BGG.con is over and it went very well all things considered. Homesteaders was the major surprise of the show, and has been receiving a lot of attention from the gaming elite. I am of course very excited about this development. Terra Prime was also very well received by players, but since the mechanics of the game are more complicated it has yet to come into full bloom.
The Issues That Were Discovered
Despite having discussed moisture content with the manufacturer after receiving the proofs, the games arrived moist. They were not dripping wet, but everybody could also tell that they were not totally dry. Not good. The moisture caused the potential for the ripping of paper and marking of tiles. Thankfully the moisture content has not allowed mold to grow.
Unfortunately it is probably only a matter of time until mold does grow, so all of the games will have to be dried as soon as possible. Drying takes manpower, silica packs, new shrink wrap, and possibly hairdryers. All of this costs money, but not as much money as having to reprint destroyed games.
I addition to the moisture, we found that some of the games had an incorrect distribution of pieces. At first we though it was only that some boxes of Homesteaders had the incorrect punchboards. However since BGG.con we have also heard about some boxes of Terra Prime being incorrectly packed. Not good.
Possible Solution #1
Do nothing and manage the aftermath. Unacceptable. Despite the fact that this would thoroughly bother me, as a new publisher I cannot have the reputation of allowing errors to go out because they are manageable.
Possible Solution #2
Fly to Atlanta, where PSI’s warehouse is. For the uninitiated PSI is my fulfillment company. Manage a team of temporary workers to break down the games, and individually repackage them. This is a very time consuming and expensive process.
Possible Solution #3
This solution was devised after speaking with Fred at PSI. Yet another example as to why you should use a fulfillment company when publishing games. They have dealt with problems like these before, and have some experience as how to efficiently resolve the problems.
All games will be checked to makes sure they have the right punchboards in them and the correct component baggies. All games will have the silica packs thrown in them. The correct games will be re-shrunk and used to fulfill orders. The incorrect games will be separated and shipped to my house. From my house, I will be able to deal with the remaining components issues myself over time.
Delays, Problems, Delays, ETC
All of this is enough to drive a person mad. Thankfully for myself I am an overly calm person and have been able to think clearly about being able to do what needs to be done.
Please rest assured that as a consumer, retailer, or distributor, you will be receiving product without errors or issues. The goal of my trip to PSI is to make sure that all copies of the games are within a typical 1% error rate.
Related posts:
- Fact or Fiction… Publishing Board Games Is Good Finance?
- A Week At PSI’s Warehouse
- Importance of Lists and Timelines for a Proper Plan + Example
- 5 Signs You Don’t Want To Use That Manufacturer
- Co-Op Publishing – Thinking Out Loud – Please Comment!
- Do You Have Beer Goggles For Your Own Games?
- Reader Questions: Why $39.95 for Homesteaders and Terra Prime?
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