Games People Play (You Take It Or You Leave It)

2006-06-08 - 10:30 a.m.

So I had some time to kill yesterday, so I thought I'd go to the local game store and hang out.

As I'd mentioned before, I'm a gamer. Been out of it for a long time, and now I'm looking to get back into it.

So I go, and there's three guys there, one of which is an employee. They're playing the Highlander CCG (collectible card game).

Now, I've been a patron of this place since it opened. They've recently moved to a new location, closer to where I live.

But ever since the CCGs came out - since Magic: The Gathering - that's all they play. No board games. No RPGs. They'll sell them, but won't play them.

I had brought two games from the Gipf Project. I offered to bring them in and show them to the employee. He wasn't interested in even looking at them.

I had noticed some signs saying Sunday was an open game day, telling people to bring their games in and play something new. I said something like, "Well, maybe I'll bring them in on Sunday."

He said, "We don't allow people to bring games that we don't sell."

I don't get this. If someone gets interested in a game, wouldn't that generate sales? Wouldn't it be good for them to carry something new and different, especially if they became known as one of the few places that CARRY IT??

CCGs are fine, I suppose. I have a few myself. My problem is they tend to be prohibitively expensive. If you try to get started, you get your ass kicked by folks who have more money to waste buying booster packs to get the good cards. I can't afford to spend over $200 on a box that has every card available, including the "ultra-rare" ones.

And of course, the ones I got aren't cool, so no one will teach me...or no one knows how to play. I bought mine because I'm interested in the subject manner. But for some reason, no one wants to play the CCG of "Monty Python And The Holy Grail".

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But all is not lost.

There's a gaming group here in Orange County that has a website. I joined the site, but haven't had a chance to attend.

A new meeting will be happening on Sunday. I've RSVPed and will go there after work. I'll no doubt write up a report Sunday night.

I need this.

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That's all for now. Be seeing you.

Brin - 2006-06-08 13:53:43 -
I think the main thing that's the issue there at the store is the cost of the inventory. Gone are the days of sitting up swilling Mountain Dew and tossing D-20s in the pursuit of writing a backstory for a character; it's all done for you in a Gameboy now. :-( Give me Traveller or Rail Baron ANY DAY.

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Bob - 2006-06-12 11:37:59 - http://shadowgm.diaryland.com
At the same time, there are products like Champions that have become bloated, math-heavy behemoths - the latest edition of Champions (5th Edition Revised) is over 400 pages in teensy-tiny print that this aging gamer doesn't want to bother with. (We've swtiched to Silver Age Sentinels.) <> HIGHLANDER CCG? Shoot, I thought that product was dead and buried long ago - I have a few decks, but never played. If it's out of print, then the guy is lying when he says you can only play what they sell. <> Of course, since they're also not selling the creativity or brains that I put into my gaming, I guess I can't go into the store, either. Ack. Pffffffbt!

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