Availability Update

[Ian Young]

Molotov  writes...

> Unfortunate.  I wonder if that will turn out to be "top-selling" as in
"only WotC
> games" style (like the Games Workshop stores)...

Whoa, whoa...easy there, Tex.  I'm far from what you'd call a mouthpiece
for WotC, but their store here in Seattle carries a pretty fair smattering
of games across a wide spectrum of genres and publishers -- including the
ARS MAGICA line from our friends at Atlas.  So, let's not put the torch to
them until they've proven themselves flammable.

Now, as far as the bit about only carrying "top-selling" RPG lines goes,
I'm a little uncertain of how true that may be -- they're the only retailer
I've ever seen carry BLUE PLANET on display, and there are other isolated
instances of minor sub-genre games on their shelves.  I suspect that a
closer stab at the heart of the matter is more along the lines of "we won't
bother putting it on the shelves until we've heard sufficient buzz."  This
would account for anomalies such as BLUE PLANET, HONG KONG ACTION THEATRE,
and BUBBLEGUM CRISIS gracing their racks.  And, after all, you can't blame
them for not wanting to take up valuable retail space with a game they're
not sure will ever sell.

The solution, as John Nephew suggests, is for locals to make a point of
asking WotC if they could at least order the book for them (yeah, a fine
poster-child I am -- I got all nervous and ordered directly from Atlas). 
Another positive step would be to preach to the un-washed masses and let
people outside of this list know what a double plus good game UA is.  And
as we've read just earlier today, actually playing the game with your
friends (or better yet, strangers!) is probably the best way of stirring up
a buzz.

Erk...enough of me.
Ian