Will Sith Rising have a Pre-Release Tournament?

I hope that it does. Wizards needs to get this game out there and publicized (Spelling?).

 

I think you're right. So far, the only pulicizing I ever see is on the net and in magazines that only avid gamers already buy. Something out in the real world would be nice to let people know about it.

We know once people see and play it, the game itself will take it from there. But they have to know about it first.

 

I think that hobby games in general need more coverage. Fricking Toys r us doesn't carry RPGs, Mage Knight, Hero Clix, Warhammer, and the like, they only carry the fricking 5 card packs and pokemon. Someone needs to start a hobby game store chain, independently owned, not connected to a certain company, like the Wizards and Game Keeper stores. Once the general public knows about these great games, people will play.

All those people who say hobby games are Satanic don't help much either.

BTW, Bacabachaui, I somehow always knew it was BACA-BACOO-EE, not Backa baa chooi.

 

LOL!

 

My local frickin Toys R Us carries HeroClix (a great frickin game!) and Harry frickin Potter, in addition to Poke-frickin-mon and Star frickin Wars:TCG. Target carries the same frickin stuff, too (haven't seen Heroclix there yet, though).

All the card stores and game stores in my area sell the advances starters and boosters. WOTC/Hasbro have positioned the 5-card packs and 2-player starters for the mass market, that's all. Probably cheaper for the retailers, and retailers probably feel more likely to sell them at those price points. 11-card packs and advanced starters are only going to be through card stores and game shops (GameStop was carrying advanced starters and boosters, last time I looked).

 

I've only seen cards at TRU...

 

It's not that the product itself isn't out there. It is. Having it a Wal Mart, Toys R Us, K Mart, etc helps a lot.

But the problem is it still seems to get lost in all the masses of stuff there. In many of the stores mentioned above, they put it in the Star Wars Toys section but not in the CCG section with the Pokemons Harry Potters and Magic stuff. It may just be a temporary thing until the movie merchandising dies down, but I wonder where it will go after that? CCG section or stay with action figures? People interested in CCGs may not see it in the action figure section.

It would be nice if there were some way to let people know about it or identify it out of all the other stuff out there, CCG and toys alike. Demos at the Wal Mart stores. Promo cards with coupons in all Star Wars toys that are easier to get than the high end Unleashed figures. There could be a common card in every SW Toy. Also, giving one out at the movies, like they did with Harry Potter. Or make a 5 card pack the prize with a Happy Meal and "Adult" meal deals alike (since it appeals to all ages).

This would serve 2 purposes:

1)More would see the game and be interested and want to buy more cards.

2)Those that don't buy it could give the cards they don't want to me! (We all win
)

 

Well, having it at K-MART probably isn't helping a lot right now....

There are a million reasons why none of what you're looking for will happen. One is the way ALL of the SW merchandise is being kept low-key. The Phantom Menace over-merchandising fiasco hurt A LOT.


In many of the stores mentioned above, they put it in the Star Wars Toys section but not in the CCG section with the Pokemons Harry Potters and Magic stuff.

That's probably a good thing. The "Star Wars" name has a bigger appeal than any of those others. Put it on another aisle, AWAY from all the other SW:AOTC merchandise, and it will get lost in the shuffle real quick.

Harry Potter was the same way. Initially, the card game was put out with all the other toys. Later, when the hype died down, the cards got shuffled off to the "card game" aisle, where it has languished ever since....


People interested in CCGs may not see it in the action figure section.

I'm sure the corporate thinking is there are more people interested in action figures than in CCGs, thus, more people will see the CCG this way.

Those people interested in CCGs are in general interested in action figures too, so that is not a problem; plus serious CCG-ers will buy their cards from game shops, not Wal-Mart, so that is not a problem either (and they'll be smart and buy the 11-card boosters, not the 5-card ones).


Demos at the Wal Mart stores.

Ha! Not likely. Wal-Mart has a million products to sell; Hasbro has hundreds of OTHER products they'd rather sell before the SW:TCG product ... so if Wal-Mart were to let Hasbro/WOTC do something, they probably wouldn't "waste" it on a SW:TCG demo....

Promo cards with coupons in all Star Wars toys that are easier to get than the high end Unleashed figures.

This one I agree with completely, and I would think would be a no-brainer. There's still plenty of room in those action figure blister packs for a common TCG promo, and it can't cost any more than those silly slides or "fact files" they used to stick in there....

Or make a 5 card pack the prize with a Happy Meal and "Adult" meal deals alike (since it appeals to all ages).

Did you know a month ago or so McDondalds did a promo with Lego where they put a sample Bionicle card game card in their happy meals? I couldn't tell from the card if it was strictly a promo or if it was playable though...

Still, it ain't gonna happen. Tri-Con (Pizza Hut/Taco Bell/KFC) has exclusive rights, and they got burned bad by Phantom Menace toys, so they ain't gonna do nothin' for AOTC.


Bottom line, though, is you don't need all that. Decipher's LOTR is doing quite well using the traditional distribution and marketing channels. It's available in card stores, comic stores, and some retail outlets (Target for example) and is selling quite well. HeroClix is one of the hottest selling toys this year. If SW:TCG is a solid product, it will sell, as these other two examples prove.

 

I'm the only Boss Nass around here.

 

Your OBVIOUSLY not the only Boss Nass around here

 

That's probably a good thing. The "Star Wars" name has a bigger appeal than any of those others. Put it on another aisle, AWAY from all the other SW:AOTC merchandise, and it will get lost in the shuffle real quick.

Harry Potter was the same way. Initially, the card game was put out with all the other toys. Later, when the hype died down, the cards got shuffled off to the "card game" aisle, where it has languished ever since....

True. I just think that initially it would be a good idea to have it in both places. I wasn't really saying just one or the other.

Demos at the Wal Mart stores.

Ha! Not likely. Wal-Mart has a million products to sell; Hasbro has hundreds of OTHER products they'd rather sell before the SW:TCG product ... so if Wal-Mart were to let Hasbro/WOTC do something, they probably wouldn't "waste" it on a SW:TCG demo....

Yeah, I know it is impractical. But it would still be a good idea. Wal Mart doesn't have to do it. Volunteers could do demos through a WotC program for special foils as payment or something.

Or make a 5 card pack the prize with a Happy Meal and "Adult" meal deals alike (since it appeals to all ages).

Did you know a month ago or so McDondalds did a promo with Lego where they put a sample Bionicle card game card in their happy meals? I couldn't tell from the card if it was strictly a promo or if it was playable though...

Yeah, it was playable as far as I know. I thought it was a good idea.

Still, it ain't gonna happen. Tri-Con (Pizza Hut/Taco Bell/KFC) has exclusive rights, and they got burned bad by Phantom Menace toys, so they ain't gonna do nothin' for AOTC.

True. The PM fiasco was bad.

Bottom line, though, is you don't need all that. Decipher's LOTR is doing quite well using the traditional distribution and marketing channels. It's available in card stores, comic stores, and some retail outlets (Target for example) and is selling quite well. HeroClix is one of the hottest selling toys this year. If SW:TCG is a solid product, it will sell, as these other two examples prove.

I'm not really saying it is needed per se. But it would help. My point is, almost everyone that sees the game that I know, ends up liking it. The problem is getting them to see it. LotR was also the first and only CCG for LotR. This is the 4th SW and is up against a lot of obstacles. I really wasn't saying all these ideas were practical or possible, just throwing them out there.

The game will still go on by it's own merit, but creative marketing always helps.