RE: FT losing market share?

	I would have to agree that at least in the states the primary
reason that
sales would drop would be a lack of presence in the stores/no US
distributor.  Of the four gaming stores within a 50 mile range of my
house
(one of which is just starting so doesn't have much stock yet, including
no
space games) 2 of them have BFG and 3 of them have SFB.  I also found
other
games like Babylon 5 and Armada in at least one store.	One of them
still
has a copy of Full Thrust and FB2, but they have been there for years,
and
he has no intent to order any other FT stuff as there is no US
distributor.

	So far the only store I have been able to organize a FT game at
is the new
store.	But even there I fear that if they can't get easy access to
product
to sell they might drop support for the game.  After all they are in
business to sell product, not just to provide us a place to play.  And
as
most of us here in the states have no other place for public gatherings
to
play games but the stores, this can limit exposure to games which the
store
does not carry.  This could easily account for market share loss.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-gzg-l@lists.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU
[mailto:owner-gzg-l@lists.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU]On Behalf Of Doug Evans
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2004 5:34 AM
To: gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu
Subject: Re: FT losing market share?

***
Oerjan Ohlson responded:

 >Full Thrust is steadily losing market shares to the space combat games
 >among the remaining 10% of the wargame rules on the market. I'd say
that
 >this makes FT's loopholes a fairly serious disadvantage, unless you
want
FT
 >to drop out of the market and get replaced by other games...
***

'round these parts, the only space warfare game that does anything is
BFG
(tm).

So, the reputed loss of share would be 1) lack of ties to already
established system, 2) lack of constant, or at least, yearly flow of new
materials, both figs and written 3) lack of store presense.
Interestingly,
reasons it's always appealed to me.

The former ADB stuff gets met with the same responses all the time, and
everything else is treated as 'and everything else'.

At the big cons, SFB gets a good play, FT has several devoted and some
not-so tourney's, and everyone else is lucky if there's a company rep
running a demo.

Perceived point problems were issues with a small, but admittedly vocal,
group of players. Most of the rest would discuss, agree, and accept
dysfunctions, and have gentleman's (sorry, all male group of players)
agreements, and go on to play with enjoyment.

A group, I add, that STILL wistfully says 'oh yeah, we've GOT to play
that
again'.

Please note that, as far as I can tell, 3) is a major reason for any
slippage in the US, and however you feel otherwise, means KR is missed.

Also, 2) translates roughly into 'Maybe it is losing market share
because
everyone who
might want a copy already has one'.

I'd have to add game mechanics to expand beyond a tendency to only
meeting
engagements, and developed operational and strategy campaigns would
probably help.

The_Beast