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Glory to Rome: The final insult - or why Cambridge Games Factory and my ‘F’LGS are dead to me (part 2)

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(This post concludes part one of this tale of woe)

I’ve owned a copy of the card game Glory to Rome for quite some time and my only complaint with it was the poor quality of the cards (and the art wasn’t great either, although many others had more of a problem with that than me). So when a posher copy was announced, to be funded on Kickstarter, I was all over it like a big nerdy rash.

This was an established company after all (Massachusetts firm Cambridge Games Factory, CGF), so it didn’t hold the risk of being made by some fly-by-night amateurs that had put me off of other Kickstarter projects before. Oh, how totally wrong I was.

In case you’ve not heard of it, Kickstarter is an American website (there is a slightly crappier (for games at least) European version too, Indiegogo) which allows (via Amazon payment) companies or individuals to try and crowd fund projects they’re embarking on - from board games to music tours to films to gadgets. The money is only taken from your account if they reach their goal - and then the waiting begins. Yup, it’s a bit of a risk but then you’re funding creativity - there’s always a chance things will go wrong.

And with the Glory to Rome Kickstarter campaign, BOY have they gone wrong. This is a project run by a company with a stable of games already on the market, which already had the artwork in place for the new cards. Better yet it finished with well over three times the amount of money it had asked for (a massive $73,000 after asking for $21). I really didn’t think this was a risk at all - back in August 2011 when the project was funded.

‘You cheer my heart, who build as if Rome would be eternal’

Here are a few significant dates from the ensuing (and ongoing) debacle:

  • August 3, 2011 - project hits target after two days
  • August 18, 2011 - they big-up another Kickstarter project also about to end its funding period, Flashpoint: Fire Rescue. That game shipped in October 2011.
  • August 21, 2011 - free shipping offered to stores who want to stock the game and who are wiling to let people pick the game up from them (so I sign up after my local games store (LGS) agrees to get involved). “Once the Kickstarter project completes we are going to stop taking additional pre-orders, while we will be promoting all of the stores who have agreed to receive games as an option for pre-orders”
  • August 22, 2011 - project ends, CGF says it “intends” to have the game available for collection at Essen (in October 2011)
  • September 23, 2011 - first apology and excuses as wheels start to come off, but still claiming game will be available for Essen collection the following month
  • September 28, 2011 - and I quote: “Depending on what time you’re reading this update, your cards could be rolling off presses at the same time…”
  • October 10, 2011 - wheels, axles etc off. Printing didn’t happen due to complete misunderstanding and general incompetence. New target: Europe/US January 2012
  • November 14, 2011 - “Glory to Rome is… expected to be to you in January”
  • TWO MONTHS OF SILENCE
  • January 10, 2012 - doors fall from clown car, all backers get another custard pie to the face. More blame/apologies/excuses. Outcome? Admittance card files have only just been approved. Main shipment to arrive late April 2012.
  • January 25, 2012 - digital proofs received by CGF and “looked great”
  • February 8, 2012 - CGF heading to China on February 28 to check final product
  • April 19, 2012 - “Glorious news” - they simply must be taking the piss now, but no. “… we expect games to be arriving at your doors in the summer.”
  • May 21, 2012 - game still sitting in Shanghai
  • June 2012 - some advance copies actually arrive in the hands of punters, but not for the majority of backers. Also more people quit, giving rise to plenty more excuses as to why EVERYTHING has gone wrong
  • June 12, 2012 - I’m emailed by CGF: “We have reached out to [my LGS] through email, and hopefully we can make arrangements soon”. I tell my LGS, which replies “We have also had Email communication with them awaiting a reply. Things look like they are moving now.”
  • June 15, 2012 - main shipment leaves Shanghai…
  • July 19, 2012 - shipment ‘almost’ at Boston. Which isn’t in Europe
  • August 1, 2012 - One of my favourite updates: “We have received a notice from the shipper that the goods were scheduled to arrive on about July 21, but I have not yet received the actual arrival notice, possibly because our customs agent is on vacation until August 6th. There’s little doubt that the games are there, but I need to coordinate with our agent to get the games through customs. Oh, and also, we don’t actually have a warehouse in Holland yet”
  • August 3, 2012 - “Week of August 12 - Ship all in Europe from Amsterdam (definite)”
    Plus, for those who haven’t heard about store collection, “If you haven’t heard from us by next week, know that you are okay.” Right…
  • September 6, 2012 - In Europe, CGF is “planning to start shipping to game stores this week and individuals next week.” (see August 3 entry above). This was the last Kickstarter update
  • On the same day I receive an email from CGF telling me it has not been “successful in securing the participation” of my LGS - a month after “I knew I was OK” (again, see August 3 entry above). I reply the same day with my postal details
  • September 18, 2012 - having heard and received nothing, I email CGF to get an update or at least confirmation of shipping. I am yet to get a reply

A conclusion

So, in true British fashion, I’ve steeled myself for further disappointment. I’m expecting to wait at least a few more weeks and then the box will probably be damaged - or I won’t get everything I think I should in the package etc.

But what even I wasn’t expecting was to see that very same Glory to Rome: Black Box Edition on the shelf of my LGS when I went browsing a couple of weeks back. Not only that, it was priced at a very reasonable £25 (I paid $35 to Kickstart it, or about £21.50). And no, I don’t have my copy yet.

When I got home I checked and yes, I could order it elsewhere online for under £20.

It’s hard to know where to start really. Not only do I not have my game, but I paid for it a year ago and can buy it for less elsewhere before I’ve even received it (in fairness, I should also be receiving some bonus items for pre-ordering it, but then these were meant to be rewards - not paid extras).

Then there’s the question of where the truth lies in terms of my LGS and CGF: what really happened here? did the store say ‘no’ to keeping the game for me after saying it would? Or did CGF simply screw up and not follow up on the emails? either way, neither of them has redeemed themselves in the situation.

But the outcome is simple: neither of these companies will receive another penny of my vast wealth (ahem). Sure, they won’t lose any sleep over that, but then again I am sure I’m not the only person coming to this conclusion.

When in a disastrous production life cycle do you realise that it might be prudent to stop making promises you’re clearly incapable of keeping? Or realise you should start throwing REAL money to ensure you can hire proven members of staff with the expertise to do the job and salvage a situation so embarrassing it is likely to taint your company forever? Short term expenditure to ensure your long term reputation. You can’t lay the blame at the door of interns…

And if you run a bricks and mortar retail outlet, you need to do one of two things: go cheap and scrimp on service (to compete with online stores), or charge more but offer exemplary service, stock and surroundings to justify those prices (and that’s for All staff and ALL of your customers, not just the nerdy teens who kiss your ass).

If I ever get Glory to Rome delivered, I’ll do a little update post to let you know (although I doubt publishing this will speed up the process). And if I ever go back in that store.. ah, who am I kidding - unless it changes hands, or I hear of miraculous changes on the grapevine, that simply isn’t going to happen.

Glory to Rome: The final insult - or why Cambridge Games Factory and my ‘F’LGS are dead to me (part 1)

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Let me warn you in advance that this is a long and convoluted tale of anger and misery rained down upon me by folks laughingly claiming to provide some kind of retail ‘service’.

A bit of background: I worked in retail for years and for many of them I thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, if the pay hadn’t been so bad I’d probably still be doing it now. I know retail.

Much of the time I didn’t have to do the bit I despised - the soul destroying till monkey nonsense, where you’re just smiling and pressing buttons all day. I normally managed to noodle my way into ordering for or running a section, or customer orders. Here I could really feel I was offering an actual service to customers, while often being in a situation where I was dealing with high expectations but low guarantees of release dates, prices etc. I think I know a bit about customer service.

Ruining a good browse

So, fast forward to the second Wednesday in September. On my lunch break I wandered innocently down to my local game store (formerly known as my friendly local game store, or FLGS) for a browse. I’d looked forward to it on the way there (it’s a 20+ minute walk) but just 10 minutes after arriving I was back outside in a thoroughly bad mood. I doubt I’ll visit the store again.

I’ll get to the meat of why (and the blog post’s title) in a minute, but before the knock-out punch the store had already landed some unpleasant body blows. But before the before (are you still following this?) I should say this: most of my previous dealings with the store had been a pleasure, as I’d dealt mainly with a lovely lady who often works there. But whenever she wasn’t working, as on this day, it really sucked.

I arrived to see four Magic: The Gathering players packing up. This always puts a smile on my face, as having gaming space available is a great resource for a gaming store. It’s a bit of a shame the tables are in the middle and quite as front and centre - especially as young Magic players tend to reflect the stereotype many of would like the hobby to get away from - but that said, even then, I reckon these tables are doing more good than harm.

How to get a game store WRONG

However, the greeting I got as I came in immediately ruined the mood; the frumpy teen behind the counter gave a disinterested nod, while the older member of staff (wearing a pretty inappropriate Spurs football shirt - something I never did when working in a store) aimed what can only be described as a scowl in my direction. I clearly wasn’t one of the ‘in’ crowd (thank god).

So, now on the back foot, I set my eyes directly on the game shelves to avoid further service dissatisfaction.But it was actually pretty hard to do this with the two male staff getting all alpha male over the girl that was with them (I presume she wasn’t working - three staff would’ve been overkill - to be honest, two was). Once again, throwing things at each other across the store while shouting isn’t the best way to get away from the poor image many outsiders give the industry.

But back to the games. The selection was actually pretty impressive at first glance - lots of titles that had been the darlings of the recent GenCon gaming convention in the US, including Seasons and Rolling Freight. However, the shine soon came off when I saw some of the laughable prices; Rolling Freight at £65, Core Worlds at £45 - simply completely out of touch with reality. This is a store that is relying on customers being as uneducated as the staff if they’re going to sell anything.

Failing on so many levels

Then there was the copy of Cities that had sat on the shelf so long that the box side had literally lost all of its colour - it was white, rather than yellow. So of course it had been discounted, right? Ha! no chance. No one had even noticed, despite the fact it must’ve been there for months. It just summed up the staff’s attitude towards both the stock and the customers (beyond the Magic in crowd, of course).

So no care for customers, or the stock, which is massively overpriced (by £20 in the case of Core Worlds) - while the staff are acting like five-year-olds. It’s such a shame. But the worst was yet to come… and herein lies the second half of the tale (which will segue with the first half perfectly later on, honest). I’ll post that up later on and link it here.