Retailers refusing to stock riskier new releases in favour of old-reliable IPs and high-margin second-hand stock might seem like a fairly cut-and-dry issue. Whether in fashion, food or video games, the High Street isn’t just a route to market, it’s a way to gauge customer response. Shops offer a barometer on what consumers want.
So when a retailer declines a new release, it’s just a polite way of saying ‘not right now’ or ‘no one’s going to be interested’.
After all, book stores don’t stock every book in print, right? And music stores don’t stock every album available, do they?
Well, of course they don’t – but games cost more per project, and offer their makers less chances to recoup that expense than other entertainment.
They require significant cash from the first day of production right through to the last day of the marketing campaign. Retail is a key part of the elaborate mechanism that has been built up by this industry to help find a return on all that investment.
By ducking out of the equation, stores reluctant to take a punt perhaps leave the impression that the entire model is just a massive racket; only support the mega-titles, cream off the top when those releases boomerang back as trade-ins, and leave no room for the little guy.
That’s a gross, distorted simplification, yes – but it is how some of the smaller players are starting to see things. When this week’s All Formats chart boasts only three original IPs – only two of which (Brutal Legend and Scribblenauts) were released this year – it’s hard not to sympathise.
Amongst the shadow of a recession it has become conventional wisdom that there is no room on the market for new properties. But who decided this? The industry – both cash hungry publishers and playing-it-safe retailers – needs to make sure this doesn’t turn into a self-fulfiling prophecy where only franchised games and sequels survive.
All franchises need to start somewhere, after all.
So take Martin DeFries comments not as stone throwing, but as a warning.
If retailers want to start being picky about what games to have on their shelves, they can’t moan when publishers start being equally choosy, and cut them out in favour of digital downloads, or exclusive deals with supermarkets and mail order specialists.
If you want proof that taking a chance on a new IP pays off, look no further than Assassin’s Creed II, which returns to retail next month.
Ubisoft put a lot into its first episode, and even more into the follow-up. But it has also made an up-front confession that if felt there was room for improvement on the original game – even when it sold over eight million copies.
Which goes to show that even if a new IP isn’t perfect, with the right support it can do the numbers first time around – and even come back for seconds.
Comments
Well...
Ill try any title, provide me sale or return and POS and ill put anything on the shelf.
Ask me to spend hard cash on something that stands a good chance not selling, and ill invest my cash in a profitable line, like any sensible business person would.
Dictatorial terms
It is pure lunacy to whine about your brand new IP's not getting the shelf space they deserve. Having been in the industry for nearly 7 years and in retail for nearly 15 years, it's abundantly clear that retailers stock what sells. To dictate through psychological blackmail is pathetic. Retailers, large and small spend a great deal of time agonising over what's likely to sell over particular periods throughout the year. Due mainly to the level of trash titles unleashed onto the market on a regular basis. High Quality IP's are indeed given a great deal of shelf space, the example of Assassin's Creed is a great case in point that if you create and market it properly any IP will succeed
Surely new IP developers could try and fill up the summer blackspot as opposed to trying to take on the big dogs over the Christmas period.
If their new titles hold up to critical review then they'll have more chance to elevate themselves to the upper echelons and become one of the big dogs.
At this time of year everyone's battling for the Christmas money, anyone stupid enough to try and take on Sequel releases with new IP's at this time of year is insane, unless you have a major marketing budget and some pretty big stones in your breaches. There are hallowed grounds where angels fear to tread and the Christmas FIFA's, Need for Speed's and Call of Duty's really do dominate this time of year.
Let's not forget though, Christmas 2006 when Microsoft released Gears of War, proof again that if your IP holds up then it'll sell.
Maybe people should stop trying to dictate what retailers should be selling and instead try to make titles that people will actually want to play past the January sales and dish out some proper marketing support.
If it don't work then you're doing something wrong, retailers who are "selling" the product shouldn't be blamed for terrible titles. Point out a title that was a new high quality IP that failed through lack of retail support and i'll retract this comment, otherwise make better games and they'll sell. simple as.
Sale or return
If Publishers have faith in a new IP and think it will sell, but retail do not - Then offer the retailer SOR
Infact if publishers are unwilling to offer SOR doiesn't that show a lack of faith in a titles saleability?
A solution
The lead-up to Christmas is probably the time the major chains will be moving the most new stock- so surely it's possible for them to take some of the less likely to sell second-hand and put it in the back room for a bit, to create a bit of extra shelf space, so retailers can expand the variety of games on the shelves on a temporary basis, then put it all back again mid-January or early February.
Smaller pubs like Rising Star get their games out for Christmas (just because the biggest seller is going to be MW2, that doesn't mean it's the only game anyone wants), the industry as a whole gets one of its bugbears out of the way during the big sales season (at least temporarily), and the retailers see increased footfall due to the greater range of product- everybody wins.
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