Z-Man Games Release Schedule

[Scott]

I don't see it as being likely, but I'll certainly pass the comments along to my contact at Z-Man.

[Carc-meister]

I don't see it as being likely, but I'll certainly pass the comments along to my contact at Z-Man.

Wow, thanks! 

[Scott]

Just received confirmation from Kalinda at Z-Man Games: the large expansions are being published in order with no plan at this time to publish anything separately. Neither River 1 nor 2 is being published separately. Cult is not being published separately.

Kalinda receives many emails and Facebook messages asking for separate small expansions. She has no decision-making power, but she passes your requests along to those that do.

The next release will be Abbey & Mayor, and after that will be Count, King & Consort. The dates of these releases are not set in stone yet, so there will not be an official announcement from Z-Man until they figure that out.

[Tacita]

Just received confirmation from Kalinda at Z-Man Games: the large expansions are being published in order with no plan at this time to publish anything separately. Neither River 1 nor 2 is being published separately. Cult is not being published separately.

Okay, so Z-man seems to be as inconsiderate towards the fan-base as HiG. Pity.

Bundles are never a good idea, but they are outright stupid if you (customer) have no alternative. If you want to buy River II, which has been out of print for a long itme, you now also must buy a lot of stuff that you probably already own, or at the very least: that you possibly could own. Personally I would consider buying a River II box since there are a few tiles that show wear, but I will *never* buy a bundle with other useless tiles in it.

This is why licensing is bad!

[Scott]

I sympathize with your position, but I don't view either publisher as being deliberately inconsiderate. It has been several years since the small expansions were released and people had plenty of opportunity to pick them up. The "compilation" supersedes the individual small expansions. Some people will buy the new version, and those who don't want to can buy the individual ones used from other players. If you want to be angry, direct it towards the people who sell used expansions on eBay for more than what they paid for it.

[Carc-meister]

I sympathize with your position, but I don't view either publisher as being deliberately inconsiderate. It has been several years since the small expansions were released and people had plenty of opportunity to pick them up. The "compilation" supersedes the individual small expansions. Some people will buy the new version, and those who don't want to can buy the individual ones used from other players. If you want to be angry, direct it towards the people who sell used expansions on eBay for more than what they paid for it.

Well, I can grab Count, King and Cult (German release) now for $25...or I can wait - and assuming Z-man will include River II - I can buy it later this year for a cheaper price. Hmmmm...decisions, decisions...

[Tacita]

If you want to be angry, direct it towards the people who sell used expansions on eBay for more than what they paid for it.

No. People can sell whatever they want for whatever price they want. It is up to me (and others) to decide if I (or they) want to buy it or not. Z-man just made a decision which will result in one less expansion sold.

Feel free to encourage them though. If bundles are good, then they should only sell Big Boxes, right? Preferable new editions every year, mixing the new expansions (which sadly will be released) in with old stuff, so that we all will have to buy everything many times over. Great for business, would you not agree?

[Scott]

No, I have to disagree with that. There's a subtle difference between a BigBox compilation and permanently combining small expansions into a large expansion.

[Tacita]

No, I have to disagree with that. There's a subtle difference between a BigBox compilation and permanently combining small expansions into a large expansion.

Not really. The result is the same: if you want a certain expansion you will most likely end up with things you already have. That is the whole reason (I think?) as to why RGG released the Cult, Siege & Creativity box. And although the Creativity part of it is rather useless, at least you did not get old stuff bundled with new. You did not have to buy the same thing twice.

[kettlefish]

 The river and the river II, king&scout also the Count were a give away at the Spiel in Essen.

In the past HiG had in their download section the river and the river II, the king&scout also the shrines.
Many people haven't the minis because they weren't at the Spiel in Essen.
Also the CundCo Shop didn't exists at that time.
But not all the people like to make their tiles for themselves - they like to have original tiles.
Yes and there were some people who sold the selfmade download river for example at e-bay...
HiG didn't like that - so we have no downloads there. But the people have the choice to buy the original tiles in the 6th expansion.

I think the production to that time for each little mini would be to expensive...
Perhaps that might be a reason that HiG decided to put the minis together in 6th expansion box.

All the license partner published the 6th expansion (for example 999-games, Lutapelit, filosofia games), only RGG not - so the English speaking world had not the 6th expansion...

RGG lost his license (ok there are some other reasons...) - not the other publisher.

[Khonnor]

I don't understand why someone would complain about them releasing Count/King/Cult bundled together as one expansion.

The way I see it... I paid 15 euro for The Catapult which was 12 tiles. I paid 15 euro for Bridges, Castles And Bazaars which was 12 tiles.
I also paid 15 euro for Count/King/Cult which was 36 tiles! If you already own The Count or The Cult, just sell the extra copies on Ebay.
Worked for me...

[Tacita]

so the English speaking world had not the 6th expansion...

The "English speaking world" got new stuff though, not old bundled with new. RGG did the right choice and showed consideration towards the fan-base.

I don't understand why someone would complain about them releasing Count/King/Cult bundled together as one expansion.

The way I see it... I paid 15 euro for The Catapult which was 12 tiles. I paid 15 euro for Bridges, Castles And Bazaars which was 12 tiles.
I also paid 15 euro for Count/King/Cult which was 36 tiles! If you already own The Count or The Cult, just sell the extra copies on Ebay.
Worked for me...

Good on you! Quite a lot of people will also use the excess tiles to make fan-made expansions, which is something I have nothing to say about. Find a use - all the power to you! It is hard to believe, however, that Z-man's intent is for their products to be either sold off or turned into something else. Of course, as long as it is sold they would not care, which is why they will not sell that particular bundle to me. Consumer power, simply. In no way, shape or form do I wish to regulate or impose regulation upon a company. I do, however, reserve the right of voicing my opinion.

The descision to bundle stuff without offering the option to buy the items separetly is a blatant show of disregard for the fan-base. It is a way to show that you do not understand the whole "supply and demand"-thing. It is the same reason, pretty much, why I do not own Wheel of Fortune: it is old content packed with new.

[Whaleyland]

No, I have to disagree with that. There's a subtle difference between a BigBox compilation and permanently combining small expansions into a large expansion.

All this whining and griping. I voluntarily bought CK&C three years ago and gave my single expansion boxes to friends. Now all the tiles that were included in that compilation have watermarks, which I much prefer. I think Count, King & Cult is a great little expansion which I fully support. Great value for your money too!

[Scott]

I'm definitely planning to pick up another copy just to get the watermarks. I bought Wheel of Fortune, and I bought the 10th Anniversary Edition. I have no regrets, but I am a completist.

In this case of CK&C, it's old bundled with older. Nothing new is being released until at least October. Z-Man Games is doing exactly what they did in France (Z-Man and Filosofiagames are run by the same people), and they're following what HiG does in Germany. Z-Man has much more regard for the fan base than RGG ever did. Whenever we would contact Jay, he would never give complete answers. With Z-Man, Kalinda is happy to tell me anything that she knows. I've also had good communication with her manager, Martin Bouchard, and kettlefish has had good communication with the CEO, Sophie Gravel. HiG has excellent regard for their fan base with their Carcassonne-on-Tour events, fan meetings, meeple kubb, and regular telephone conversations with kettlefish.

I won't fault anybody that would like certain things which are not currently offered, but I feel that insulting the publisher(s) is not the appropriate response.

[Tacita]

Great value for your money too!

Unless, of course, you already owned all the old stuff. But yeah, "whining" is always what the person who do not agree with you does.

I won't fault anybody that would like certain things which are not currently offered, but I feel that insulting the publisher(s) is not the appropriate response.

The only insult here is made by those that have no regard for the people who love their product. Who love it so much that they want to buy all of it, but maybe not so much that they want to buy it twice or thrice. I also bought the 10th anniversary edition, kept the "expansion" and sold off the rest. Do you really meant that *that* is what we all should do? Is it Z-man's or HiG's wish that their products should be divided and spread through Ebay or other such systems? I find it hard to believe.

All I say is that the consumer should have an option! A choice! Why that is a bad thing I will never understand. To say that it is expensive is not an argument. It is not more expensive than anything else they produce. There does not even need to be a tuck box; a simple plastic cover would be enough (Like with GQ11).

As far as I can see no one has presented any real arguments against this, but it is of course easier just say that I "whine", than it is to actually say anything about the topic at hand.