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Author
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Topic: Hasbro to close all Wizards retail stores
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NoPoke
Member # 42315
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posted February 16, 2003 11:47 AM
Just been listening to the webcast from the bosses at Hasbro...
seems like all the retail Wizards stores are to be closed by end 2004.
the whole thing is here Q4 2002 Hasbro Earnings Conference Call
pokemon TCG still gets a bashing but is not expected to decline further in the USA at least.
I guess this is a continuation of a previous thread but I didn't want to excavate. earlier thread hear and here
[ February 16, 2003, 11:53 AM: Message edited by: NoPoke ]
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'Good News' or 'Bad News' but NOT NO NEWS
some people brag about their tournament results, me I'm gonna brag??? about what players have managed to get past me LOL
-------Hoodwinked---(things I won't get wrong again...)------
'legal stalling' : game loss at least
'only joking' on misreported match results: DQ Yep its that serious!
The prize swap penalty as it applies to shuffling.
From: Crawley England | Registered: Sep 2001
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ilc
Member # 38442
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posted February 16, 2003 11:57 AM
Wow, crazy ![[Eek!]](../tcg/eek.gif)
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From: Scizor's Domain | Registered: Aug 2001
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yoshi1001
Member # 825
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posted February 16, 2003 12:01 PM
Well, that's really too bad. However, it is difficult for WotC to compete with all the hobby stores out there. And at least no further decline is expected on our part.
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From: Janesville, Wisconsin | Registered: Feb 2001
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nick15
Member # 142
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posted February 16, 2003 02:32 PM
Cons: We lose straight-from-Wizards support in terms of stores.
Pros: The time, money, and energy spent on maintaining the stores can be channeled into other, more productive things.
At least we don't lose the game, that's all that really matters. Even when TopDeck was axed (which sucked, I liked it), the game continued. Here's hoping that something good comes out of this, even though people will be losing jobs.
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From: Dukhovskoknabilebskohatsk, Russia | Registered: Feb 2001
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Toys'R'Us Kid
Member # 19105
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posted February 16, 2003 05:55 PM
Johnny - I think so, i called my local one.. and he said there opening more. which i dont believe since he is an idiot. =/
~truk
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From: The 7-Up Commerical | Registered: May 2001
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Soslowpoke
Member # 70
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posted February 16, 2003 08:33 PM
Feh...and I was just gonna turn in my job application for GameKeeper soon too -_-
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From: Chicago | AIM: cool runnings93 | Registered: Feb 2001
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Planteon
Member
Member # 49075
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posted February 17, 2003 12:28 AM
Anyone who can summarize main points in a written form?
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"There is only one thing money can't buy: Poverty" - John Cooper Clarke
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From: Sweden | Registered: Nov 2001
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NoPoke
Member # 42315
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posted February 17, 2003 01:39 AM
Not easy... there was a lot of 'financial speak' which I don't understand.
#1 Focus on core brands
#2 licensed products get a bashing ![[Frown]](../tcg/frown.gif)
#3 Big Boss is a fan of wizards ![[Smile]](../tcg/smile.gif)
#4 Magic doing very well
#5 Star Wars license renegociated
#6 Pokemon and Harry Potter BIG TIME loosers last year
#7 no news on the pokemon license
#8 Lots of emphasis on cost control.
#9 Hasbro anticipating great things from NeoPets
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'Good News' or 'Bad News' but NOT NO NEWS
some people brag about their tournament results, me I'm gonna brag??? about what players have managed to get past me LOL
-------Hoodwinked---(things I won't get wrong again...)------
'legal stalling' : game loss at least
'only joking' on misreported match results: DQ Yep its that serious!
The prize swap penalty as it applies to shuffling.
From: Crawley England | Registered: Sep 2001
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Planteon
Member
Member # 49075
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posted February 17, 2003 03:30 AM
quote:
Originally posted by NoPoke:
#6 Pokemon and Harry Potter BIG TIME loosers last year
#7 no news on the pokemon license
Regarding #6: Any numbers mentioned?
Regarding #7: I take it that the licence issue was not mentioned at all then?
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"There is only one thing money can't buy: Poverty" - John Cooper Clarke
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From: Sweden | Registered: Nov 2001
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Pokidad
Member # 135
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posted February 17, 2003 04:55 AM
Well, this gets Hasbro out of retail and back into supplying them. I heard this about four months ago from our local WotC store. I was told that the retail side was not as profitable as they wanted them to be. Hasbro isn't into retail business. I'm sure this is just part of the long plan of buying WotC and keeping the parts that make money and selling off those parts that are not part of their main business (like retail stores). It is sad for the employees of those stores as well as location to play Friday night Magic and Saturday afternoon Pokemon. Oh well
From: Falls Church, VA USA | Registered: Feb 2001
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Gym Leader Blaine
Member # 5977
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posted February 17, 2003 07:56 AM
I have worked for a Game Keeper in the past, and I have know that WOTC has been wanting to get out of the retail side of things for over the past year or so, mostly since Hasbro has taken over there have been a lot of changes. A lot of people have been let go, and the people left at WOTC have had to pick up other hats. Im sure the MT's could back this one up of all the things they have to do in the main office.
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darkmt_mike presents the speaker with question 83 from gym_leader_blaine:DMTM who would win in the battle in Gengar VS Jango Fett?
darkmt_mike says, "Hmm. think Gengar uses the Force so I would bet on him."
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From: Salt Lake City, UT | Registered: Mar 2001
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NoPoke
Member # 42315
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posted February 17, 2003 01:01 PM
$118 million dolars mentioned as the cumulative losses for HP and Pokemon.
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'Good News' or 'Bad News' but NOT NO NEWS
some people brag about their tournament results, me I'm gonna brag??? about what players have managed to get past me LOL
-------Hoodwinked---(things I won't get wrong again...)------
'legal stalling' : game loss at least
'only joking' on misreported match results: DQ Yep its that serious!
The prize swap penalty as it applies to shuffling.
From: Crawley England | Registered: Sep 2001
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Skywolf1
Member # 1448
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posted February 17, 2003 01:23 PM
quote:
$118 million dolars mentioned as the cumulative losses for HP and Pokemon.
Well, judging from what I have seen and heard from others, in regards to Pokemon, this seems to be I think mostly on HP.
Reasons for this:
Harry Potter products are everwhere. From what I have heard, Pokemon products are very hard to find. The only place I have seen Pokemon toys and such, as of late, is at the Pokemon Center in NYC, and when I was there, they were flying off the shelves.
The HP TCG, never took off here, and has dropped out of the top 10 TCG's according to InQuest magazine. Pokemon has come close, (#8) in January, however, has made a SIGNIFICANT comeback (#3) in February with sales.
HP has not been seen here in LV in YEARS, as far as the TCG goes.
Ruby and Sapphire have sold close to 4MILLION copies in less than three months in Japan, I feel that the same will happen here. After all, just recently Akira Chiba, President of PUI has gone on record as saying, that there will be new games, new tv series, new merchandise. The article can be found here: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030211/110231_1.html
All in all, if Pokemon merchandise isn't widely available, which apparently it isn't, and demand for Pokemon is still HIGH, than, I would be forced to conclude that much of that $118M loss is due to HP.
My 5 cents.
Skywolf1
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From: Las Vegas, Nevada USA | Registered: Feb 2001
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Gym Leader Blaine
Member # 5977
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posted February 17, 2003 01:58 PM
I know up till last year only one store was even running a Harry Potter league. The thing that I notice the most is when a new set came out within a month you could buy a box of it for $30 or less on ebay. A couple of distribitores I know wont even carry that card game anymore. O well, but I think that Pokemon is still selling, just not as much as they would like to. There is the other game that should not be named that is taking some people away while the fad last, but they will be back.
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"One day I will be the most powerful Jedi ever!" - Anakin Skywalker
darkmt_mike presents the speaker with question 83 from gym_leader_blaine:DMTM who would win in the battle in Gengar VS Jango Fett?
darkmt_mike says, "Hmm. think Gengar uses the Force so I would bet on him."
Salt Lake City Professors Web Site
From: Salt Lake City, UT | Registered: Mar 2001
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NoPoke
Member # 42315
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posted February 20, 2003 05:15 AM
One thing that has just come up is that Hasbro escaped a big fine from the OFT for price fixing. However it seems like in order to avoid a $30million fine they have dropped their retailers in it.
Record fine for toy price-fixing this is from the BBC
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========================================
'Good News' or 'Bad News' but NOT NO NEWS
some people brag about their tournament results, me I'm gonna brag??? about what players have managed to get past me LOL
-------Hoodwinked---(things I won't get wrong again...)------
'legal stalling' : game loss at least
'only joking' on misreported match results: DQ Yep its that serious!
The prize swap penalty as it applies to shuffling.
From: Crawley England | Registered: Sep 2001
| IP: Logged
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ukpokemonpro
Member # 518
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posted February 20, 2003 12:21 PM
LOL .. hand in the cookie jar ... naughty Hasbro ![[NoNoNo]](../tcg/graemlins/nonono.gif)
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quote the judge...
'only joking' on misreported match results: DQ Yep its that serious!
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From: Gillingham, Kent, UK | Registered: Feb 2001
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