The Shortsightedness of Manufacturers
June 25, 2002
Yu-Gi-Oh is a hot topic with retailers because they can see that this CCG could be a top seller in the hobby if only enough product were available. Gail Burt of Metropolis Comics contrasts M:TG with Pokemon and has some advice for Upper Deck if they want to make Yu-Gi-Oh a perennial seller.
Goes Live Today
June 24, 2002
Wizards of the Coast announced today that the company will take its franchise collectible card game, Magic The Gathering online. WOTC is hoping that Magic can cast its spell online, and will be able to compete with popular online games like Everquest , which have become huge cash cows --but some retailers are worried about the effect the online game will have on in-store sales.
We Talk to Two Medium-Size Retailers
May 21, 2002
This week we spoke to two retailers with medium size stores that also use events to build sales: Chris Petitto of New World Manga and Robert Nicaise of Dr. Bob's Game Shop.
In Run-up to May Release
May 18, 2002
Although the Spider-Man movie did not debut until May 3, its influence was already apparent in the Top 10 Cool products in several categories in April.
Two Retailers Give You Tips
April 16, 2002
Non-sports trading cards can be a successful product category, so we sought out a couple of retailers that we were told do an especially good job of merchandising and promoting entertainment cards to find out their secrets.
Attendance Stable vs. 2001
March 21, 2002
The GAMA Trade Show, the gathering of the RPG, CCG, miniature game, and board game industries, recently wrapped up in Las Vegas, with a record number of exhibitors and stable attendance vs. 2001.
Plus Surprising Price Point Trends
March 17, 2002
Two #1 products repeated in February, a testament to the strength of some recent releases and the weaker competition scheduled for this normally weak month.
Retail Division Not Affected
March 13, 2002
A spokesperson for Wizards of the Coast has confirmed to ICv2 that the company has laid off 50 employees today at its headquarters in Renton, Washington.
Odyssey Sequence on MTG Sites
February 26, 2002
A flurry of posts to at least two Magic: the Gathering Websites has raised the question of whether the sequence of rare cards in boxes of Magic the Gathering: Odyssey Booster Packs is truly random.
Plus Lots of other CCG Products
February 15, 2002
A visit to the Wizards of the Coast section of the Hasbro Building at this year's New York Toy Fair leaves no doubt that WotC will be very busy in 2002.
