RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
|
Update from Columbus.
No one is running Pathfinder Society at Guradtower. I was told I'm more than welcome to, but with my panic attacks, I don't know if I could run it for strangers.
Any takers?
Possibly. I am still working out the details of my schedule before I totally commit. I am going back to school and that might eat up some time.
I was going to start a PFS group in town but I was split between the Armoury in Pickerington (which is closer) or the Guardtower (which might be more worth it).
I live in Gahanna now, my home pathfinder group is on the west side, but I'd love to play in a FLGS game, then run the adventures after exclusivity for my group. Also know of a couple other potentials in the area. So Pickrington, Guardtower, it's all the same to me ;-)
|
I did a whirlwind trip of four of my local game stores this last weekend (we were looking for something in particular and had a few hours to burn. I live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
The Source: Probably THE place go to buy games and comic books in the Twin Cities and located in Falcon Heights, MN. This place is farkin' huge and always busy. It's also difficult to drop anything less than $100 per trip there. They're the place that basically said "We love Pathfinder". They have a great RPG selection and they had nearly all of the first and second adventure paths, a huge selection of Gamemastery/Pathfinder modules, and the latest module prominently displayed in their "new products" section of the store. You have to love a store with a big sign that reads "Third Party Adventures! They're just as good as the official ones!"
Dreamers: A small game store with a reasonable selection located in St. Louis Park, MN. They might have a good miniature section and some board games they're kind of limited in the way of RPG supplies. They've gone mostly 4E in product and I couldn't find any third party modules on their one RPG shelf.
Universe Games: Located in Richfield, MN this very small store has awesome deals (20% off everything all the time and they'll custom order anything), but it was pretty obvious the 4E section (they're only RPGs) was purchased specifically because of the hype. They haven't sold product one (at least by my eyeballing) since they put it up. I doubt they'll ever have Pathfinder stuff, but since they're close to me, perhaps they will since I'd like to try to get our PFS groups going here.
Misty Mountain Games: I just found out about this place located in Burnsville, MN. When I stopped in the first thing that stunned me was the side of the store (it was huge). The second thing that stunned me is that easily 80% of their space was taken up by tables and there was only a very small section for the "store". They did have a good supply of some RPGs (mostly D&D and WoD) and a few third party modules. I don't know enough about the store to know if they really have much in the way of RPG events, but the place had a real CCG vibe.
The only other two places I ever freqent are Village Games in Anoka and the rare visit out to Minetonka and Phoenix Games. Village games is actually a great store I wish I were closer to. I haven't been there in about two months, but their selection of RPG materials (and 3rd party materials) was pretty good and I wouldn't be surprised to see some Pathfinder stuff there eventually. They have a ton of community interaction as well and a big presence with the wargames market since their owner also works for Fantasy Flight Games. Phoenix games is a bit of an oddity, I'll never understand exactly what they're selling.
|
I live in Gahanna now, my home pathfinder group is on the west side, but I'd love to play in a FLGS game, then run the adventures after exclusivity for my group. Also know of a couple other potentials in the area. So Pickrington, Guardtower, it's all the same to me ;-)
Excellent. :) This quarter shouldn't be too bad for me but I am going back to school after a multi-year "break" so I am not sure what to expect entirely. I will start making plans now though and see where I am when the quarter is starting.
Chief Technical Officer
|
That seems a little strange to me. First of all, corebooks are "evergreen" and for that reason tend to be the last thing discounted. Second, they are two months old...unless the FLGS dramatically over-ordered, it seems a bit premature to be putting 4E core on closeout. Finally, I know the hobby and book trades work differently, but is there truly no recourse with such a recently published item?
The latter had the 4e core rulebooks on discount for their "inventory clearout" sale. ;-)
Products sold into the book trade are usually returnable, but products sold into the hobby trade are generally not. (In exchange for non-returnability, hobby stores generally get better margins than bookstores.)
Paizo actually took the unusual step of offering full returnability to the hobby market on the first few Pathfinder AP volumes, because we wanted to encourage retailers to stock generously while our audience was learning about the product. While we're told that a small number of retailers actually returned copies to distribution during the allotted window, distribution had plenty of pending reorders for those products, so I don't think Paizo actually had to take a single copy back.
While we're told that a small number of retailers actually returned copies to distribution during the allotted window, distribution had plenty of pending reorders for those products, so I don't think Paizo actually had to take a single copy back.
Almost. We did take back a very small number of copies of two different modules. We have never had an Adventure Path returned.
Cambridge, MA, here, and the FLGS is Pandemonium Books and Games. They keep putting Pathfinder on the "New Products" wall, plus there's a section of Paizo stuff on another wall. They've got an odd selection of AP's, not really all of them, or in order. Maybe they've sold out of some.
More importantly, three times now, as someone came over to watch/listen to our 4E game, they were carrying an issue of a Pathfinder AP.
I'm actually torn, because while I'd like to support my FLGS, I'd rather get my Patfinder Advantage discount directly from Paizo, so what happens is I look at Paizo stuff down there, then come home and order it.
I've been making it up to them by buying novels there.
|
The Source: Probably THE place go to buy games and comic books in the Twin Cities and located in Falcon Heights, MN. This place is farkin' huge and always busy. It's also difficult to drop anything less than $100 per trip there. They're the place that basically said "We love Pathfinder". They have a great RPG selection and they had nearly all of the first and second adventure paths, a huge selection of Gamemastery/Pathfinder modules, and the latest module prominently displayed in their "new products" section of the store. You have to love a store with a big sign that reads "Third Party Adventures! They're just as good as the official ones!"
I used to live in Saint Paul and, I must say, I love the Source! Glad to hear that they're supporting Pathfinder.
The store I have shopped at since 1978 (Fat Cat Books in Johnson City, NY) has all of the first AP in stock, some of the second, a bunch of the staple-bound modules, and the Beta rules.
I have them pull a copy of each AP book and stick it in my pull box with my comics.
|
Ok...visited an FLGS that I don't usually frequent. mainly cause the guys that own/work there are crazy paranoid about shoplifters and stalk you in the store. NOT that I'm trying to steel from them but it's just REALLY wierd! That and they're not usually the most personable guys to talk to.
ANYWAYS...they had 4 copies of Beta and multiple chronicles and AP books. I asked if they had been selling well. The owner said they were having trouble keeping them in stock! The Beta's he's got he SAID are the last ones they will be able to get and the other books just don't stay on the shelf.
Of course I had to ask, and please don't take this as an anti 4e statement, how 4e was doing. He said that it was selling well in the beginning but that sales had really fallen off and the majority of those customers have come back and picked up Pathfinder as an alternative. He personally is REALLY happy with Pathfinder and has no desire to go 4e.
Anyways take that for whatever you want. It's just the FLGS Owners opinion. They did have quite a bit of 4e books. If that's normal or if it's because it's not selling I really didn't go into with him. He doesn't think they will be ordering much 4e in the near future though.
Seems as though Pathfinder is really gaining a foothold in my area! It's exciting! IN fact I'm joining my first Beta group next Sunday!! I can hardly wait!
In Greece, the hobby stores don't expect to sell PAIZO products, so they decided to stick with WotC and 4e. Fortunately, we could get Pathfinder from the comics stores. Pathfinder is in the PREVIEWS catalog of the major distributor of comics in Europe. :)
Of course this is good for us that we already know of the Pathfinder but it is not good for the product, as it is invisible from the vast majority of RPG players.
Dimitris
Central city comics in Ipswich, suffolk, has certainly been stocking and selling pathfinder, including the beta, it seems to have been doing ok with it too.
Orcs nest in london has a huge range of pathfinder, but it is the FLGS for most of englands largest city in many ways.
I went home to South Africa in July. I was lucky to be in Johannesburg in time for ICon, the biggest con in South Africa. I know a lot of the people there. It really is a small crowd.
I saw one Paizo product. It was a tatty copy of Burnt Offerings tucked in a box with 3.5 stuff, selling for half price.
I handed out two copies of the alpha playtest rules, printed and bound, and talked to people about Pathfinder. Nobody had heard of it.
To put things in perspective though, there are very few geeks left in the country.
There was one lightsaber, three cosplayers, and about 300 people.
|
|
I don't have a local FLGS, the nearest one is 20 minutes from work in the wrong direction from home, and the others are in Orlando 45 minutes away, good if I want to kill a day hanging out in a game store, not good for just going and seeing what's new. Anywho, I went into the store the other day and sure enough, they had the BETA and the campaign setting. I'm probably going back next month to buy the CS and a missing issue or two from CotCT so that I can have every pathfinder AP.
|
|
I don't have a local FLGS, the nearest one is 20 minutes from work in the wrong direction from home, and the others are in Orlando 45 minutes away, good if I want to kill a day hanging out in a game store, not good for just going and seeing what's new. Anywho, I went into the store the other day and sure enough, they had the BETA and the campaign setting. I'm probably going back next month to buy the CS and a missing issue or two from CotCT so that I can have every pathfinder AP.
the orlando store, is it enterprise 1701? that's where i went when i lived in altamonte springs in the 80s...
|
Contributor
|
I stopped by my most Friendly FLGS The Bearded Dragon in Oneonta, NY, to order the Knights of the Old Republic Sourcebooks for Star Wars Saga edition, and had a chat with the store's owner and showed him my copy of the Beta. He immediately placed an order for 3 copies.
This guy really knows how to put the "F" in "FLGS" - he sponsors all kinds of games, has plenty for board game nights, always willing to chat about games and gamers, and very cognizant of what it takes to keep his customers happy and interested in his goods.
If I can get a more local job, I will be spending time running/promoting PFRPG in this store, because I know he will get behind me.
I went to College in Oneonta, both at SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick. Huh. Do you know Jim Tanner who used to work at the Dragon? I played in their LARPS and such during my school days.
This kinda blew my mind today.
|
|
Heh, I haven't heard of that place in years, I remember when they used to advertise their giant comic book warehouse. Now they no longer exist. No I'm talking about Sci-Fi City, and Colliseum of Comics, both which are in Orlando (actually there are 2 colliseum of comics in Orlando)
i googled it, apparently, sci-fi city is what the new owners renamed enterprise 1701 when the original owner sold out, then they moved the store to e. colonial dr.
|
|
I stopped by my most Friendly FLGS The Bearded Dragon in Oneonta, NY, to order the Knights of the Old Republic Sourcebooks for Star Wars Saga edition, and had a chat with the store's owner and showed him my copy of the Beta. He immediately placed an order for 3 copies.
This guy really knows how to put the "F" in "FLGS" - he sponsors all kinds of games, has plenty for board game nights, always willing to chat about games and gamers, and very cognizant of what it takes to keep his customers happy and interested in his goods.
If I can get a more local job, I will be spending time running/promoting PFRPG in this store, because I know he will get behind me.
I went to College in Oneonta, both at SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick. Huh. Do you know Jim Tanner who used to work at the Dragon? I played in their LARPS and such during my school days.
This kinda blew my mind today.
i'm still trying to figure out who the owner is. i grew up in oneonta, started playing d&d there, in fact, and, if he's a local, i probably gamed with him...
(plus, i own a bearded dragon, so that's even weirder...)
|
|
I live down in Australia and can report that local FLGS has accumulated a respectable selection of Pathfinder products. It looks like the Paizo products were originally being placed in the racks that were previously occupied by Dungeon and Dragon magazines but have since expanded into a number of neighbouring shelves.
When I spoke to the manager the other week, he indicated that Paizo is slowly building up some decent traction with customers. However, he also indicated that he is reviewing the viability of devoting so much shelf space to RPGs given the amount of unsold 4e stock that he is carrying. It seems that he did a big pre-order of the 4e rulebooks and is disappointed with the slow turnover.
He indicated that sales of 4e tapered off rapidly after the initial release and estimated that sales of the 4e PHB are currently a bit lower than sales of the 3.5 PHB were on the eve of the 4e release. Somewhat ominously, he predicted that if 4e sales don't pick up soon he may well decide to drop RPGs altogether and invest more heavily in other areas of the hobby - CCGs, European-style board games, etc.
Interestingly, he blamed the weak sales of the 4e rulebooks on the fact that most gamers preferred to order the core rulebooks online rather than visit their FLGS. He told me that sales of Pathfinder products are brisk, but they simply don't sell in quantities comparable to WoTC products did a year or two ago.
Finally, he expressed an opinion that Paizo should do some aggressive marketing to raise awareness of the Pathfinder brand. He claimed that many gamers still don't know what Pathfinder is and that some in-store posters or product displays might help to raise its profile. He also said that some gamers won't try Pathfinder on principle - they were burned by bad d20 products back in the day and simply refuse to buy anything from 3PP's.
|
|
Heh, I haven't heard of that place in years, I remember when they used to advertise their giant comic book warehouse. Now they no longer exist. No I'm talking about Sci-Fi City, and Colliseum of Comics, both which are in Orlando (actually there are 2 colliseum of comics in Orlando)i googled it, apparently, sci-fi city is what the new owners renamed enterprise 1701 when the original owner sold out, then they moved the store to e. colonial dr.
Well I did my part, I just bought Pathfinder #7 from Sci-Fi City, and next month I'm buying the campaign setting from the BAM in Sanford. after I get Pathfinder #8, and #12 I'll be completely caught up though. So there won't be a lot of buying from stores.
Thought I'd follow up on my post from page 1. I was back in the larger of my FLGS's, the one that had some Paizo stuff but not the Beta. They had expanded their Pathfinder line somewhat. They now had 2 copies of the Beta, at least one Map folio (not sure which one), the Campaign Setting hardcover, couple of copies of the Gazeteer, and they were keeping up with the AP's. Last time in I was looking for the Beta. I couldn't stand waiting so I had since already ordered it from Paizo, but I did buy their copy of the Campaign Setting and one of the gazeteers.
Like I said before, this store is well diversified, lots of different games, hobby stuff (even rock tumblers...). No Titanic Games stuff though. And I've been getting an itch to try out Kill Dr. Lucky, and the goblin version of Falling looks kind of cool so time for another chat with the manager this week, I think. :)
|
Chiming in from Savannah, GA here. We have two shops in the area, Morningstar Games and the Comic Box. Haven't seen much of anything at Morningstar, and when I asked at the Comic Box, he said he hadn't seen anything on the dealers list but a few of the modules. All he had on the shelf was the RotR Player's Guide and LB1.
|
|
I went recently on business trip to Ottawa and I was happy to see that one of the game stores there carried a full line of Paizo goodness: all 3 APs, modules, the campaign setting and the beta! I asked the owner and he told me that they were selling Paizo stuff in the same quantities that 4th edition. Really good...
I went recently on business trip to Ottawa and I was happy to see that one of the game stores there carried a full line of Paizo goodness: all 3 APs, modules, the campaign setting and the beta! I asked the owner and he told me that they were selling Paizo stuff in the same quantities that 4th edition. Really good...
Which store? I go to Ottawa to visit the in-laws a few times a year and wouldn't mind sneaking out to a game store for a while.
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8
|
I went recently on business trip to Ottawa and I was happy to see that one of the game stores there carried a full line of Paizo goodness: all 3 APs, modules, the campaign setting and the beta! I asked the owner and he told me that they were selling Paizo stuff in the same quantities that 4th edition. Really good...Which store? I go to Ottawa to visit the in-laws a few times a year and wouldn't mind sneaking out to a game store for a while.
Both Wizards' Towers in Barrhaven and Fandom on Laurier carry the Adventure Paths and the campaign setting and Beta. Wizards' Towers doesn't stock the modules, I think.
Both Wizards' Towers in Barrhaven and Fandom on Laurier carry the Adventure Paths and the campaign setting and Beta. Wizards' Towers doesn't stock the modules, I think.
Thanks. I'll check"em out.
It's kind of a bummer that I have to get all my Paizo products online. Not that i have any problem with that specifically, it's just that i'd rather be able to physically see them, flip through the books and such. My FLGS closed last winter, just after Xmas. Now, the nearest one is about an hour away. No good. Though, it doesnt help that I live in a dying area (North East Ohio).
Paizo products, especially Pathfinder Beta are prominently displayed at the door of my FLGS. The 4e stuff is on the left and the Pathfinder on the right. There are equal amounts of space for each. So there are the core 4e books and then two or three Paizo Modules and then in the center is the Pathfinder Beta. In the back of the store where the shelves are, there is a wide spread of Dungeon Crawl Classics....what is left of them, and a great full shelf display of everything Paizo. Beneath that are a few older Necromancer Games items. On the opposite side is the rack of 4e book across the top, comprising one full shelf. Paizo has two. And under that are two shelves of 3.5 splats and other 3pp 3.5 books.
Oh, my store is the Fantasy Shop in St. Charles, Misssouri. There is another that I visit in Florrissant, MO about 30 minutes apart. Imagination is the store in the mall and they carry only 4e. I dont even buy mins there now.
|
|
I went recently on business trip to Ottawa and I was happy to see that one of the game stores there carried a full line of Paizo goodness: all 3 APs, modules, the campaign setting and the beta! I asked the owner and he told me that they were selling Paizo stuff in the same quantities that 4th edition. Really good...Which store? I go to Ottawa to visit the in-laws a few times a year and wouldn't mind sneaking out to a game store for a while.
I went to Fandom II on Laurier. The guy there is not especially friendly but they do have a good assortment of RPGs and Games Workshop stock. They also have a lot of board games, although they were out of Kill Doctor Lucky. Too bad. I was looking forward to it.
My FLGS has had very little Paizo products in general. No CS or beta; they did have a few APs and some GM items. They'll order anything if you ask, but haven't jumped at anything Pathfinder to keep it regularly in stock. I snatched up all the APs they had in 1 day and have slowly been making my way through what else they have.
They keep 4e in stock, but it's probably part of their ordering Magic stuff as well. It hasn't sold too well.
|
Chief Technical Officer
|
What are the chances of a reprint? I am going to be DMing it soon and my players might prefer hard-copy...
We're running low, and have stopped selling through distribution for the time being, but we've still got a small quantity left in the warehouse for paizo.com orders.
The chances are not great. As many of you already know, we wanted to make sure this got out to a lot of people, so we made it a very low-margin item for us. That means that we'd have to reprint a similarly large quantity in order to keep the unit price low enough that we don't actually *lose* money on every sale; on the other hand, we also have to be careful not to print more than we can sell before the finished RPG makes it obsolete. (And complicating *that* is the fact that even if we order a reprint now, we won't have it for a couple of months yet, and that means an even smaller window to sell through it.)
In short, if you want a print edition of the Beta, I'd suggest not waiting.
|
|
I've been to three UK FLGS recently.
Spirit Games in Burton (possibly the best FLGS in the UK) had a very good selection of Paizo stuff, I picked up a few modules.
The FLGS in Nottingham is pretty small, but had a fair selection of AP and world stuff, no modules though.
The FLGS in Oxford had the Campaign Setting, it was there first pathfinder product (despite the back-issues of Dungeon and Dragon they were trading) and the clerk was barely aware of it.
I was visiting Ottawa this past week, and after hearing about Wizard's Tower from Tarren and Jody Grantham, I decided to drop by. Nice Pathfinder layout, better than the stores in my town. One stand devoted to 4e, half stand to Pathfinder, half to WOTC 3/3.5, half to non-d20, half stand to other d20 publishers with those on clearance. Seperate stand devoted to GameMastery products (Decks, flip mats, steel squire, and more). I'd never even seen those "live" before.
As Jody mentioned above, they had the full line of modules on display, most of the adventure paths (missing #1 not surprising), and think they were missing one or two of the Crimson Throne. Had the map pack for CT, vol 1 of Downer, the first 2 Guides, and Monster Ecologies. I spoke briefly to the manager and let him know that his store was mentioned on the Paizo website by his customers as "Pathfinder-friendly" and that was the reason I was there. I picked up a few things from the 3.5 clearance (Spycraft and Midnight supplements, Rokugen setting), and wanted to buy something from the Pathfinder rack except I had pretty much everything already. So got the map pack and Downer :)
I'll definitely stop in there again next time I'm in town.
Gaming stores in SE Michigan are drying up pretty fast, but Barnes and Noble seems to be carrying more Pathfinder stuff. Of course a few friends are still waiting for them to stock the Beta.
The same BN hosts a 4E session the last Saturday night of each month. One of these days I'll sneak a peek and see if it's well attended, and maybe thumb thru some Paizo stuff.
Since my last FLGS closed I'll have to get off my lazy butt and find a new one.
Emperor 7, I noticed that you live in SE Michigan. I live downriver and I am looking for some pfrpg players to join my campaign. You interested?
P.S. I attempted to private message you but obviously this website doesn't support that, or I totally missed it. Sorry about jacking the thread people.