenwood, Seattle) including the Castles & Crusades module, the Cthulhu and WOD offerings, the Harn module, and the Dungeon Crawl Classics supplement. I am really looking forward to going through all this stuff.
Kudos to the two teens who claimed two of the last three Kobold Kings while I was picking my free stuff, and to the guy in the DHL shirt who sorted through the two boxes of "random staple-bound adventures and stuff" boxes to pick out all the Paizo stuff and rack it with the Pathfinders.
I couldn't believe what I was randomly seeing. I can't tell you guys how cool it is to see enthusiasm for our product line "in the wild," as it were.
I LOVE FREE RPG DAY!!
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Chief Technical Officer
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Every year, there are retailers who promote Free RPG Day and Free Comic Book Day for months ahead of time, with flyers and posters, and even local TV spots. They come up with additional reasons to bring people into the store, and keep them there, and make them feel that they're being treated well—demos, sales, food, appearances from local "people of note." They stock additional products for the occasion, especially from the manufacturers represented in the product kit, and they make sure that if you see something you like in the freebies, they're there to educate you about the related for-sale items. In short, they use it as an opportunity to promote themselves while putting on their best face. As a result, many of these guys do gangbuster sales and acquire new customers that will come back next month or the months after.
Also every year, there are the guys who spend money on a box of books and dump it on a table on Saturday morning, and then sit around wondering why they wasted their money.
As with Free Comic Book Day, most retailers will get out of it what they put into it.
Every year, there are retailers who promote Free RPG Day and Free Comic Book Day for months ahead of time, with flyers and posters, and even local TV spots. They come up with additional reasons to bring people into the store, and keep them there, and make them feel that they're being treated well—demos, sales, food, appearances from local "people of note." They stock additional products for the occasion, especially from the manufacturers represented in the product kit, and they make sure that if you see something you like in the freebies, they're there to educate you about the related for-sale items. In short, they use it as an opportunity to promote themselves while putting on their best face. As a result, many of these guys do gangbuster sales and acquire new customers that will come back next month or the month after.
Also every year, there are the guys who spend money on a box of books and dump it on a table on Saturday morning, and then sit around wondering why they wasted their money.
As with Free Comic Book Day, most retailers will get out of it what they put into it.
Totally agree! Local stores around here were having multiple game sessions of 4E and WOD, refreshments, plenty of staff on hand etc. They were creating excitement and quite a few people were purchasing things as I was standing there. Several even discovered the Gamer Book, a local listing of game groups to join.
As for the $90 buy-in, it's a marketing expense. Your local comic store does the same thing with the Previews catalog, Comic Shop News, and other promotional give-aways. They pay for them. They then give them away to customers in the hopes of getting new orders and business. $90 is pretty cheap for a one day event that, if properly run, can draw in some good business and create new customers...
My personal blessings to everyone who went out to support this event.
My kudos to Impressions and Aldo who made it happen. I hope this event goes on annually for years to come.
I got a lot of stuff at my local store (Gary's Games in Greenwood, Seattle) including the Castles & Crusades module, the Cthulhu and WOD offerings, the Harn module, and the Dungeon Crawl Classics supplement. I am really looking forward to going through all this stuff.
Kudos to the two teens who claimed two of the last three Kobold Kings while I was picking my free stuff, and to the guy in the DHL shirt who sorted through the two boxes of "random staple-bound adventures and stuff" boxes to pick out all the Paizo stuff and rack it with the Pathfinders.
I couldn't believe what I was randomly seeing. I can't tell you guys how cool it is to see enthusiasm for our product line "in the wild," as it were.
I LOVE FREE RPG DAY!!
I also got to go into evangelical mode when a guy who was looking to get back into gaming picked up Goblin King and asked "What's this"? The store clerk and I had a friendly debate for a few minutes about 4E vs Pathfinder, but he readily admitted that Paizo product was the highest quality they sold and they couldn't keep it in stock. It helped that they actually had a few in stock and I could show the guy an issue of Pathfinder, several modules, etc. It also helped that several of the freebies on the table looked like they had been photocopied and stapled...
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My local store, Eclectic Games in Reading (UK) put all the free stuff out in the middle and people helped themselves. No-one I saw took loads but many browsed and took the bits that interested them. It must be the English sense of fair play at work. ;)
I ended up buying more stuff from them (note to self: remember not to take my son next tiem) and I guess so did most. I'm sure it worked to get people through the door.
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The original poster still got what he wanted, without having to pay, so I don't know what he's complaining about. Those who criticize stores who didn't give away products completely free don't understand what Free RPG Day is really all about, which defeats the purpose of it.
I got what I wanted only because of another gamer.
Free means free. Free does not mean "must spend money before you get this" If so I would have budgeted something for it.
And I doubt that Free RPG Day means deceiving customers.
I missed the event for a big family party, so I'll pass by the two participating stores in my area to see if they have any leftovers...
mmmmmm
now I feel annoyed.
This is the same store, that when I asked them about PfRPG, the clerk said "I would never even look at that."
I am starting to wonder...
So did anyone else have to pay to get their Paizo goodness?
(OK technically I didn't pay but still)
I got tons of free stuff yesterday. The 2 local stores who were participating did have different ways to go about it however. One store (the smaller of the 2) gave 2 free items to each person who wanted them. They ran out quickly however (I was there at 1030am and one item had only 2 copies left!). The other store gave one item to each customer and had a draw for the WotC freebie (and adventure with a sheet of dungeon tiles and a mini) as well as a copy of Pathfinder RoR #1! The only 'pay to get 'em' free stuff was a box of very old RPG items where you got one item per $10 you spent (not part of the 'official' FreeRPG day).
I made sure to spend real $$ at both locations - picked up the Eberron book Five Nations and a huge stack of Silver Age Sentinels books at the other.
It is really crappy that your store decided to fleece people for $10 to get a "free" RPG book. If I were you I would see about contacting the poeple behind FreeRPG Day and have them give the store a talking to.
I completely agree with you on this. The majority of Comics given out on Free Comic Book Day are also usually smaller than normal, and made specifically for that occasion.I can seriously understand why most FLGS will require a purchase in order to get a "free" item. I'd hate to have people come in, just too get their "free" item and not purchase anything else in the store.
The original poster still got what he wanted, without having to pay, so I don't know what he's complaining about. Those who criticize stores who didn't give away products completely free don't understand what Free RPG Day is really all about, which defeats the purpose of it.
Wow what a load of horse****. Both of the stores in my area said business was up over a regular Saturday - all because of an increase in RPG sales. And neither charged a 'cover' to get any free products because, y'know, THEY WERE FREE!
Oh and Free Comic Book Day - record sales across the city in every comic shop.
I would never, ever, frequent a store advertising a free giveaway day and they had the gall to charge people to get any of it. Those really are the kind of stores that deserve to go under.
My store only had a one of each item rule, but was otherwise totally free. I got one of everything including the 4e WotC product. I also bought a brand new set of the 3.5 core books for half price. Pretty awesome haul today.
My experience was pretty similar to Brent's, well it should have been since we went to the same store.
I was going to say that I didn't have to pay for any free stuff, but then I remembered that when I did purchase an item (got a Reaper Mushroom Men miniature set) I got a free die. So I guess I had to purchase something to get the die, but since I wasn't expecting it at all, it was a bonus for me.
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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No dice at Ravenstone, but evetything else free meant free. (Well to me)
I bought Falling, and a set of heroscape minis like I said above. The later was an impulse buy, the former sent money to the FLGS that would normally have come directly to Paizo
I'm going to try to be more proactive next year. Find out the info early, maybe even front the $90 to get Packrat a set (Packrat Comics is owned by a friend of a friend) and get a set of goodies for myself and run 'That damn kobold's still not dead!" or whatever Paiso makes for next year. I enjoy running games for small children actually.
Donna pointed out they put a 'cap' on the free items after we left. I also did my part to pimp my pathfinder.
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My store only had a one of each item rule, but was otherwise totally free. I got one of everything including the 4e WotC product. I also bought a brand new set of the 3.5 core books for half price. Pretty awesome haul today.My experience was pretty similar to Brent's, well it should have been since we went to the same store.
** spoiler omitted **I was going to say that I didn't have to pay for any free stuff, but then I remembered that when I did purchase an item (got a Reaper Mushroom Men miniature set) I got a free die. So I guess I had to purchase something to get the die, but since I wasn't expecting it at all, it was a bonus for me.
Now there is a "small world" moment for you. Now I feel really bad about some of the debates we have had here about 3.5 vs 3.P. My apologies there. Nice to put a name with a "handle" though. Thanks for pointing that out Chris.
mmmmmm
now I feel annoyed.
This is the same store, that when I asked them about PfRPG, the clerk said "I would never even look at that."
I am starting to wonder...
So did anyone else have to pay to get their Paizo goodness?
(OK technically I didn't pay but still)
I don't think they're supposed to do that... you might complain at the free rpg day website. They do ask you to report problems.
- Ashavan
I visited one retail location and had a much different experience than the original poster. I got two copies Return of the Kobold King, two copies of Wizards of the Coast's Treasure of Talon pass, four D&D minis and two panels of the dungeon tiles, one copy of White Wolf's Hunter: the Vigil, and a set of orange Qwdice. A pretty good haul that I was not expecting.
I did judge two games of Treasure of Talon pass. So, I think the owner was hooking me up. Sadly, nobody wanted to play Return of the Kobold King. I was a bit disappointed, as I used most of my time preparing that.
In regards to how stores portion out there freebies, I think it's okay to give away at least one item with no obligation from the visitor. The store I visited had twenty-four of each item. Perhaps others stores were not so well-stocked. But still, the stuff should be a friendly giveaway. I think it's borderline dishonest to obligate visitors to get these freebies. It seems egregious.
My gaming store allowed 2 items per person, plus 2 more if you stayed for a gaming session (still, no purchase required).
Of course, I still purchased something (some D&D minis). FLGS need support, but a free event should still be free.
- Ashavan
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$90 is pretty cheap for a one day event that, if properly run, can draw in some good business and create new customers...
Right..think about it. One set of 4e books sold already pays for one box of the Free RPG stuff. In fact, one of the buddies that played in my demo bought a set, and two others bought some Pathfinder Chronicles (Gazetteer and Korvosa) stuff.
$90 is pretty cheap for a one day event that, if properly run, can draw in some good business and create new customers...Right..think about it. One set of 4e books sold already pays for one box of the Free RPG stuff.
It's a poor way to run a store. limiting the number of items you can take I can see, but requiring a purchase? that's a bit extreme.
- Ashavan
EDIT: I should note that last year, one of the gaming stores in my area that was supposed to be participating kept all the free stuff and instead gave them away as prizes at games throughout the year. I was particularly upset at them, since I showed up at their store that day for Free RPG day and they didn't even have the materials out. They are not participating this year.
Clearly not all stores appreciate what a day like this can do for them, if they do their part in promoting the event and making the day fun.
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I didn't want to say anything to them about the free stuff requiring purchases, nor do I want to say anything to the Free RPG Day organizers about them because I hope to demo PfRPG this august and run RotRL.
I hope to get several more people interested in Pathfinder, like I did the guy who bought the 4E stuff. To do that I need to be in the good graces of the store.
Though personally I won't buy anything from them anymore.
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I do have to wonder if the fact that WotC moved their Worldwide D&D day from November to June had something to do with the fact that only ONE of the nine game stores in my metro area was participating (and that one is the second-furthest way from me). It's hard as a company to run a D&D day, sell a ton of games, and then not even be able to recover from that and have to run another.
Now I feel really bad about some of the debates we have had here about 3.5 vs 3.P. My apologies there.
LoL, no worries.
I missed the event for a big family party, so I'll pass by the two participating stores in my area to see if they have any leftovers...
One store had 5 books left over. They were holding a "Learn D&D 4e" weekend event to coincide with Free RPG Day, and the event was packed.
I phoned the second store in my area and learned that they were keeping their leftovers for another Free RPG Day the second weekend in July. This was a store I'd never visited before but, thanks to the promotion, I'll pass by more often. Mission accomplished!
Neither of the two stores I went to, Rogue's gallery and Ninja Pirate, in Austin, TX had any required spend or other such nonsense. I am only sad I was there late after Green Ronin's was gone from both, but I did get the Kobold mod!
Oh, and since my six year old was so patient as I crawled the store, I bought her a bunch of Pokemon TFGs.. I would have bought something for myself but there wasn't any new product since my last run when I got the Gazetteer, Monsters Revisited, and the new M:Traveller.
Congratulations to all who got their free rpg products yesterday . . . unlike you guys, there were no local gaming stores (friendly or otherwise) who were participating. The closest was a 2.5 hour drive away . . . and with gas prices what they are, that would not have equated to free.
So far I'm 0 for 2 on Free RPG day.
Congratulations to all who got their free rpg products yesterday . . . unlike you guys, there were no local gaming stores (friendly or otherwise) who were participating. The closest was a 2.5 hour drive away . . . and with gas prices what they are, that would not have equated to free.
So far I'm 0 for 2 on Free RPG day.
The good news here is that you'll be able to download the Paizo module for free tomorrow. If you need a hard copy, I think they will be selling some copies as well (pretty cheaply if I remember from last year).
The good news here is that you'll be able to download the Paizo module for free tomorrow. If you need a hard copy, I think they will be selling some copies as well (pretty cheaply if I remember from last year).
Oh definately, I love how Paizo's got my back. Though I really wouldn't have minded looking through the 4e module and/or Mongoose's Traveller stuff.
That's really a shame how gaming shops are that greedy. Like any store, they need to realize that these little "risks" (in this case, coughing up $90 for a case of modules that won't make the store any cash) will in the long run attract new players and bring more money to the shop.
Hm...In my case, my FLGS wasn't supporting FRPGD, due to the price tag. I drove about 20 miles to another store I never heard of, but found online. I had a great experience. The store was called Games Keep in West Chester PA, and was a really cool shop. The clerk was nice, compared to the my normal FLGS. I got some new stuff, and a crap load of D&D posters he had lying around. He also liked how Paizo was taking over 3.5 too. I had a good time.
All the stores in my area participated LAST year, but they all just simply dropped the free stuff on the counter and let people have it. They did not use the opportunity wisely for marketing. While I got all the free stuff I wanted, I remember thinking, "These morons probably won't do this next year."
And I was right. NONE of the stores in my area bothered with Free RPG Day this year. The one store I bothered to visit anyway on Saturday, told me that they "didn't even know" about Free RPG Day. Which can only mean they simply didn't pay attention to the materials they get from their distributor (Alliance).
So not only did I not get the cool free stuff I wanted this year, I didn't spend any money in the store either, as I was pretty miffed. And I'm highly encouraged to not bother with the stores in my area and save money by purchasing through Amazon.
It's sad that this business is so riddled with store owners who don't have a clue when it comes to marketing.
On another note, visit eBay right now and search under "Free RPG Day". It looks like at least one store decided they'd rather sell the "Free" materials for insane prices rather than use them as intended. Greedy, shortsighted, and highly unethical. Oh well.
On another note, visit eBay right now and search under "Free RPG Day". It looks like at least one store decided they'd rather sell the "Free" materials for insane prices rather than use them as intended. Greedy, shortsighted, and highly unethical. Oh well.
The worst part is, people are actually bidding.