Charles Dunwoody (CD): Please inform us about you and your retailer.
Simon Chadwick (SC): My retailer is Hourglass Comics & Video games in Port Moody, BC, Canada. www.hourglasscomics.ca. Port Moody is a city exterior of Vancouver, which could make us appear out-of-the manner, however we’re very near a Skytrain Station (Vancouver’s mass transit system). I’ve owned my retailer for over 30 years, and whereas I don’t suppose that I do the whole lot proper (there’s solely a lot time in a day) I’m very happy with how we’re doing, and I hope that we’ll proceed to enhance what we do.
CD: Thanks for speaking with me, Simon. I wish to speak about RPGs first. What are the highest three RPGs you promote and do you get constant requests for any uncommon RPGs (not D&D or d20 fantasy)?
SC: Thanks for having me! I really like TTRPGs, and as a lot as I do my finest to attempt to diversify our choices, far and away, most of our RPG gross sales are D&D and D&D-adjacent video games (equivalent to Pathfinder). We additionally do properly with video games like Blades within the Darkish, Destiny, and MÖRK BORG. A fast correction: I wouldn’t say that my retailer is one-third RPGs. It’s one-third GAMES* (although closing in on 40%, because it has been going up year-to-year.) The sport part is cut up between Board Video games, D&D (and different TTRPGs), Magic, and Warhammer, in addition to game-related provides like cube, miniatures, portray provides, and terrain.
*CD: corrected above.
SC: However sure, different TTRPGs are represented, even when not as totally as I would love. We feature as many award-winners as doable (that is one thing we do with board video games as properly, seek for successful video games), so now we have Coyote & Crow, Pirate Borg, Shadowdark, Thirsty Sword Lesbians, and lots of others.
CD: What occasions do you host in your retailer to help TTRPG play? Are these occasions properly attended and do they create in additional gross sales to your retailer?
SC: I personally run learn-to-play D&D video games as soon as per week, and constant clients who’re gamemasters run different D&D video games. We’ve performed different video games as properly, however they’re more durable to seek out gamers for. Our three recreation tables are additionally used for Magic, Warhammer, miniature portray classes, and for demoing board video games. My largest grievance in relation to attendance, is the sadly giant quantity of people that will sign-up for a seat at a recreation, after which not present on the day. It’s a relentless juggling act, the place sign-ups are sometimes extra of a detriment than they’re a boon. I’ve run video games for a single participant, and I’ve run video games with fifteen gamers.
CD: How tough is it to get the RPGs you wish to promote into your retailer, and do you might have recommendations on the best way to enhance the method (for recreation publishers or others)?
SC: This is a superb query. The only largest issue going through recreation shops in my view is distribution. There are two huge points with this. One is that the extant distributors all have unique offers to distribute sure video games (in order that we will’t get these video games from anybody else) and have numerous ordering minimums, in addition to provide issues (for instance, usually being out of inventory on the very video games that they maintain unique rights to). The opposite is that everybody needs to “skip the middle-man” and be their very own distributor – often by means of Kickstarter and different crowdfunding. The difficulty with that method, for us, is that it creates much more sources for unique merchandise. I perceive the explanation why this methodology is attractive to publishers, and I’m sympathetic to that, however it’s difficult for us, primarily as a result of delivery has turn into so prohibitively costly, that this can be very tough as a retailer to help crowdfunding ventures (although we do it here-and-there anyhow). It’s also tough to purchase instantly from publishers, for a similar causes. The traditional methodology of distributing merchandise has one huge profit going for it – quantity – which helps enormously to alleviate delivery prices.
CD: What’s the most typical query and/or request an RPG buyer to your retailer asks?
SC: Truthfully, recently the commonest query has been, “How do I study to play D&D?” Which has been nice! I estimate that through the years, I’ve taught someplace round a thousand folks to play D&D (and different RPGs, however to a a lot lesser extent). This interview goes to proceed to sound very D&D-centric, and whereas I agree with anybody who would possibly discover that considerably disappointing, I additionally really feel that it’s a giant a part of being profitable on this business – you don’t get to decide on (a lot) what you help. You help what your clients need you to. And the straightforward fact is, nearly all of them need D&D. Which isn’t to say that we will’t at all times do our greatest to point out them what else is on the market, after we’ve lured them in. This goes for our comedian portion of the shop as properly – I really like and help as many “indy” comics as I can, however I additionally should concentrate on Batman and Spider-Man. That’s simply the way in which it’s.
CD: Any frequent complaints (about RPGs) from clients or ache factors RPG clients want would get addressed?
SC: Hmm. I feel that RPGs can have a problem with complexity. This may be effective for the traditional, core buyer base, however it does make it tough for RPGs to have a wider attraction. I additionally suppose that complexity was extra of a very good factor again when RPGs had been beginning out, however there are such a lot of extra issues that “distract” us (by vying for our free time) that it’s more and more tough to seek out the time to study new issues and study them properly. I’m not suggesting that RPGs “dumb themselves down,” no, I feel that when one thing is difficult, there must be main thought put into presentation. The foundations don’t essentially want to vary, however the presentation does, if that makes any sense.
CD: Are TTRPGs promoting properly? Any ideas you would possibly present publishers on what RPG clients actually wish to see in a TTRPG?
SC: Oh, sure. Now, once more, it’s “principally D&D” however that’s okay – different video games additionally profit the rising tide. And additionally it is true that as a recreation retailer, when now we have a product that’s promoting in addition to D&D is, then we will afford to inventory one other shelf with TTRPG books that is likely to be extra area of interest – or threat bringing in a recreation “simply to see” if it finds in viewers, which is one thing we will’t do when that part of the shop is doing poorly. In truth, we allocate flooring house based mostly completely on how properly every kind of product is doing. So it’s doable that with out D&D doing in addition to it does, that there theoretically might have been a time the place it wasn’t value carrying TTRPGs in any respect. That point is just not now, thankfully. It’s a time to develop on what we stock – if solely we will get ahold of it, and discover clients that can help it.
CD: Do you might have any requests or recommendations to present to TTRPG clients (who both go to retails recreation retailer or possibly don’t)?
SC: Most likely the principle factor that I want that extra clients understood, is that we don’t actually select to “carry” merchandise or not – not in the way in which that individuals are inclined to suppose. If I don’t have a product in inventory, there may be often solely two causes: 1) I can’t get it. Or 2) Nobody has requested me for it. (Or in some circumstances, they did ask, I introduced it in for them, and so they purchased it, and I both haven’t been in a position to get one other, or I don’t know that anybody else needs it). My level is: If there’s one thing that you simply’re searching for: Please ask about it. We’d be more than pleased to attempt to get it for you, and if extra folks ask for a similar factor, then we’d be capable to carry it in additional commonly. It is rather uncommon (I don’t suppose ever, truly) that we’d ever select to not carry a product. We simply can’t at all times have the whole lot within the retailer. There’s not sufficient house!
CD: What made you determine to open a comic book and RPG retailer? Any ideas for anybody contemplating opening their very own retailer?
SC: I used to be 19 and I hated the engineering program I used to be at in faculty, so I dropped out and dove head-first right into a pastime. I grew to become business-savvy a lot, a lot later. (That’s not completely true – I used to be at all times good on the foremost thrust of my job, which is: Discover out what my clients need, and get it for them. And a few would possibly say that I’m nonetheless not completely business-savvy, as I refuse to do any on-line gross sales, and I pay my workers a residing wage.) So far as ideas go, my foremost recommendation can be – know your clients. You possibly can affect them with your individual preferences, however for essentially the most half, your preferences don’t matter. Theirs do. I feel the identical recommendation works properly for GMs and gamers. Don’t get me unsuitable! In each circumstances (enterprise and gamemastering) you’ve obtained to be having fun with your self first, or it’s not value doing, however your clients/gamers matter. Take heed to them.
CD: How do you see the way forward for desk high RPGs in 2024 and going ahead? What would possibly gaming seem like in 5 years?
SC: I do not know. I don’t suppose that there shall be any drastic overhaul – not in “solely” 5 years – however I do suppose that tendencies that we’ve already seen will proceed. Our business will proceed to turn into extra in style, and extra mainstream. Video games will evolve. New ones will arrive that can do properly, hopefully resulting in extra innovation within the longer-term future. We’ll most likely proceed to see extra VTTs and different digital instruments utilized in our video games, however we gained’t see the tip of print merchandise for a very long time to return, if ever. I feel that we’re nonetheless within the early phases of the RPG Golden Age. We haven’t seen the final of it but.
CD: Any remaining ideas or feedback you’d prefer to share with EN World?
SC: The EN World neighborhood, for all its faults, are genuinely inspiring, informative, and helpful. We could argue endlessly over foolish issues, however I’ve additionally seen really nice recommendation and supportive energy. I’ve made some good buddies and a few enjoyable acquaintances, and I truthfully even have heat emotions for people who I are inclined to argue with. We’re a bunch of misfits, however in a great way. My type of folks. Thanks for placing up with me!
