Wizkids goes Exclusive

[Spriggan]

There's a bunch of hub-bub over at ICv2 about wizkids going exclusive with Diamond/alliance as the only distributes of their products and I was wondering what's the big deal about it.
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9883.html

Well if you take this quote from Roger Fletcher of Diamond:

How will Diamond and Alliance handle sales of WizKids products to Internet retailers?

The policies of the two companies will be the same as they were in the past.  Alliance's terms of sale require a brick and mortar storefront to become a customer.  Diamond's do not specifically prohibit Internet-only retailers, but we're taking steps to implement changes for WizKids products.  In the case of specific Internet companies, if WizKids brings specific businesses to our attention, our systems have the ability to prevent them from buying WizKids products. 

http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9889.html

and this quote from WKs

Our products are best served when they're sold in brick and mortar stores because of the interaction that that venue provides.  One of our biggest directives is to make sure that we create a closer alliance with these retailer stores.

http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9886.html
So it looks like WK wants the cheap internet costs of their products to go away the only way to get their products on the internet is via a hobby store that has a website.

and reaction from other distributors
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9890.html

The management of ACD, until last year WizKids' largest hobby distributor, called the action a "slap in the face."  "WizKids is showing no loyalty to a company that supported them from the beginning, took risks on their unproven products, and took an initial financial risk to the tune of over a quarter million dollars," CEO Rich Kummer said of ACD.  "Instead they are going with a company that passed on them at the beginning."

The interesting thing about this change is now there's no way for Canada to get WK products since all those distributes have been cut off and Diamond doesn't sell to stores there.

[Fellfrosch]

It's not just that Internet sales are cheap, it's also that Internet sales do not foster organized play. If I buy my figures in a store I immediately have contact with other players, official judges, and a live tournament venue. I can't remember the last time I bought a game and the clerk didn't tell me what day and time I could come in and play it in their store. Organized play is the lifeblood of collectible games, so it's no surprise that Wizkids continues to push brick and mortar stores as heavily as they do.