BB 2016 - Web only, no support in stores

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Babs
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BB 2016 - Web only, no support in stores

Post by Babs »

Hey all,

Just to throw a bomb out there at the same release as DZ2 (which I'm excited for) I can equivocally state that my Warhammer Store Blood Bowl league is being kicked out of the store. I've been told to wrap up the league and I'm not able to commence Season 2 in store. I've been asked to head up to 'Good Games' up the road. Which makes me understand why Blitzmania was never in store, but only through stockists.

Yep, Here in Australia, they have decided that Blood Bowl is not to be supported in store. No products on shelves. No leagues in store. End of story.
(Mumble mumble need room for 8th Edition 40K which is the bigger problem for them to transition to)

Is this the same elsewhere in the world?


(So of course, not to take things lying down, I'm writing to the Chief Operating Officer directly to see if I can get an exception)

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Re: BB 2016 - Web only, no support in stores

Post by garion »

In Uk Newcastle, they are stocking the game in store and Deathzone suppliment in a specialist games wall along side Armageddon etc.... Though do not have room to play them currently.

Its all indie stores in which you can play the game.

As you say I think GWs attentions are firmly turned to 40k at the moment as their last edition was roundly hated.

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Re: BB 2016 - Web only, no support in stores

Post by Babs »

Do they have the skaven, dwarves, ogre and troll in store, or only the boxes set and DZ Season 1?
(This is a genuine question).

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Re: BB 2016 - Web only, no support in stores

Post by garion »

I'm not 100% to be honest. I seem to remember seeing a boxed team, just 1, at some point in the last few months. I think it may have been Dwarfs but could be wrong.

I definitely haven't seen any Big Guys in store.

I will check next time I am in though and make some enquires if you like?

They do have the big box set in a cabinet that they can get out and show people, with the teams assembled etc, though the contents of this cabinet seems to change week to week. The cabinet has had warhammer quest in before and other stuff. I think everything is currently 40k though.

Their stock isn't large for Blood Bowl stuff. I do ask when I go in as I like to know how its doing, and when they get their stock in they only seem to get 1 BB box at a time so it can be put on the specialist games wall. Then when its gone they get 1 more.

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Re: BB 2016 - Web only, no support in stores

Post by Darkson »

Popped in to my local GW for the first time in years - no BB, though the gent on duty did say they could order it in.
(Though to be fair, it's such a small store one BB box would cover half a wall. ;) )

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Re: BB 2016 - Web only, no support in stores

Post by garion »

oh also. I was on holiday recently, in the lakes. For those people that live in the Lake District - Kendal has one of the best GWs in the country. going in there reminded me of GW in the early 90s. Store manager is a lovely chap too. loads of wall space. table space, a number of great nearby indie stores supporting Blood bowl too. Really cool place for geeks :)

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Re: BB 2016 - Web only, no support in stores

Post by MacHurto »

Is this Australia only?

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Re: BB 2016 - Web only, no support in stores

Post by garion »

no, Babs is just asking generally. he is just based in Australia, and as a former(is this still the case?) member of the BBRC probably wants to know the situation in other countries too

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Re: BB 2016 - Web only, no support in stores

Post by Jip »

In Swindon (U.K) there was one tournament, then it disappeared. It was made clear that, after Christmas, it would be mail-order only (although I have seen token copies of Death Zone in there, recently).

The staff seem to have been left in the dark about new releases and pre-orders, I've given up asking because I can get info from Facebook and twitter that they apparently haven't been told as employees. Feel a bit sorry for them because it must get annoying when the customers know more than them.

Certainly at my local store, I don't think I'd be welcomed if I rocked up with my Blood Bowl stuff. Don't even think there's a store copy left, either, everything disappeared in January.

Fortunately, Mongoose Publishing is a great FLGS that lets us host Blood Bowl pick-up games and league fixtures, but your situation sucks.

Seems like you're being turfed out of a Games Workshop store, for playing a Games Workshop game, that can still be purchased in the same store you're being booted out of!? :o

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Re: BB 2016 - Web only, no support in stores

Post by MacHurto »

From what I hear we will have a second season for the local GW shop league

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Re: BB 2016 - Web only, no support in stores

Post by JT-Y »

No its global.

I'm afraid Babs is pointing out something we already knew, that BB would only be on the shelves in retail until the new year.
Thing is that retail has a very specific role to fulfil and that is to promote the core games and bring people into the hobby, supporting them on their first steps. Retail can't support all the games, or all the gamers, particularly us older gamers.
In fact the sad truth is that people like me would be bad to have gaming in a store; I'm only interested in BB, I spend very little, and I'd encourage others to be like me, which would be great for the BB league but sh!t for the health of the store.

BB has been planned to be a great product line for independent retailers with all the core stuff in plastic, and GW knows that independent stores can make use of third party manufacturers and support older gamers better.

If you find yourself in a GW store with any BB products in stock, they are left from the release, and that should tell you something about the compatibility of BB and retail.

Support your local independent store, support the local gaming club, find a venue like a pub or a board game cafe where your league can meet.
Let the youngsters have their space to discover 40k and AoS, if they are interested in BB they will find it and the store staff will help them with that and guide them towards local leagues when they're old enough.
So, just be friendly to the local GW staff and make sure they know that your league exists. Our local store has sent several players our way, they could have sent more but thought them unsuitable for us or vice versa, and I'm happy to let them judge such things.

Let retail do what retail does and don't be surprised if they don't know much about what is happening in BB, they work for retail, not for FW, and the products they sell are Citadel rather than FW.

It is what it is gents.

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Re: BB 2016 - Web only, no support in stores

Post by stanrichardson »

garion wrote:In Uk Newcastle, they are stocking the game in store and Deathzone suppliment in a specialist games wall along side Armageddon etc.... Though do not have room to play them currently.

Its all indie stores in which you can play the game.

As you say I think GWs attentions are firmly turned to 40k at the moment as their last edition was roundly hated.
No there not Mate

Was in there yesterday and they are carry ZERO bloodbowl now.

Everything is mail order only

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Re: BB 2016 - Web only, no support in stores

Post by mawph »

The Reading store guys are blood bowl centric (I've played BB against them a few seasons ago) so they're interested parties and promoting the league in the independent gaming store in Reading (I don't actually have time to join at the moment though :roll: ) as well as being happy to talk BB.

GW have always been a company for the promotion of its two main systems. Staff with interests in other systems may find time to have them played in store, but its slightly foolish to expect them to focus on things in store which aren't the money makers - I'm always surprised the stores are open as much as they are in the day, it can't be too profitable at 10am ;)

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Re: BB 2016 - Web only, no support in stores

Post by MacHurto »

One thing is not to carry stock and another is to not allow people to play BB in the store/not allow leagues to be organized in the store (playing in there or somewhere else depending on the players availability).

Is it just the first or both of the above?

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Re: BB 2016 - Web only, no support in stores

Post by JT-Y »

Stores run their own gaming events, and I'm afraid BB leagues just don't benefit what they need to be doing.

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