First Print of World of Darkness Rulebook Sold Out

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Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Direct Inquiries to:
Philippe Boulle, Marketing Director
White Wolf Publishing
1554 Litton Drive
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
prboulle@white-wolf.com
404-292-1819 x203
 


First Print of World of Darkness Rulebook Sold Out;
New Printing Ready — White Wolf maintains $19.99 Price for
Online Pre-Orders and GenCon sales



Atlanta, GA, August 16, 2004 — White Wolf has sold out of the entire
first print run of the World of Darkness Rulebook at its introductory
price of $19.99.
 
The second print run is ready to ship at the regular price point of
$24.99, but White Wolf will continue to accept consumer preorders at
the $19.99 price at its website through Friday August 20th and will
sell copies at the GenCon Indy Trade Show (Aug 19-22) at that same
introductory price. Consumers will also be able to get the $19.99
edition in hobby and book stores until those stores sell through the
copies they ordered from their distributors.
 
White Wolf was able to time the printing of the $24.99 edition of the
World of Darkness Rulebook so as to prevent any shortage of supply.
All distribution, retail and consumer orders will be filled without
allocation.
 
The new printing of the World of Darkness Rulebook is identical to the
first save for the retail price, ISBN and stock #. No contents have
changed.
 
The World of Darkness Rulebook goes on sale with Vampire: the Requiem
on Saturday, August 21st. Top hobby retailers in the United States,
Canada and Great Britain will be open past midnight on the evening of
Friday August 20th in order to begin selling the books at the first
possible minute. Details are available at
<http://www.worldofdarkness.com>.
 

World of Darkness Rulebook (first printing)
WW55000; ISBN 1-58846-476-8; 224-page hardcover; SRP $19.99
 
World of Darkness Rulebook (second printing)
WW55002; ISBN 1-58846-484-9; 224-page hardcover; SRP $24.99
 
Vampire: The Requiem
WW25000; ISBN 1-58846-247-1; 304-page hardcover; SRP $34.99
 

Since its entry into the roleplaying game market in 1991, White Wolf
Publishing, Inc. has grown, maintaining an average market share of
26%. With collective book sales in excess of 5.5 million copies during
this time, White Wolf is one of two undisputed worldwide publishing
leaders for pen and paper roleplaying games. White Wolf properties
have been licensed for television series, comic books, action figures,
console and computer video games, coin-operated arcade games,
professional wrestlers, replica props and weapons, interactive media
events, and a myriad of merchandise. More information on White Wolf
can be found at www.white-wolf.com.


--
Conrad Hubbard
White Wolf Publishing http://www.white-wolf.com
Sword & Sorcery http://www.swordsorcery.com
"Promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for
limited times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their
respective Writings and Discoveries" - U.S. Constitution, Article 1,
Section 8
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

Conrad Hubbard wrote:

> Vampire: The Requiem
> WW25000; ISBN 1-58846-247-1; 304-page hardcover; SRP $34.99

Hey, neat; I'm surprised I didn't notice this before.

V:tR is up from 288 pages to 304, with no price increase. Rock!
--
Stephenls
Geek
"I'm as impure as the driven yellow snow." -Spike
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

conrad@white-wolf.com (Conrad Hubbard) wrote in
news:4602fd96.0408170612.45bef1de@posting.google.com:

> Atlanta, GA, August 16, 2004 — White Wolf has sold out of the
> entire first print run of the World of Darkness Rulebook at
> its introductory price of $19.99.

*blink* I haven't even seen it in the store yet!

-Ky
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

Kylinn wrote:
> *blink* I haven't even seen it in the store yet!
>
> -Ky

That's because it's not in stores yet. Until midnight Friday
night/Saturday morning.

It sold out through massive quantities of preorders.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

Kylinn <kylinn@aol.comgoaway> wrote in message news:<Xns9549B0CAB21A8plrcty@216.168.3.50>...
> conrad@white-wolf.com (Conrad Hubbard) wrote in
> news:4602fd96.0408170612.45bef1de@posting.google.com:
>
> > Atlanta, GA, August 16, 2004 ? White Wolf has sold out of the
> > entire first print run of the World of Darkness Rulebook at
> > its introductory price of $19.99.
>
> *blink* I haven't even seen it in the store yet!
>
> -Ky

Remember that with the exception of direct sales from the company
(which include preorders), White Wolf sells their wares to
distrubutors and chains, not directly to gamers.

M.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

I dropped by the local B&N, hoping some foolish clerk had shelved it
early. No go.

Or all the copies had already been snapped up. But I find that
eventuality unlikely.

--
Tyler

u d e t o d r y s t a n o i d f t

Bac>|wards
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

usiel@vampirethemasquerade.com (Malcolm Sheppard) wrote in message news:<c772e1f6.0408181811.3c780df0@posting.google.com>...
> Kylinn <kylinn@aol.comgoaway> wrote in message news:<Xns9549B0CAB21A8plrcty@216.168.3.50>...
> > conrad@white-wolf.com (Conrad Hubbard) wrote in
> > news:4602fd96.0408170612.45bef1de@posting.google.com:
> >
> > > Atlanta, GA, August 16, 2004 ? White Wolf has sold out of the
> > > entire first print run of the World of Darkness Rulebook at
> > > its introductory price of $19.99.
> >
> > *blink* I haven't even seen it in the store yet!
> >
> > -Ky
>
> Remember that with the exception of direct sales from the company
> (which include preorders), White Wolf sells their wares to
> distrubutors and chains, not directly to gamers.
>
> M.

So basically, instead of saying "Hey...we've sold all the
merchandise", the meaning of the message is "Hey...we've moved all our
merchandise to the retail outlets".

I mean, if they get their money that way, great. However, it's a
touch misleading. It gives the impression there are no more copies of
the $19.95 version to be had.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

maltlick@yahoo.com (Zane Graves) wrote in message news:<3a33e414.0408191144.5bac10d@posting.google.com>...
> usiel@vampirethemasquerade.com (Malcolm Sheppard) wrote in message news:<c772e1f6.0408181811.3c780df0@posting.google.com>...
> > Kylinn <kylinn@aol.comgoaway> wrote in message news:<Xns9549B0CAB21A8plrcty@216.168.3.50>...
> > > conrad@white-wolf.com (Conrad Hubbard) wrote in
> > > news:4602fd96.0408170612.45bef1de@posting.google.com:
> > >
> > > > Atlanta, GA, August 16, 2004 ? White Wolf has sold out of the
> > > > entire first print run of the World of Darkness Rulebook at
> > > > its introductory price of $19.99.
> > >
> > > *blink* I haven't even seen it in the store yet!
> > >
> > > -Ky
> >
> > Remember that with the exception of direct sales from the company
> > (which include preorders), White Wolf sells their wares to
> > distrubutors and chains, not directly to gamers.
> >
> > M.
>
> So basically, instead of saying "Hey...we've sold all the
> merchandise", the meaning of the message is "Hey...we've moved all our
> merchandise to the retail outlets".
>
> I mean, if they get their money that way, great. However, it's a
> touch misleading. It gives the impression there are no more copies of
> the $19.95 version to be had.

You may be misled if you don't know anything about how games are sold,
but as the press release jibes with standard usage in the industry,
you don't have any ground to intimate that it is an attempt to deceive
anyone. By sold out, White Wolf means that the entire print run has
been sold to:

*Distributors
*Book chains/trade outlets
*Retail outlets that made preorders
*Individuals who made preorders

White Wolf gets paid for a sale in each and every case. That's what a
"sale" is to them. The stock does not go on consignment anywhere.

Funnily, nobody had this problem when Gehenna sold out. Maybe there
were fewer people sharpening their knives that time.

M.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

>
> Funnily, nobody had this problem when Gehenna sold out. Maybe there
> were fewer people sharpening their knives that time.
>
> M.

No, I just didn't bring up the fact that they likely just split a print run
in two...

Come on, for godssake, it's not a NEW trick. Act like something is gonna be
rare/more expensive, and then raise the price after the 1st batch "Blows off
the shelves!!!!"

It's not like these people are saints. They are trying to make money. I
ain't hating them for it, but I am rather amused that you people can't see
it. Or, rather, will defend it.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

"Silversorcerer" <silverspamtrapsorcerer@insightbb.com> wrote in message news:<gblVc.22192$Fg5.19248@attbi_s53>...
> >
> > Funnily, nobody had this problem when Gehenna sold out. Maybe there
> > were fewer people sharpening their knives that time.
> >
> > M.
>
> No, I just didn't bring up the fact that they likely just split a print run
> in two...
>
> Come on, for godssake, it's not a NEW trick. Act like something is gonna be
> rare/more expensive, and then raise the price after the 1st batch "Blows off
> the shelves!!!!"

Except they didn't do that. It was announced over a month ago that the
price would have to go up and why. They said then that the first print
run would be at the old price, but subsequent printings would be at
the higher price.

http://www.worldofdarkness.com/press/booksize.html for the press
release announcing the raise in price, well before it "blew off the
shelves."

>
> It's not like these people are saints. They are trying to make money. I
> ain't hating them for it, but I am rather amused that you people can't see
> it. Or, rather, will defend it.

Get new glasses. Your vision's apparently blurry.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

"Silversorcerer" <silverspamtrapsorcerer@insightbb.com> wrote in message news:<gblVc.22192$Fg5.19248@attbi_s53>...
> >
> > Funnily, nobody had this problem when Gehenna sold out. Maybe there
> > were fewer people sharpening their knives that time.
> >
> > M.
>
> No, I just didn't bring up the fact that they likely just split a print run
> in two...

Ah, so you'rre proof that they're lying is that you think they lied
before.

Tell me -- is it turtles all the way down?

> Come on, for godssake, it's not a NEW trick. Act like something is gonna be
> rare/more expensive, and then raise the price after the 1st batch "Blows off
> the shelves!!!!"

As I've explained, it makes no business sense at all. Plus, I don't
believe it violates my NDA to say that, in fact, the book *really is*
larger than projected.

Fundamentally though, your comments are just indicative of an
ignorance of the economy of scale, the typical size of RPG print runs
and how things actually work in general:

1) The more you print, the smaller per-unit cost.

2) Game companies tend to get hit by this because they order rather
small runs: 500-2000 for a typical, successful line, more for a larger
company like White Wolf.

3) It's in the company's interest to order large runs -- but only as
large as it can reliably move, because in the US, warehoused books are
taxable assets.

4) The sweet spot in the RPG sales cycle is in the first 90 days.
Companies wannt to move product as much as possible during that first
90 days. Imposing any sort of delay or artificial scarcity makes no
sense *at all* in the RPG biz.

5) Typically, retailers order replacements about once a month (most
places make weekly orders, but not for the same product, as a way of
keeping shelf space relatively clear). In practical terms, this means
that White Wolf would sit one product for 30 days every time they
"split" a run. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking to get stuff out of the
warehouse while the book is in demand.

> It's not like these people are saints. They are trying to make money. I
> ain't hating them for it, but I am rather amused that you people can't see
> it. Or, rather, will defend it.

Your comments are utterly uninformed. have you ever seen how the
production process works? Have you ever done product orders for a game
store? Have you ever visited a place that prints RPG books? Have you
ever seen run size and sales figures for game books?

As it happens, I've done all of these. Some of this (such as the
pallet size of runs for game books), I discovered out of sheer luck (a
friend of mine happens to work for one of WW's printers), but in the
absence of concrete information, it's willfully stupid to construct a
conspiratorial fantasy.

Believe me, various shenanigans have beeen tried. For example,
virtually every game store I know of has a dusty copy of Everway
kicking around somewhere from back when WotC decided to make Everyway
orders mandatory with M:tG orders. Of course, there were never an
*reorders*. Tricks like that generate antipathy all the way up the
chain. WW's primary clients do not consist of gamers like you. They
consists of distributors who ddo not take kindly to these kinds of
gimmicks. The kind of POS tactics you're talking about just don't make
any sense for the company to pursue.

I mean, I *know* that your real point iss to desperately grasp at
reasons why the company is a back of bastards. The trouble is, they
can be motivated by the bottom line without your scenario coming into
play or, in fact, making any sense whatsoever.

M.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

>
> Except they didn't do that. It was announced over a month ago that the
> price would have to go up and why. They said then that the first print
> run would be at the old price, but subsequent printings would be at
> the higher price.
>
> http://www.worldofdarkness.com/press/booksize.html for the press
> release announcing the raise in price, well before it "blew off the
> shelves."

Great. Then they planned to hiek the price after a small print run.



> >
> > It's not like these people are saints. They are trying to make money. I
> > ain't hating them for it, but I am rather amused that you people can't
see
> > it. Or, rather, will defend it.
>
> Get new glasses. Your vision's apparently blurry.

Spare me.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

Well if people pre-ordered from White Wolf before they made the
announcement, then they have no need to worry. I pre-ordered mine back
in the first week of August, and got my books today, a full 12 hours
before the midnight debute even.

Both books look very slick and polished too.

--
Doug Kern
AKA Monocle
douglasskern@earthlink.net
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

In article <200820041601259869%douglasskern@earthlink.net>,
Doug Kern <douglasskern@earthlink.net> wrote:

> Well if people pre-ordered from White Wolf before they made the
> announcement, then they have no need to worry. I pre-ordered mine back
> in the first week of August, and got my books today, a full 12 hours
> before the midnight debute even.
>
> Both books look very slick and polished too.


I pre-ordered mine just after the "$19.99 sold out. Get the $24.99 for
$19.99" press release, and I just got mine 5 minutes ago. Regular
shipping no less.

Still have 7 hours and 40 minutes (by my watch) to pre-order at the old
price...

rathorne
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

"Malcolm Sheppard"
> "Zane Graves"

> > So basically, instead of saying "Hey...we've sold all the
> > merchandise", the meaning of the message is "Hey...we've moved all our
> > merchandise to the retail outlets".

> > I mean, if they get their money that way, great. However, it's a
> > touch misleading. It gives the impression there are no more copies of
> > the $19.95 version to be had.

> You may be misled if you don't know anything about how games are sold,
> but as the press release jibes with standard usage in the industry,
> you don't have any ground to intimate that it is an attempt to deceive
> anyone. By sold out, White Wolf means that the entire print run has
> been sold to:

I didn't say THEY were misleading anyone. I said the statement could
be a could misleading, if, and here's the important bit, you are
unaware of how the industry works. Sadly, most people are.

> *Distributors
> *Book chains/trade outlets
> *Retail outlets that made preorders
> *Individuals who made preorders

> White Wolf gets paid for a sale in each and every case. That's what a
> "sale" is to them. The stock does not go on consignment anywhere.

It kinda does, only in the sense that there can still be stock-piles
of books sitting at retailers for customers to purchase. They're
property of the gaming store, purchased from White Wolf, meaning White
Wolf sold out of them, however, for public consumption, they are not
sold out to the end consumer.

> Funnily, nobody had this problem when Gehenna sold out. Maybe there
> were fewer people sharpening their knives that time.

Gehenna sold out after it hit the shelves.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

Silversorcerer wrote:
>
>> Except they didn't do that. It was announced over a month ago that the
>> price would have to go up and why. They said then that the first print
>> run would be at the old price, but subsequent printings would be at
>> the higher price.
>>
>> http://www.worldofdarkness.com/press/booksize.html for the press
>> release announcing the raise in price, well before it "blew off the
>> shelves."
>
> Great. Then they planned to hiek the price after a small print run.

.. . . because they decided late in the game to make the book larger than they'd
originally planned, yeah.

Get over it.

--
Christopher Adams - Sydney, Australia
What part of "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn" don't you
understand?
http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/mhacdebhandia/prestigeclasslist.html
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

Malcolm Sheppard wrote:

> Believe me, various shenanigans have beeen tried. For example,
> virtually every game store I know of has a dusty copy of Everway
> kicking around somewhere from back when WotC decided to make Everyway
> orders mandatory with M:tG orders.

I hit all the wrong game stores looking for it then. Anyway, periodic
Everway plug:

Potomac has copies of this game for $6. It's a steal.

--

David Cherryholmes
 
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