Ask your Retailer

(Ask your Retailer is the first in a series of short "publisher's notes" that will hopefully help you gain an insight on the nature of the gaming industry. This installment reflects a growing concern relayed to game manufacturers by our partners on the front line: the game retailer, also know as the Friendly Neighborhood Game Store (FNGS).)

Games don't just happen; they are the end result of a long and involved process that starts with an idea but is completed only through much hard work. There's more to it than just typing up some words and getting them printed: games have to announced, packaged and shipped, then processed and put on shelves and storerooms so that you can get them when you want them. Retailers must strike a delicate balance between ordering too much products (which clutter the store and can lead to bankrupcy) and not enough (which leads to unhappy gamers).

While retailers can use previous sales records to make educated decisions when it comes to order a new product, a lot is left to guesswork. Will they like this game or not? That's where you, the gamer, come in.

Don't be afraid to tell your local retailer about a new or upcoming game/book/miniature that you're really excited about. You might have to tell them all about it, but that's quite understandable: the release list from a major distributor can contain between 20 and 50 new products, per day. In between games, miniatures, CCGs, DVDs, board games, even the most dedicated store owner will get lost!

So, please ask your retailer for the latest upcoming Dream Pod 9 release. Make sure he has enough copies to satisfy all the local Pod people! To help you in this endeavor, we've created this handy preorder sheet -- just print it out and drop a copy at your favorite game store. Make sure you'll never miss another release again!