lack of supply

[soviet prince 105]

with wave 2 sent out places are stil experiencing shortages of product, this is an awful way for FFA to start a game. When potential players can not buy product they will soon loose interest and go spend there money on the many other options  

[LordFajubi 1,308]

I didn't have an issue getting a box online, should be here tomorrow or day after. Sorry your LGS isn't getting stuff. There is product to be had though just have to look.

[ellhaynes 188]

Spoke to my FLGS in the uk about this on Saturday, they've been warned not to expect any new stock until the Spring. No idea if this just a UK/ Europe issue, but they were just as frustrated as I was.

[soviet prince 105]

in my opinion it is unacceptable and needs to be addressed way before spring

[ozmodon 535]

Anything at this point is rumoreally, but I heard it was a packaging problem at the beginning that threw it all off. Wrong dice. I heard the mid January will see a large shipment but still like I said it's all rumor. FFG hasn't posted anything

[agentc13 36]

Talked with the owner at my FLGS, they turned down some boxes thinking they would have enough (the had 30 boxes allocated to them and took it down to 13), of course it was Christmas Eve @ 5pm when they were closing and thought they made it perfectly having just sold the last packs they had that I showed up for a box.  So I had to pre-order mine, which should be in pretty fast they said.  Maybe I am just lucky that my FLGS gets stuff through a distributor and straight from FFG, or that they had the foresight to order plenty from the start.  

 

I don't think anecdotal evidence (on one side or the other) is indicative of how the supply is for this game.  I have seen a number of people locally, and on different facebook groups get plenty of product in time for Christmas. And I have gone into a couple of stores and they were out (or I got the last bit), but they usually restocked within a week or two.  In my non-business educated mind, it seems like there is a bit of a shortage, but that it's made worse by stores that tried to get stuff last minute and started talking about how they got shafted.  Also when certain online places don't fill pre-orders and stock loads of singles, well that seems a bit shady.  

 

Anyway, good luck with everyone to get what they are wanting here soon!

[thecolourred 80]

in my opinion it is unacceptable and needs to be addressed way before spring

Are you serious?

 

This is Standard Operation Procedure for FFG. FFG makes production estimates based on pre-orders. No one preorders things since its not Magic (unless you're thinking ahead like Team Covenant). They make enough to double fill the pre-orders. Game is good, people want more product.

 

If you didn't pre-order, its your fault: you need to wait. FFG isn't going anywhere, and neither are you.

[Elblanco 11]

 

in my opinion it is unacceptable and needs to be addressed way before spring

Are you serious?

 

This is Standard Operation Procedure for FFG. FFG makes production estimates based on pre-orders. No one preorders things since its not Magic (unless you're thinking ahead like Team Covenant). They make enough to double fill the pre-orders. Game is good, people want more product.

 

If you didn't pre-order, its your fault: you need to wait. FFG isn't going anywhere, and neither are you.

 

On top of that, it's impossible to predict how popular a game will be before launch. Dicemasters had the same issue, though Wizkids waited like 6 months to get a big enough print run out, as well as a second set. I doubt FFG will have that big of a gap between product, or sets. If you enjoy the game, stick with it and we'll have enugh product to go around soon probably.

[shock 5]

 

in my opinion it is unacceptable and needs to be addressed way before spring

Are you serious?

 

This is Standard Operation Procedure for FFG. FFG makes production estimates based on pre-orders. No one preorders things since its not Magic (unless you're thinking ahead like Team Covenant). They make enough to double fill the pre-orders. Game is good, people want more product.

 

If you didn't pre-order, its your fault: you need to wait. FFG isn't going anywhere, and neither are you.

 

Our store had well over 100 pre orders, and only got 20 so far... not having pre-orders wasn't the problem

[Stu35 723]

in my opinion it is unacceptable and needs to be addressed way before spring

... snip

 

If you didn't pre-order, its your fault: you need to wait. FFG isn't going anywhere, and neither are you.

"Need to wait".

Can't speak for anyone else, but I'm a modern consumer who doesn't "need" to do anything for my hobbies.

I support them with my money. Or not, as the case may be.

Now I know FFG won't exactly struggle minus one customer, but if this is how they've decided to run this game (which not being a CCG man to begin with, I was skeptical about), then they've lost a few hundred, possibly a few thousand, quid from my pockets.

Now, once again, they're a big company and this is a popular product, so I doubt that'll be noticed by them, but the point I'm ultimately trying to make is that when it comes to FFG I don't "Have" to do a bloody thing for them, because I can go spend my money on other stuff. If they want to go ahead and not make enough stock to fill demand? That's cool, no skin of my nose who my expendable income ends up with.

Consumers are allowed to criticise companies for their failings though, and this to me seems a big failure.

[Hawkman2000 352]

It's Star Wars, it's a collectible game with a ton of buzz, and it's the holidays. That's all I can logistically attribute to the shortage, without some kind of concrete inside information.

Maybe FFG underestimated the process to make the dice, maybe they underproduced the product, maybe they just didn't estimate the demand correctly. None of these reasons are strong enough to make me back out of the game, so I don't see the point in guessing.

[WonderWAAAGH 7,153]

Jeeze, why are people waxing antagonistic over some minor production issues? FFG isn't intentionally trying to deprive you of their product. Rest assured, they still very much want your money.

Edited December 26, 2016 by WonderWAAAGH

[Icelom 3,405]

Product is hot everyone wants it demand outstripped supply.

Welcome to collectables.

That being said, I have been able to obtain lots of product and my flgs has been getting in new product once a week it seems.

I think alot of stores dropped the ball on orders and are blaming ffg/distributers instead of admitting to customers they messed up and did not order.

I know one of the stores near me litteraly ordered none initial and have no idea when they will be able to get any. Sucks for them but the product is going to stores that ordered early.

Edited December 26, 2016 by Icelom

[DailyRich 3,346]

The same thing happened with Dice Masters when it first started.  And it did hurt the game initially, but it didn't have the might of Star Wars behind it.  And it did overcome those issues and has expansions coming out on a regular basis.

[sdwoods42 2]

 

 

in my opinion it is unacceptable and needs to be addressed way before spring

Are you serious?

 

This is Standard Operation Procedure for FFG. FFG makes production estimates based on pre-orders. No one preorders things since its not Magic (unless you're thinking ahead like Team Covenant). They make enough to double fill the pre-orders. Game is good, people want more product.

 

If you didn't pre-order, its your fault: you need to wait. FFG isn't going anywhere, and neither are you.

 

Our store had well over 100 pre orders, and only got 20 so far... not having pre-orders wasn't the problem

 

Yep my two closest FLGS had the same issue they did not even get enough stock to cover their pre-orders. My 24 YRO son who lives on the opposite side of town than me said all 3 of the FLGS he goes to had the same issues. So either the first print run was very small or someone humped the bug on this one. 

[cjnj193 86]

Jeeze, why are people waxing antagonistic over some minor production issues? FFG isn't intentionally trying to deprive you of their product. Rest assured, they still very much want your money.

But I want them to take my money now!

[WonderWAAAGH 7,153]

 

Jeeze, why are people waxing antagonistic over some minor production issues? FFG isn't intentionally trying to deprive you of their product. Rest assured, they still very much want your money.

But I want them to take my money now!

 

 

I get you, friend. I get you. But nobody ever thought better of themselves after realizing that they're Veruca Salt.

 

[jonboyjon1990 958]

The game is hot and has a huge buzz. FFG themselves marketed and promoted it more than any other game they have ever. They want the game to be big. They probably are cautiously optimistic for it to be huge. They will make it work

They've had some wrinkles with the dice/manufacturing. But they're obviously doing what they can to keep/get it on the shelves.

But I wouldn't be surprised if FFG didn't deliberately under estimate their first print. A huge print run that over estimated demand would have cost them a ton. It's their first collectible game in 8+ years. They're releasing it into a market that's already saturated with awesome Star Wars games, including a fully fledged card game, and into a sector of the market that is itself hugely competitive and full of failed games - the CCG market.

FFG had every right to be cautious. They will now know how big is it and will be - I'd imagine that all future releases will be fine.

[ScottieATF 2,867]

in my opinion it is unacceptable and needs to be addressed way before spring

Are you serious?

 

This is Standard Operation Procedure for FFG. FFG makes production estimates based on pre-orders. No one preorders things since its not Magic (unless you're thinking ahead like Team Covenant). They make enough to double fill the pre-orders. Game is good, people want more product.

 

If you didn't pre-order, its your fault: you need to wait. FFG isn't going anywhere, and neither are you.

Our store had well over 100 pre orders, and only got 20 so far... not having pre-orders wasn't the problem

Yep my two closest FLGS had the same issue they did not even get enough stock to cover their pre-orders. My 24 YRO son who lives on the opposite side of town than me said all 3 of the FLGS he goes to had the same issues. So either the first print run was very small or someone humped the bug on this one.

Well I think you have to look at it this way there are preorders and then there are "preorders". Anything made before December 1st is technically a preorder, but anything from October on would have had no ability to influence the size of the first print run. It''s the initial preorders thathe would be what FFG could use as a guage of interest, not ones made during the pre-release event. Even though I'm sure a store owner would count those among what he couldn't fill.

[ellhaynes 188]

Production issues or being cautious about how popular the game would be are understandable if it was something of a one off. But they aren't - the latest imperial assault wave has been delayed, the latest x wing wave is delayed, and elsewhere here you can read about delayed or out of stock products.

I invest heavily in several FFG lines and will probably continue to do so well into the future, but there's an unfortunate pattern of how they plan their production and manage stock levels. I'm not asking them to run with huge warehouses full of unwanted stock; just hire some experts from elsewhere in the industry who can better manage the supply chain.

[Elblanco 11]

Production issues or being cautious about how popular the game would be are understandable if it was something of a one off. But they aren't - the latest imperial assault wave has been delayed, the latest x wing wave is delayed, and elsewhere here you can read about delayed or out of stock products.

I invest heavily in several FFG lines and will probably continue to do so well into the future, but there's an unfortunate pattern of how they plan their production and manage stock levels. I'm not asking them to run with huge warehouses full of unwanted stock; just hire some experts from elsewhere in the industry who can better manage the supply chain.

Where did you hear that those waves were delayed? X-wing Wave X has been on the boat for a month or so already, and the rogue one ships came out right on time. The current issue is very common with new CCG style games, a company doesn't want to over produce product for a game that doesn't go anywhere. The next printing or so will solve all the production issues since they actually know the demand for product. 

Edited December 27, 2016 by Elblanco

[Icelom 3,405]

Production issues or being cautious about how popular the game would be are understandable if it was something of a one off. But they aren't - the latest imperial assault wave has been delayed, the latest x wing wave is delayed, and elsewhere here you can read about delayed or out of stock products.

I invest heavily in several FFG lines and will probably continue to do so well into the future, but there's an unfortunate pattern of how they plan their production and manage stock levels. I'm not asking them to run with huge warehouses full of unwanted stock; just hire some experts from elsewhere in the industry who can better manage the supply chain.

"Hire some experts from elsewhere in the industry" ???? Really.

They are the largest miniature game producer on the planet right now... They are the experts.

There games are huge right now, sometimes you just can't meet demand no matter what unless you cut quality.

It's not like they build there own factories, they may be at the maximum there Chinese fabricators can take. Since they are happy with the quality of they product from that fabricator they may not want to expand out to another fabrication company and risk worse quality products.

All this is guessing of course, but several people seem to think there is a magic power that just increase production capabilities.

Edited December 27, 2016 by Icelom

[soviet prince 105]

no other game I have started (and I played a bunch of different games) had this issue and they should not have had it either, to expect all players to preorder product is unrealistic. How are players supposed to get new players into this game when there is no product to give out? they did not just merely underestimate the needed supply they completely dropped the ball on the entire thing. 

[ellhaynes 188]

Both the x wing and imperial assault waves were due Q4 of 2016 - it's now 27 December and for the overwhelming majority of customers the models are still on order. It doesn't take much to look back at threads on those forums and get a sense of the release dates slipping continually over the past few months.

[Starbane 301]

no other game I have started (and I played a bunch of different games) had this issue and they should not have had it either, to expect all players to preorder product is unrealistic. How are players supposed to get new players into this game when there is no product to give out? they did not just merely underestimate the needed supply they completely dropped the ball on the entire thing.

I have to wonder if you've lived a sheltered gaming life, are unfamiliar with FFG product launches, or live in a large city with many well stocked gaming stores if this is the first time this has ever happened to you. I live in a small city of almost 400,000 with two nice and fairly well stocked game shops and this seems about par for the course to me. I consider it normal to preorder games and expansions I want on release day.

I get it. You want the product now and can't get it. It sucks but it's not the end of the world. Have a little patience. I mean really, what difference does getting the game in January rather than December mean in the grand scheme of things.

What do you know about designing a product and bringing it to the market place? I've worked in quality assurance for over 20 years and been a part of numerous product development teams in that time. I've never seem a launch go perfect. One of the standard matrices for measuring quality is on time delivery. I've worked with companies with a 70% on time delivery (very, very bad) to 97% which isn't bad but certainly unacceptable and hardly what the customers in the 3% signed up for. One thing I've never worked for is a company with 100% on time delivery, although we have scored that some months and multiple months in a row for some customers. We keep track of our overall performance and our performance by customer.

I can promise you that I've never worked for a company that wanted anything other than a 100% on time delivery rating. I'm sure that FFG wishes you had all the Destiny you want right now just as bad as you do. It didn't happen. Deal with it and don't let it spoil your enjoyment of the game once you do get it.

Edited December 27, 2016 by Starbane