Rhonda Becker of The Gamers Den in Cambridge, Minnesota writes in to share her thoughts on the growing trend of game exclusives.
 
I am saddened every time I hear about a new exclusive.  This morning I read a newsletter that says, Kittens in a Blender is now a GTS exclusive.  To most this probably is a small matter--KIAB was previously a $10 game.  To me it means a tough decision.  Do I stop carrying this title, which for the few short months I could get it through my regular distributor sold very well for me (before it went out of print) or do I discontinue carrying that and any other games from the manufacturer that end up exclusive?
 
I am a small store.  I place order through my regular distributor weekly, and I place orders through a secondary distributor approximately 2x per month.  The secondary distributor was added when a highly popular game line went exclusive years ago and we didn't want to let down our players.  There are game lines I have already discontinued when they went to a third distributor.  KIAB has now gone exclusive with what would be for us a fourth distributor.
 
So what do all these distributors mean to us, besides the headache of which one carries what, and will it even be in stock when I have a full order?  Most distributors have minimum order levels and if not at least there is a threshold for free shipping.  Our primary distributor has very low minimums to hit free shipping, and they offer us net terms and no fee for using a credit card.  Our discount level is very nice and I don't have to jump through hoops to maintain that level.  Our secondary distributor has a much higher minimum, charges us fees to use a credit card, and offers less of a discount.  Purchasing every game that has switched to exclusivity through them cost us more as a company.  Often we can't get promo items (they aren't at OUR warehouse) and we have to purchase our demo games, which our primary distributor often provides free.
 
The result on the game lines in store is I stock fewer titles by those manufacturers, and deeper, as I can no longer restock with an overnight order that I would likely place anyway.  Now I have to wait for days or weeks before I reorder those games, with the result they could be OOS on my shelf much longer than previously.
 
Last year I also wrote a Talk Back, when there were several companies in a row joining the exclusive bandwagon.  One company called me and tried to sway my perception, assuring me this would allow them to have better inventory control and eliminate OOS games.  Guess what?  They were wrong.  Any retailer knows it's hit or miss if they can get the hit games from that company.  It is often OOS for months on the exclusive distributors' website, including a major stretch last Christmas where no one could get their hot game.  Last week when I checked it was still OOS, as was the expansion for their hot game.
 
So now I have to decide.  Do I open yet another distributor account, pay more for the game, split my orders so I have enough to make an order (thus pulling support from my primary distributor) or do I simply let this one go and explain to future customers why I no longer stock KIAB?
 
Not what I planned to do today, but that's life in the current gaming industry.

The opinions expressed in this Talk Back are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.