When there's such an easy (and free) way to get folks excited about purchasing a product, I find it baffling as to why it's not something we can count on not something we hope we'll be surprised by.

Random guess: Because of the amount of leaking last time, this time they are delaying as much as they can to track if anything is leaked... it is convoluted enough to be corporate logic.

Except we know that the leaks came from an overseas store that got cases early and opened them. It had nothing to do with previews.

And again i do not think we will get any previews at pojo either. Looks like review #200 is going to be something pathetic.

There's also the possibility that because Force Unleashed is somewhat of an embargo product and because SWM FU is already way ahead of everything else they're on a much shorter leash about giving away details on this particular set.

We saw something similar with RotS where they were way more touchy than usual about releasing info because of LFL wanting everything to go live on a specific date.

Would be nice if they had at least let us know what the preview schedule was going to be ahead of time. I don't mind waiting for the previews to start, but I'd at least like to know how long that wait will be.

If they're that touchy about releasing info because of the game they still could have done previews that don't include the 15 new characters from the game.

Assume November. Then whatever you get is an unexpected bonus. I have never been a fan of tons of previews myself, and I get a kick out of the people on WotC who act as if they are "owed" a certain amount of previews just because WotC did it before. I always figure, whatever we get gets me excited, and otherwise I will wait till the set drops. I kinda like reading through new cards anyways. Its a whole lot more fun to get excited over a new UC or C that you pulled for he first time, then opening your cases merely to see what rare you got.

I'm the same way. The previews are a nice little bonus for me to come home to for a few Thursday nights before the release. They make the wait for the set a little easier. Instead of thinking there's 6 weeks until the set comes out I can think there's 6 days until the next preview comes out. The new stuff never really seems real to me until I have the stat card in my hand.

They don't owe it to their fans to get customers excited about product; they owe it to their shareholders.

and it looks like their giving us nothing but FU today. Does that count as a preview :/

(get it? that was a pun)

Ba dum bum!

Unfortunately it does feel like an FU

The sad fact is WOTC know that Star Wars pretty much sells itself so very little marketing is needed to sell the SWM. If they choose not to give us previews what can we do? Not buy their product? Yeah right, we're all gonna buy the new set regardless of previews

I have heard that argument before, but never from a WotC official (and I talk to them every chance I get). That mindset is total bull.

SWM does NOT sell itself. It probably sells a higher percentage than other WotC games because of the name brand factor to non-gamers, but that is not the same thing. WotC needs to care about the GAMING aspects of this product the same as they do for the others. And I think many of them do. I just think their hands are tied because the lawyers allowed LFL to bully them with the contract that was signed.



Those of us that are diehard gamers and SW fans, yes. There are a lot more casual SW fans that would enjoy this game, too, if there was more promotion.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect any less treatment for game than any other WotC game gets.

Why would a WotC employee admit something like that? Besides, that decision would be made way above the level of the employees I'd image you get to talk to. I'm absolutely certain (because I, too speak to WotC employees every chance I get), that the promotional money is allocated to those endeavors that they think need it most; and SWM sells quite well without additional funds. Maybe now that they've had so many colossal failures they'll decide to put money into those projects that have already shown success ('sure things' as it were).
Bye Dreamblade and Hecatomb.

FU brought us our very first video comercial. It's clearly intended to bolster awareness among SW fans that might not be SWM fans.

That's a good start.

Boris, are you a Star Wars Role-Player?
When WOTC got the licence for Star Wars there was big backlash from D6 players. The then WOTC marketing manager for Star Wars RPG, Lisa (IIRC, I forget her surname), was the one person talking to the fans through message boards and even Jae's SW-RPG Mailing list to assure us that D20 was the way forward. She pretty much sold D20 RPG to the Star Wars role-players. Two weeks before it's release WOTC had a staff clearout and all the Star Wars marketing division were made redundant with the reason given that they didn't need to market Star Wars.

Wow, I hadn't heard that before, but of course the only SW RPG I have ever played is Saga Edition.

I also have to admit I misspoke before. As I was reminded, a WotC official did say to me once that they don't want to promote a game that sells itself. That was very early on though, and the comments that have come since in my random discussions are a complete 180 of that attitude.

If they want the game to grow (not just collectiblilty but actual gaming) they are going to have to do more promotion.

Agreed, but that is not (apparently) their current attitude.

I agree that Star Wars does need marketing. Heck, even Microsoft with their world domination of computing still spend millions promoting their products.

I know of miniature gamers who never heard of SWM before I mentioned it. Sarah Haines and Rachel Kirkman are the brand managers for SWM & RPG now (they were interviewed in Game Trade Magazine), so I guess they're the ones do the marketing. The more recent sets have had more publicity. A&E ran magazine adverts and even starwars.com isn't hiding away the minis articles like they did with the first few sets.

I'm a Star Wars role-player and SWM player/collector, so it does bug be sometimes that the gaming side of Star Wars is not that well supported. Gaming is slowly getting recognised as less of a geek hobby, but compare the marketing/availability/sales of the minis to the regular action figures and I'd say the action figures are leagues ahead.

The stigma must be stopped; these miniatures are worth so much more than action figures. If this game were advertised right I think it could double or triple in serious gamers.

I spend enough on this blasted game to count as two or three times myself. With the holidays coming up, and all the family get togethers and food, maybe I'll try to increase my bulk to two or three times myself to justify all the figs. An entire set for each sector of myself. With four more sets on the way, I should be able to make Jenny Craig drool with the thought that one day, I may give up gaming. Dream on Jenny, dream on.