The War Store

I got another message from Neal at the War Store this morning:

"I think the clearance sale will speak for itself... You can add that I am sorry it came to this, but we have been giving Mongoose a chance to get it straightened out all fall long."

I saw the AOG series die and wish I'd bought everything I could. I guess I should be grateful I got as much of the MGP stuff as I did. I don't see this game gaining in popularity by virtue of the series since it's been gone so long. The rules are alright, but not breathtaking. Many of the models are second rate with serious flaws that require extensive modeling experience to clean up - when you get all the right pieces. To all this you add stiff competition of other wargames, poor distribution and now higher prices, I can hear a bell toll.
 
animus said:
WARMACHINE looks cool....


It is, and most places in the US you can even get stuff at the local shopping mall. About $1200 worth of Warmachine/Hordes minis graces my curio cabinet and I've only had one packaging and one casting problem, all solved with an email and a package within the same week.
 
Agreed. Not that you can't tell by my avatar and sig, I am a Menoth player. An avid one at that. I easily have 4 grand of menoth, and about 700 dollars of other stuff. That's not counting the cost in two Battalions, 1 Motor Pool and 1 standard AT case.

Every single problem I've have with Privateer Press was solved and answered quickly by: Adam (Main customer service guy), Biggie (Press Gang Quartermaster), or Matt (game creator). In terms of service, availbility, and loyalty, it appears that PP and MGP are on opposite ends of the spectrum.

Dark Angel
 
This stuff is a shame as the new batches of miniatures are just starting to come off the production line (which is located in the USA). Mongoose have had serious problems and they are trying to deal with them (not very successfully so far but the battle continues). Mongoose is not a sinking ship but it is a problem with large distribution problems.

Unfortunately as you've pointed out, this is costing Mongoose an awful lot of sales and in the longer term customers!
 
To be honest, I live in the uk and toafter my first dealings with mongoose im amazed anyone gets any stock. I placed an order directly with mongoose in the uk about a month ago for one ea fleet box and am now waiting for a refund to my paypal acount because the fleet box was out of stock and wasnt suplied in a restock from the us two weeks after i originaly placed the order. My advice to mongoose is this:

1) make it clear on your web site whether an item is in stock or not.

2)make it clear on your web site whether you are a U.S or UK company (i asumed it was a uk firm as the address is uk so why are you being stocked from the US?. I dont care in paticular where your stock comes from but customers should know if you are being stocked from the US as shipping times are much longer

3) start sending customers a simple email to confirm that there order and payment has been recieved ok.

4)tell customers whether or not stuff that has been orderd is in stock quickly. Granted i was contacted quickly when i chased up these details but it should not be up to the customer to chase up orders when they havent arived after a few days or weeks

Sorry to be so negative but to me the above points are basics for any online company. and this is why people are prepared to pay higher prices to companys like games workshop. its called customer service

Im just waiting for my refund and will certainly not use mongoose again nor recomend them to anyone
 
It just dawned on me, literally right now, that this seems to be taking the direction of the retailer thread that was deleted a week ago.

Since I might be banned for voicing an "unpopular" opinion, all I can say is that I hope things get better. I can't imagine this type of policy will keep MGP afloat.

I would like to say I would spend my money better elsewhere, but I can't even get to the point where I am spending money.

Dark Angel
 
This thread begs the question...Is MGP really trying to revamp its miniatures lines or, is it working a deal to sell them off?

Think about it.
 
At least Mongoose seems to follow a straight concept.
1. They flopped with Battlefield Evo (at least in Germany.)
2. The Killed Starship Troopers because it was a mayor problem to get anything.(Because of the Evo plans)
3. It seems like the same will happen to B5 in Germany (and as it seems anywhere else.) :(
 
How do you mean "sell of the line"? What does that mean exactly? To a whole new company? You guys seem to know more about this than I - explain, fellow Americans....

BTW happy Thanksgiving fellow Yanks!
 
It's relatively common with American gaming companies. Even the boardgame companies do it on occasion. You buy the rights to make the game, get it somewhat popular, and then sell it off for a net gain without having to worry about dealing with longterm distribution and manufacture issues...
 
All of the "Signs and Portents" are there.....

Diminishing stock of current products....
Increasing prices......
Poor quality of casts.....
Continuous delay in new releases.......
Hints about "new counters" being "something special" (read, replacement for metal minis)
Unavailability of stock to distributors......
Major market outlets refusing to accept new orders from customers.....
Increasing lack of quality control in correctness/completeness of product packaging.....

Things of this nature often happen just before
1. Total sales of a product line to someone else
2. Total realignment of a product line in house
3. Total elemination of a product line altogether
4. Major shift in supplier/distributor chain

In abscence of information from Mongoose to the contrary, and in light of the major changes coming about from online distributors/retailers (some of the only sources in the US), one has to wonder...."Will this game be supported much longer?"

Take a look at the GW product lines over the years if you want to see most of the above models in action....where a supply line scalpel has been needed, they've often used an atom bomb, and where a bomb has been necessary, they often apply the scalpel.
 
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I like the B5 game I just got into the darn thing. Its a fun space game and way better than BFG plus I love B5 I will not let it die. I just need to figure how to beat the ISA with my minbari stupid victorys.
 
They're obviously putting some effort into the game with 2e and the new models. They're adding value to it so it would suggest a sale versus an end to the line. Neal at the WarStore said ACTA was the only Mongoose line that sold consistently. I guess what I'm saying is that if this conspiracy is right, it would be a sale and the game will continue.

So who would buy it?
 
How much do you think it would take? Who'd be able to pick it up and run with it? Privateer Press? Wizards of the Coast?
 
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