Andrew Iwamasa of Collector's Corner in Midland, Michigan saw the article on the Wizards of the Coast Star Wars CMG exclusive for Target (see 'Target Gets Star Wars CMG Exclusive'), and feels that the effect is to force hobby channel customers to buy at a mass market retailer:

Perhaps someone could explain to me how having an exclusive item is going to make any product get a wider audience?  WotC is releasing a Star Wars Minis pack only at Target and they think it 'will be an awareness driver for the product line and help move mass consumers into the core for more specialized SW CMG products.'  In my experience over the past 13 years of running my own store and prior to that being a private collector, mass market exclusives rarely bring those customers into our mom/pop stores.  Perhaps it will sell a few more units due to a few collectors purchasing them that wouldn't normally, but I think that what it will do more is take the customers that purchase items in our stores and 'force' (no pun intended) them to buy outside of our stores, which have supported the product from the beginning.

Now, does selling items in Target, EB Games, Barnes & Noble, etc. get the product out to more players?  Yes it does.  I am perfectly happy to see that happen.  It widens the target audience and gets more people playing and purchasing the games.  I do not, however, see how having a non-hobby exclusive helps at all.

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