Author Topic: NEW RELEASE: BattleTech Beginner Box and BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat  (Read 104405 times)

captnmartin

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So this is a bit of an odd question maybe, but with the success of the Clan Kickstarter, and the 'mechs coming with it, will their be an option to purchase the 'mechs from the BTGoAC box as either individuals or in lance packs?

Frankly I just want more Battlemasters and Thunderbolts, but given how the kickstarter was run (and the response it got), I think it's pretty clear that the plastic 'mechs are in super high demand.  I obviously don't know the economics or logistics behind it, but it would be nice to be able to buy the 'mechs on their own without having to clean out local stores of boxsets and reducing inventory for potential new players.
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pheonixstorm

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There is a retaliation pack in the KS that has all the box set mechs for $40. Considering everything not a KS exclusive is supposed to go retail I am hoping that retaliation pack will too.

Maybe Cubby or Adrian can shed some light on if the retaliation pack will be retail or not. Hope so, don't want to have to keep buying the beginner box or GoAC over and over.

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I would think, CGL is still in the process of figuring out how to repackage an make available all those 'Mechs.
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captnmartin

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I would think, CGL is still in the process of figuring out how to repackage an make available all those 'Mechs.

Put them in a box and slap a price on it?
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Or they may not sell it through retail. Since they’ve sold it at cons it’s not a KS exclusive

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Scotty

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Put them in a box and slap a price on it?

It's nowhere near that simple.  Good, attractive packaging for a retail product is incredibly important, as is making sure that it's efficiently shaped to store in a warehouse/on a pallet.

If anything, in my astoundingly uninformed opinion, it'd be significantly more convenient to split them into two lances, but then you also fall into having to worry about which goes where, etc.
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Maingunnery

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Single Unit boxes also have a change of becoming stuck in the store (nobody in that area is interested in that mech), selling multiple mechs in a pack or boxset increased the chances of someone being interested enough to buy.
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Also, sometimes it doesn't matter what CGL does or doesn't do.  CGL can't force distributors and/or retailers to do anything.  And sometimes distributors/retailers make requirements on CGL.  Like requiring a certain number of an item before they will carry it, or saying they only want complete games, not separate game pieces.

CGL is selling the 'mechs by themselves for $40, when there is no retailer getting a cut. That's a lot different than saying they can make money selling it for $40 at retailer when the retailer takes 40% or something similar.  If that has to become $50, then there's a lot less reason for having a separate SKU and trying to convince distributors/retailers to carry another item that will do not much more than cut into sales of the SKU they have now (the full box set). Keep in mind the full box set itself being stocked on shelves is not a foregone conclusion either, though this one does seem to selling well.  Having new lance packs/box set that have different mechs is much easier to sell to distributor/retailers as being an additional purchase, not a cut into existing sales.
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Greatclub

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As near as I can tell, the priority is the distributors and retailers. They need them to grow the game. If they have to package mechs a little inconveniently for players in order to appeal to the supply chain, the chain will probably win.

Otoh, it would not surprise me if the new sculpts were released metal at some point. Cubby, Adrian, Speck, do you have any updates on that?

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I have full confidence that the moment the new sculpts are even beginning on their way to the store, IWM will happily let people know.  Until then, don't expect much.
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pheonixstorm

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CGL is selling the 'mechs by themselves for $40, when there is no retailer getting a cut. That's a lot different than saying they can make money selling it for $40 at retailer when the retailer takes 40% or something similar.

The retailer usually does a 100% markup. For a $40 box the distro probably sells it to the retailer for $20-25. In turn CGL would sell it to the distro for about $10 while CGL would pay between $2.50-5.00 to the manufacturer.

I don't know if the Retaliation box would go to retail stores but it could be a store exclusive like the neoprene maps currently are iirc.

victor_shaw

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The retailer usually does a 100% markup. For a $40 box the distro probably sells it to the retailer for $20-25. In turn CGL would sell it to the distro for about $10 while CGL would pay between $2.50-5.00 to the manufacturer.

I don't know if the Retaliation box would go to retail stores but it could be a store exclusive like the neoprene maps currently are iirc.

Having worked at a gaming store and done the orders I can tell you that at least from Alliance the store buy the game/mini/etc. for 51% of MSRP.
So they get 49% of MSRP as profit.
so if you go by the 50% profit idea all the way down you get.

Customer pays: $40
Retailer pays: $20.40
Distributor pays: $10.20
CGL pays: $5.10
Probably cost the factory like $.50
« Last Edit: 31 August 2019, 16:04:25 by victor_shaw »

Dragon41673

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The retailer usually does a 100% markup. For a $40 box the distro probably sells it to the retailer for $20-25. In turn CGL would sell it to the distro for about $10 while CGL would pay between $2.50-5.00 to the manufacturer.

I don't know if the Retaliation box would go to retail stores but it could be a store exclusive like the neoprene maps currently are iirc.

Having worked at a gaming store and done the orders I can tell you that at least from Alliance the store buy the game/mini/etc. for 51% of MSRP.
So they get 49% of MSRP as profit.
so if you go by the 50% profit idea all the way down you get.

Customer pays: $40
Retailer pays: $20.40
Distributor pays: $10.20
CGL pays: $5.10
Probably cost the factory like $.50

I can honestly say...you're a bit far off the mark. Keep in mind, the AGoAC box retails at $59.99...and my cost is DEFINITELY not $20 or even close to that. It's MUCH higher at all 3 of my distributors.

The factory however...they go on mass quantity, so more like $2-$5 per
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pheonixstorm

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Ah but we were referencing the IS Retaliation pack from the KS not the full box.

nckestrel

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I can honestly say...you're a bit far off the mark. Keep in mind, the AGoAC box retails at $59.99...and my cost is DEFINITELY not $20 or even close to that. It's MUCH higher at all 3 of my distributors.

The factory however...they go on mass quantity, so more like $2-$5 per

The $20 was for an MSRP $40 item.
For a $60 MSRP, he is saying it would be $30.
Not sure how much higher it actually goes.  I do know the KS offered 50% discount to retail box stores.
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Dragon41673

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The $20 was for an MSRP $40 item.
For a $60 MSRP, he is saying it would be $30.
Not sure how much higher it actually goes.  I do know the KS offered 50% discount to retail box stores.

Sadly, all 3, which are large distributors, are over $30 on the AGoAC boxes.

The only way to get better pricing is with Alliance, by spending a TON per month! They have tiered discounting of products. So if you're spending xxx amount a month, you get tier 1, xxxx a month, you get tier 2, xxxxx a month you get tier 3...and so on. It's terrible, but I understand why they do it.
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captnmartin

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Well as long as Catalyst keeps making Plastics, and they are available, I would think they should do well.  The new designs sell themselves.
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Dragon41673

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Well as long as Catalyst keeps making Plastics, and they are available, I would think they should do well.  The new designs sell themselves.

They do very well broken out of the boxes!
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pheonixstorm

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Yeah, a lot of the new designs I would love to purchase singly such as the Locust, Griffin, and Thud. Especially light and mediums.

victor_shaw

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Yeah, a lot of the new designs I would love to purchase singly such as the Locust, Griffin, and Thud. Especially light and mediums.

As a former game store employee I am sorry to say a lot of singles don't sell all that well, and stores are hesitate to pick them up as they wind-up sitting on them for long periods of time.

So while you will sell the Warhammer, Marauder, Locust, Etc. things like the Thud or Kit Fox just gather dust.

pheonixstorm

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Never said it had to be from a physical store, but considering how the Catalyst store handles physical product it would be preferred even if most of them were special order deals or sold mostly online from places like miniature market or atomic empire.

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As a former game store employee I am sorry to say a lot of singles don't sell all that well, and stores are hesitate to pick them up as they wind-up sitting on them for long periods of time.

So while you will sell the Warhammer, Marauder, Locust, Etc. things like the Thud or Kit Fox just gather dust.
Maybe that's a sign that the number of 'Mechs needs to come down.

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Maybe that's a sign that the number of 'Mechs needs to come down.

Not necessarily. I believe it's more a paralysis of choice, not getting enough visual and marketing signaling about the role of a unit. That's why I'm very pro lance pack. That provides the needed context for a newbie/intermediate player.
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Lets me quote myself:

Single Unit boxes also have a change of becoming stuck in the store (nobody in that area is interested in that mech), selling multiple mechs in a pack or boxset increased the chances of someone being interested enough to buy.
My advice to stores would be to only push Box Sets if there isn't a local player-group yet, and if a player-group then push Box Sets and Lances/Stars.
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Sartris

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Not necessarily. I believe it's more a paralysis of choice, not getting enough visual and marketing signaling about the role of a unit. That's why I'm very pro lance pack. That provides the needed context for a newbie/intermediate player.

Still too many. To fill in just the 2750/3025/3050/3055 IS alone you’re going to need about twenty more lance packs. That’s rivaling than we’re getting from the Kickstarter.

At $30 a pop (or whatever they won’t retail for $20) you’d have almost 30 lances to choose from. Or $1000 for all of them. There are some you’re just going to have to slum it and go pewter because we’re never going to see them all in plastic.

It’s ok to let some go

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Who said all the mechs needed to be available in lance packs? ???
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if paralysis of choice, not too many mechs, is the root of the problem, then that’s what it’s going to take to get all the mechs in lance packs

It’s all academic because all of the mechs will never be available in lance packs. The over abundance of designs in this case is a problem that solves itself

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Otoh, it would not surprise me if the new sculpts were released metal at some point. Cubby, Adrian, Speck, do you have any updates on that?

None that I'm aware of, and I wouldn't expect any news on new sculpts in metal for awhile. The KS ended three weeks ago, many of the dozens of 'Mechs due for a re-imagining aren't even on the drawing board yet. I wouldn't keep checking back every week on it, is all I'm saying.
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My opinion for a best guess on metal would be this time next year at the earliest and more likely this time the following year.

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My best guess would when IWM tells us they're putting them out.
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