« Avenues being pursued »
Numerous games companies have been approached with requests for helpful advice. All refused "to help the competition". The Toy & Hobby Association seems to be ignorant of the industry.
With the exception of Steve Nichols at Aztral Games, the nearest offer to give helpful advice came from a London-based agency who charge £60 an hour for consultancy. This is beyond our current means but we recognise that the advice on pitfalls to avoid may be worth the fee and will contact them again at a later date.
Research and statistics on the market are few and far between, Euromonitor Publications seeming to offer the only available information on the subject.
As it stands, Aztral Games will manufacture, store and distribute the games, thus giving us a very close figure in working out overheads.
It is futile to have a game mass-produced without adequate testing, and moreso without a definite potential for sales. The games have been tested both in the UK and in Ireland at games meetings and weekends and have met very good response from all concerned. Feeback confirmed that the rules are simple and easily understood, with little room for dispute, the games enjoyable and educating.
Finally we need a sales outlet. For this we have approached all the major shops, stores and catalogues that sell board games. The result from these ongoing enquiries is that they all have their orders to April 1989, but that they would like to see prototypes of this and subsequent games either as soon as they are made or, in certain cases, later this summer.
Addenda 2011:
Can’t believe it’s been 24 years since I first developed that. Stuff happens…
It’s been sat it a box since then. Thought I’d finally dust it off and shove it on here. The hope is someone will like the idea and turn it into an Internet or console game. If not, maybe I’ll remember again in another 24 years and code it myself!
Addenda 2014:
Not progressed, but neither is it forgotten.
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