My parable about running demo games in gaming stores

[Bostian]

Since I discovered miniature wargaming about 8 years ago I've run a number of demo games with a goal to introduce potential players to the hobby and expand my local community of tabletop gamers. I've never been to a GW store, so my experiences with gaming stores where I can buy GW products has been limited to independent retailers. In the last few years I have run miniature demo games for several different systems in 7 different stores in the mid-atlantic States. I have recently used this parable to explain to my non-gaming friends what I effectively do when I run demo game events. And this comparison to a completely different product line has prompted my consideration of other venues where running demo games may provide better opportunities to attract new players, and particularly women, into the hobby.

Imagine this guy Mark loves his car. He loves it so much that on his days off from work he takes it down and parks it in front of the dealership where he had bought it. He stops people walking by on the sidewalk, greets them and asks if they want to look at his car, maybe take it for a test drive. He shows them the custom wheels, the special pinstripes he painted himself, the conversions he did to the engine. If they indicate interest in buying a car like his, he points them in the direction of the dealership, saying, "They can sell you one, although they don't have any like mine in stock, so you'll have to special order it--just ask the guy sitting behind the desk playing games on his cell phone to place an order for it, and make sure he actually writes down your information and ask him to repeat it back to you so you know it's right otherwise it won't get ordered, trust me. And they don't do any of the assembly or painting or custom work, so you'll have to put the car together yourself, but it's lots of fun, trust me. Oh, and they have coffee in the waiting area, but don't drink that unless you're really thirsty, and don't use the bathroom unless you really have to--they never clean it. Yeah, unfortunately you can't order the car directly from the manufacturer or another dealership--well, you can, but it's very expensive, and actually easier to get it through this dealership if you don't want to drive really far or pay extra for shipping and handling."

[arnoldrew]

Sounds like you need a new store. I actually had an employee of the game store I frequent point a potential new player my way after he expressed interest in playing Stormcast Eternals. I talked to him and showed him stuff for close to an hour and he left with some models and painting supplies and is now a regular on AoS nights, and you know what? I'm fine with that. My store and it's employees are fantastic and I was fine with an employee thinking that that customer could get better advice from another customer who plays that faction rather than himself (he plays Sylvaneth).

[Fastbear]

Sounds like you need a new store. I actually had an employee of the game store I frequent point a potential new player my way after he expressed interest in playing Stormcast Eternals. I talked to him and showed him stuff for close to an hour and he left with some models and painting supplies and is now a regular on AoS nights, and you know what? I'm fine with that. My store and it's employees are fantastic and I was fine with an employee thinking that that customer could get better advice from another customer who plays that faction rather than himself (he plays Sylvaneth).

This. My local store is also fantastic, really good guys who loves to bring others into the hobby we all know and love, if it hadn't been for the employes convincing my girlfriend to start painting I would never have picked it up again

[Bostian]

Glad you guys patronize some great stores. My LGS is effectively a vape shop with some models and hobby supplies on shelves, but I can't get them to order what I want and then the owner seems to resent me for not running more games in his store (last time I ran an event I had to go out and pick up a roll of paper towels for their bathroom).

I have never been to a GW store, and it's probably a completely different experience than an independent retailer. But many players in the USA don't live within easy distance of a GW store so we try to work with our local hobby or vape shop!

Something the owner said to me and my opponent when we met for a game of AoS last week still bothers me: he told us he won't order any more Warmahordes product because the community "failed him". As if it's our job, as players and fans, to make sure he, the store owner, sells product!

[wayniac]

I have experience with stores that barely stock anything, take forever to order, and still get mad at you for not shopping there.  Honestly I hate the LGS mentality where the stores basically try to guilt trip you into buying things there because "I have tables".  IMHO it takes more than gaming tables to make someone shop at a store.  It's a double-edged sword, but stores mostly don't seem to want to do anything and expect having tables to be a reason enough to use them for most your stuff, even when they offer no discounts or, worse, mark up the cost.

[Tiger]

My is rather awful too. The store clerks try, they really do but the manager is also trying his best to give us reasons to spend elsewhere. With rather low interest from existing community to expand the player base or appreciate the demo/campaign organisers, I've developed a rather cynical view on the table top culture.

[Bostian]

43 minutes ago, Tiger said:

My is rather awful too. The store clerks try, they really do but the manager is also trying his best to give us reasons to spend elsewhere. With rather low interest from existing community to expand the player base or appreciate the demo/campaign organisers, I've developed a rather cynical view on the table top culture.

I think a problem is too much of our community in the USA has centered around the LGS. As the LGS goes the same way that movie video rental stores have gone, I think it's time to look to other locations around which to build tabletop gaming community.

One location I'm exploring is the local public library--most have a meeting space with tables, and I already have the go-ahead to run a demo games day event at mine in late December with thoughts toward a mini-con in the spring.

I've worked with a gaming convention and really enjoyed the experience--we had 28 players for our AoS events last month. Unfortunately, the convention doesn't happen often enough! Mostly, for myself, I'm fortunate to have a table set up in a garage to host games, and I'm planning to host an open game on Halloween night while my wife hands out candy. But for a wider community meeting for regular games or even hobby hangouts, I'm looking for larger spaces.

[wayniac]

I think what just needs to be done is the USA needs to embrace gaming clubs like Europe does, instead of converging on a store.  I see too often the same things happen:

1) The store only stocks a handful of games (read: typically Warhammer and maybe Warmachine, sometimes X-Wing, if you're very lucky than something like Kings of War or Infinity or Flames of War), so those are "the" games people play.  Nobody is interested in anything else because they can't buy it at the store, and I've even had some people tell me with a straight face it's "disrespectful" to the store owner to play something there that he can't/won't stock and that you can't buy there, as though you are "stealing" from him by playing a game there and not buying it from his shop too.  This also fosters an insular mentality.  For example, I have a lot of things I'd like to try out, let's say Frostgrave as an example.  I mention it to people, and I get a "deer in headlights" look because not only do they not know what it is, if they can't buy it at a store they don't want to hear about it because for whatever reason most of the people I talk to think buying online is the epitome of disrespect and rudeness to a game shop.  I think this is also the GW mentality, where the GW store has everything you need, so as to entice you to only shop there for everything and not look elsewhere.

2) It fosters "territorial" mentality.  I've been to stores that basically insulted/slammed other stores in the area, treated people who went there as traitors/pariahs and in general saw them as "the enemy" who were trying to steal business from "their" store.  It's almost tribe-like.  There were two stores in my area once that had a straight up rivalry; if we were in a lawless society I have no doubts that there would be open warfare between the two.  One accused the other of, no joke, "stealing their customers" away, and lots of insults would be thrown around among the patrons of each about the other.  Also the fact that most of these stores are roughly the same thing in a relatively similar area, so one typically offers nothing over the other.

Personally I think the solution is the gaming club, that yes it might have dues or something like that to rent space, but allows for a lot more variety.  A small group plays historical gaming?  They can have their stuff on a club night and maybe introduce it to some people who considered it, but didn't know if anyone else would want to play.  I find that one's gaming palate would be much better if one didn't have to just play the "chosen" game because everyone wants something they can just go down to a store and buy, and then proceed to only shop and play at that store, or a small handful of stores.  I think the era of the game store is, like you said, going the way of video rentals.  It's not enough anymore to just have a couple of tables and some terrain and a small bit of stock for anything other than board games or card games.

I would much rather maybe pay a little bit to rent a space every couple of weeks/monthly and get in a lot of gaming of various types other than being "forced" to pick to play Warhammer or Warmachine or whatever because while I might be interested in something else, nobody plays it.  It turns into an actual social thing, sort of like a tailgate party.  Have people bring snacks or something, make an all day thing of it.  Back to its roots as a gentleman's club (and not the strip club variety) but like the British type.

[Bostian]

13 minutes ago, wayniac said:

I would much rather maybe pay a little bit to rent a space every couple of weeks/monthly and get in a lot of gaming of various types other than being "forced" to pick to play Warhammer or Warmachine or whatever because while I might be interested in something else, nobody plays it.  It turns into an actual social thing, sort of like a tailgate party.  Have people bring snacks or something, make an all day thing of it.  Back to its roots as a gentleman's club (and not the strip club variety) but like the British type.

Great points about the LGS experience in the States! And I agree about the limitations on trying new games--I would love to set up and run some French & Indian War games, but won't dare in my LGS for the reasons you described.

I've seen plenty online about gaming cafes, basically where a restaurant or coffee house makes their profits on serving hot food and beverages with games available for patrons to set up and play. I can't tell you how many times I would be involved in a mini tournament or campaign in a store, and we would effectively pack up to leave and walk practically next door to get food for lunch, then come back to finish our games--resulting in spending more money for lunch than we did in the game store. I read about one group has been meeting weekly in a sports bar and sets up mini games on weeknights when the place isn't packed. It prompted me to talk with the owner of a local microbrewery about doing something similar--the trick will be talking him into keeping some 4x6 foot tables tucked away somewhere the rest of the week or bringing them myself.

[wayniac]

Precisely.  Even if not a cafe-bar thing that has space, just the idea of a neutral ground that has no vested interest in what you buy means that so many more things could get played or introduced without "But you can't buy it here!" sort of responses.  Like to use your example, I'm not that interested in French & Indian war, but it's appealing enough that I'd give it a try, and who knows maybe it's something cool, I just haven't done a lot of research into that period (I'm more of an Ancients fan).  But the possibility would be there with a club that someone like yourself would have a demo game or something set up for it, as a literal "Curious about this game?  Try it out" which is worlds better than oh it's not warhammer?  Get out of here we're not interested.

US gaming culture is essentially insular and self-destructive and revolves around a dying breed of stores that really offer nothing of value but the illusion of a "one stop shop", similar to how Walmarts are a thing because you don't need to go to supermarket, and a clothes store, and a pet store, or even a hair salon or sometimes even a McDonalds.