Limited Run Games

[Sumez | 2,950]

23 hours ago, MiamiSlice said:

Everyone prefers open-preorders, but then complains about the long fulfillment times.

The non-open preorders have also had insanely long fulfillment times though.

Fwiw I I wasn't complaining. I respect that there's probably a good reason for their incredibly long delays, and 2 month shipping time, but that doesn't make it any less stressful for the end user.

Edited March 14, 2021 by Sumez

[Californication | 1,477]

I mean imo LRG has decided that customers will put up with the long wait times and are content with that. It's a profitable business, they could reinvest in their capacity/supply chain to reduce the wait time. They get 4 or 5 games a year that I want to own and can't get anywhere else so I don't stress abouy it and take it as a given that I will get the game at some point. From an accounting perspective it is very interesting think about how this business model would allow someone to juice their financials or smooth them out as needed.

[Sumez | 2,950]

Curiously though it only works because they charge people right away when they preorder. That would have been illegal in most countries.

But at least they are pretty trustworthy.

[TDIRunner | 2,735]

1 hour ago, Sumez said:

The non-open preorders have also had insanely long fulfillment times though.

 

Sometimes, but not often.  

[Tanooki | 4,933]

11 hours ago, Californication said:

I mean imo LRG has decided that customers will put up with the long wait times and are content with that. It's a profitable business, they could reinvest in their capacity/supply chain to reduce the wait time. They get 4 or 5 games a year that I want to own and can't get anywhere else so I don't stress abouy it and take it as a given that I will get the game at some point. From an accounting perspective it is very interesting think about how this business model would allow someone to juice their financials or smooth them out as needed.

Pretty much how i feel since i detest digital only, and they fix that.  My complaints really come from don't make a speculative promise of a delivery quarter, let alone a year, then go fuck it.  That's the only reason I've called out my annoyance because otherwise they do a damn fine job of it, a far sight better than their earlier days.  Back when it was really LRG, tiny windows, a-holes with bots scooping, one and done mentality they sucked.  When it came to running a 2-4wk window to buy, having the more popular stuff sit at best buy, then they turned the corner in my book to being alright.

They really should though get a better deal going to get their stuff manufactured much sooner.  I mean I get it, if it comes to stuff with a bunch of added fluff, but even then they could adjust for it.  If there isn't any, and it's just them printing games, covers, little manuals, the trading card taking 6+mo is bs.

[Sumez | 2,950]

Isn't the 4 week preorder window just a requirement they were forced into, specifically for Switch releases? Probably due to some standard maintained by Nintendo.

Either way, I prefer it that way too. I'm not a fan of releases being "limited", but whatever it takes to be able to guarantee you'll break even on a physical release is fair enough I think.

Edited March 15, 2021 by Sumez

[MiamiSlice | 3,095]

40 minutes ago, Sumez said:

Isn't the 4 week preorder window just a requirement they were forced into, specifically for Switch releases? Probably due to some standard maintained by Nintendo.

No, there are plenty of limited release publishers that don’t do this. The only requirement from Nintendo is that Euro releases have to have a minimum print run of 3k carts and North America releases have 5k. That’s it. They chose to switch to the open pre-order window format themselves.

[TDIRunner | 2,735]

8 minutes ago, MiamiSlice said:

No, there are plenty of limited release publishers that don’t do this. The only requirement from Nintendo is that Euro releases have to have a minimum print run of 3k carts and North America releases have 5k. That’s it. They chose to switch to the open pre-order window format themselves.

Their rational for it was that they didn't want to deal with the fallout from Nintendo fans who might not be able to get the games they wanted if they stuck to 2k or 3k print runs.  

[Reed Rothchild | 9,525]

That's how I prefer it.  I can leisurely order CotM2, NMH1, and NM2 (and whatever's coming up) sometime in the next month, without being huddled at my PC at 8am on 2-3 Fridays when I'm supposed to be driving my kids to school.

Does that mean an extra 1-4 months of waiting for shipment?  Yeah, but who cares.  I'm not exactly starved for stuff to play.

[TDIRunner | 2,735]

To be honest, I prefer it that way too, because open pre orders makes it easier to combine multiple games together to save on shipping.  When you order that way, you sometimes have to wait longer because they won't ship any part of the order until everything is ready.  But I can be patient because I'm an adult.  

[MiamiSlice | 3,095]

Finally got around to unboxing my Super Blood Hockey from Premium Edition Games. They came up with a cool slipcover-style outer box where they put the Switch case inside of an NES-style cart sleeve and then they put that inside of a book-style sleeve. Looks very... "premium" as the name suggests. 

Oh, and they put the trading card inside the case alongside the manual, instead of throwing it in the shipping box like an afterthought!

[Inzoreno | 102]

I'm happy with the open preorder system that they have active at this point, I know that I would have missed out on plenty of games if they stuck with the original model of having a very limited supply available. I have so many games to play at this point, I don't need to have anything from Limited Run ready at this very moment. I can wait. 

[Brickman | 3,983]

https://www.destructoid.com/stories/limited-run-games-is-selling-the-sega-astro-city-mini-arcade-cabinet-on-friday-623552.phtml
 

Astro City Mini will be available on LRG. I’m not interested but it’s going to be a shit show for those who are. 3500 available and no purchase limits.

[Tanooki | 4,933]

UGH that'll be a self inflicted dumpster fire more or less.  It'll be a scalpers wet dream to say he pay us 4x the price of the Japanese one, because the paper is in english.   Better off just importing it off Amazon Japan or something.

I wonder what they're smoking not forcing a limit of one per buyer as that's just begging for bot blasting.

[avatar! | 1,811]

35 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

UGH that'll be a self inflicted dumpster fire more or less.  It'll be a scalpers wet dream to say he pay us 4x the price of the Japanese one, because the paper is in english.   Better off just importing it off Amazon Japan or something.

I wonder what they're smoking not forcing a limit of one per buyer as that's just begging for bot blasting.

Overall I'm very happy with LRG, but sometimes they make such poor decisions that you wonder if they actually know what they're doing?? I mean, they do obviously or they wouldn't be in business. But why not have a limit of say 2 on something that is likely going to be a hot collector's item? Well, good luck to everyone interested!

[Tanooki | 4,933]

I'm more pleased than not, hated them initially when all they did were those no holds barred style small runs that went straight into scalper central.  Once they wised up, started giving weeks of warning, then weeks of an open window, on top of the most popular of them being dropped at best buy too I then liked them.  It just didn't feel like collector abuse crossed with vulturism.  This though heads right down that pipe annoyingly, and it as you said, made a really poor decision.

I've seen a good many of these bought online and imported out of Japan, not sure what they were thinking that they were nervous enough to cap that at 3500.  I've been interested in it just haven't pulled the trigger partly due to the price vs game list, but also the virus making Japan mail a nightmare and a hellish expense.  I may try and see if I can weasel in on that, but I won't be broken up if I don't.

[Brickman | 3,983]

1 hour ago, Tanooki said:

UGH that'll be a self inflicted dumpster fire more or less.  It'll be a scalpers wet dream to say he pay us 4x the price of the Japanese one, because the paper is in english.   Better off just importing it off Amazon Japan or something.

I wonder what they're smoking not forcing a limit of one per buyer as that's just begging for bot blasting.

Yep agreed. I don't understand it all, the demand is definitely there and I think even more would be interested if they knew it was going to be an open order or more available. Even a 2 per person limit like Avatar said would be a big help in stopping so many getting scalped.

Let us know how it goes, these things normally open at midnight my time so I'll be asleep haha.

[Tanooki | 4,933]

I just checked it, for about 14 1/2 hours or so right now Amazon JP has a sale for ¥9,990 + ¥2,281 shipping

That's basically around $115USD shipped, promises delivery within a week.

 

Screw scalpers.

Screw LRG on this really DUMB move on short stock.

 

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B08CF2KHZB/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=SEGA+ASTRO+CITY+MINI&qid=1616455094&sr=8-1

 

The USB gamepad is on sale for nearly 1K yen off at around 2100 yen ($19~) which beats out LRGs short stock of those too.

 

If you want it, this far beats any other avenue as they're like $140-150 USED/NEW on ebay and other second hand ways. Playasia is also $150.

Edited March 23, 2021 by Tanooki

[Sumez | 2,950]

9 hours ago, avatar! said:

But why not have a limit of say 2 on something that is likely going to be a hot collector's item? Well, good luck to everyone interested!

Why should something that you can already get plenty of other places be a hot collector's item? If it is, it's not going to be any time soon.

[MiamiSlice | 3,095]

2 hours ago, Sumez said:

Why should something that you can already get plenty of other places be a hot collector's item? If it is, it's not going to be any time soon.

Well... it’s like how certain games are hot collectors items in ESRB even though you can still get a PEGI or USK version for retail price.

[Sumez | 2,950]

1 hour ago, MiamiSlice said:

Well... it’s like how certain games are hot collectors items in ESRB even though you can still get a PEGI or USK version for retail price.

So in that case, the only people that are impacted are the ones that care more about superficial collector aspects than the actual product they are buying anyway, right? Doesn't sound like a real issue to me.

[RH | 4,903]

8 minutes ago, ChickenTendas said:

They're a business. The non limit thing is put in place to get people who are on the fence about it to pull the trigger, in order to sell more games. Just the thought of scalpers buying up all of the stock creates a frenzy around the product. Not it mention it actually does draw resellers and scalpers to it as well. Maybe you don't agree with the business model, but it seems to be working just fine for LRG.

Personally I'm happy that companies like them exist, and it's cool to see how they finance print runs for indie devs, but some of their practices are really bullshitty for a company that claims the "preservation" angle. Like, I think what they do is great and I've been very pleased with the two games I did get, but don't try to argue that you're helping preserve games by limiting the number of product available and allowing people to order as many as they please, and then not restocking when the demand is there. They have gotten better at this over time though, props to them on that.

I don't fully agree.  I think as a boutique company they've had to pivot and get creative to keep games accessible and I think they have done well.  Like many, I did NOT like the OG model for LRG where they had quick, limited sales.  I hated it and on NA I was vocal about it.  But, when they changed to the open 1-month of pre-orders, I became a fan.  But, for the "really popular stuff", doesn't that usually get a re-issue with a new cover and make it's way to Best Buy and maybe other retailers?  IMHO, there's nothing wrong with letting that first run go to collectors, but a HUGE successful game getting a re-issue with a new cover, shipped to Best Buy makes sense.  I'd be willing to bet that happens to Scott Pilgrim.  They sold that like gang busters, so I have no doubt a Best Buy launch will come out. Doesn't that fix your issue with the business model you outlined?

[TDIRunner | 2,735]

10 minutes ago, RH said:

But, for the "really popular stuff", doesn't that usually get a re-issue with a new cover and make it's way to Best Buy and maybe other retailers?  IMHO, there's nothing wrong with letting that first run go to collectors, but a HUGE successful game getting a re-issue with a new cover, shipped to Best Buy makes sense.  I'd be willing to bet that happens to Scott Pilgrim.  They sold that like gang busters, so I have no doubt a Best Buy launch will come out. Doesn't that fix your issue with the business model you outlined?

Not with LRG.  The copies going to Best Buy are all part of the initial and only print run.  The only games that end up at Best Buy are part of the open pre-orders and Best Buy is allowed to pre-order as many as they would like, just like any other buyer.  Because Best Buy has an agreement with them, they typically end up with their own unique covers which make their versions variants, but it's all part of the same run.  There have been many examples of games getting second print runs through different publishers, but that's another story.  That can always happen, and I encourage it for popular titles.  To your point above, when second publishers get involved, usually the original run from LRG will end up more collectible, and that's fine with me.  The buyers who are only concerned about value can fight over the smaller number of copies.  

 

Edited March 23, 2021 by TDIRunner

[TDIRunner | 2,735]

In the past 3 or 4 years, LRG has done an excellent job of reading the market and making the most popular titles part of the open pre-order program.  There is a reason why the Sega Astro City Mini isn't an open pre-order.  It's possible that they are nervous dealing in a different market and they don't want to take a chance, or it's possible they are limited by the manufacturer, or there could be another reason.  I don't know the answer, but I know that it isn't deliberate just to piss people off.

[TDIRunner | 2,735]

6 minutes ago, ChickenTendas said:

 pretty much the exact opposite of that.

 

I get that you don't like some of their business decisions, but it's FAR from the opposite of preservation.  

Those super small limited runs at in their early years are what allowed them to become the size they are today.  Without that practice, they wouldn't have survived long enough to continue making physical releases.  

People always complain about bots and scalpers, yet it's always a small number of games for any given title that end up on eBay.  I've never had trouble buying anything including some of the really small print runs and the same can be said for a lot of other collectors.  If you ever want to see some really crazy collectors, join some of the LRG collecting groups on Facebook.  The number of people who have bought EVERYTHING (including variants) from LRG is almost disturbing.