Game: Titan

Thread: Re: Official Delay Notice for Titan Reprint

Surya — 2008-07-20T12:58:25+00:00

Robrob wrote:
Will the delay result in an extension of the pre-order discount? :meeple:
I doubt that, as the way I understand it, the game has been printed, but the rules will be reprinted.

Thread: Re: Official Delay Notice for Titan Reprint

Robrob — 2008-07-19T07:43:50+00:00

Will the delay result in an extension of the pre-order discount? :meeple:

Thread: Re: Official Delay Notice for Titan Reprint

otrex — 2008-07-19T06:58:47+00:00

Aging One wrote:
Kevin,

Thanks for the update(s). Appreciate your keeping us (me) informed; it does make the delay more bearable. :)

Is there a similar impact for [GAMEID=24491]? :(

I'm in the process of investigating the impact this will have on Supernova and Municipium, as those are at the same facility as Titan. I'm hoping to have all the information by next week, and I'll post to let everyone know.

Thread: Re: Official Delay Notice for Titan Reprint

Aging One — 2008-07-19T06:49:57+00:00

Kevin,

Thanks for the update(s). Appreciate your keeping us (me) informed; it does make the delay more bearable. :)

Is there a similar impact for [GAMEID=24491]? :(

Thread: Re: Official Delay Notice for Titan Reprint

Mark_WH — 2008-07-19T05:33:12+00:00

I'd much rather wait through a delay than be disappointed with the end product.

Thread: Re: Official Delay Notice for Titan Reprint

BFoy — 2008-07-19T03:53:20+00:00

In general, I'd rather see the schedule slip than the quality slip.

Too bad it wasn't out in time for WBC however. Is Valley going to be there?

Thread: Re: Official Delay Notice for Titan Reprint

nicktaruffi — 2008-07-19T02:46:21+00:00

No need to worry about cancelling preorders: we DO want to see Titan reprinted reeeeally bad!
Keep up the good work!

a happy ( but still waiting the generals minis ) Hannibal pre-order buyer.

Thread: Official Delay Notice for Titan Reprint

otrex — 2008-07-19T05:56:28+00:00

Hello once again,

After a conference call with the rest of the Valley Games team, it has been clearly established that Titan will not make the expected July release date for preorder customers. We do apologize for the somewhat late announcement.

At this time we are awaiting the official information from our factory which should establish for us the timeline for shipment to our facility, followed by shipment to our preorder customers, and finally shipment out to retail stores.

We do expect to update our customers by next week regarding the new timeline for shipping to begin. We are not expecting significant delays at this time.

As is our policy, preorder customers are entitled to a full refund on their preorders if they should deem it necessary because of the changing situation. Please email us if this becomes necessary for your order.

Thanks to everyone for the strong preorder support for this game. We will do our best to exceed your expectations.

Thread: Re: Release status?

Zathraaas — 2008-07-19T03:48:22+00:00

Kevin, thanks for making a public statement on here about the delay.

I am glad VG has decided to address a few (albeit) minor issues with the printing before allowing the production to continue.

When Origins was over I provided some feedback collected from the tournament players to VG. There were several minor misprints identified, and while they wouldn't really affect play, I think it is to VG's credit that they went back to the printer and told them to get it right, rather than just continue the print run as is.

I think they 'get it', that Titan has a devoted fan base, and that said fan base has high expectations of their reprint of this classic.

When it arrives I don't think the fans will be disappointed.

Thread: Re: Release status?

Smilinbrax — 2008-07-19T01:53:47+00:00

otrex wrote:

In regards to Jason's comment: Yes, we are very careful when picking preorder bonuses so as not to release an "incomplete" game (I am *not* suggesting that this is the case with Agricola). We try to pick items that most gamers would consider quite valuable/useful, but without changing the way the game itself is played.

To expand upon that... I pre-ordered Titan and my wife pre-ordered Agricola for me.

When Titan arrives, I will get cool plastic minis that enhance the game (but are not required) and the full game.

When Agricola arrives I get the equivalent of the 1st German edition with cubes. No animeeples (which enhance the game but are not required)as they went to only the earliest pre-orders. No Z-deck as those have already been allocated (and the z-deck does add new cards to the game). Compare this to the second German edition which comes with the extra deck and animeeples when you buy it included and there is an upgrade kit for owners of the first edition.

I will still pre-order games as I don't spend too much time worrying about "when" they arrive. Assuming my Titan does not fall into a black hole, I will certainly pre-order from Valley games again. I will probably not pre-order another z-man game. There is something to be said for having a game out "on time," but it is not as important to me as having the complete game with as few errors as possible. On a side note, I do not plan to purchase a FRED game either until their quality control radically improves.

Also, I am not a valley games shill. The generals debacle gave me pause before pre-ordering Titan but they announced that the Titans ship with the game this time. So far, the only thing I can complain about is the wait time. It's amusing but will not kill me. :)

Thread: Re: Release status?

brunowolff — 2008-07-18T10:15:42+00:00

grimstuff wrote:

I like how Blizzard does things. Not a word about estimated releases until things are done and they can commit to it.
Blizzard the video game company? The one that provides terrible multiplayer servers and then sues people who provide a way for people to run their own multiplayer servers? They definitely aren't the kind of company I want to do business with.

Thread: Re: Release status?

otrex — 2008-07-18T05:51:46+00:00

chrisdem wrote:
If you cannot commit to a ship date, I dont think its right to keep throwing these estimates out there. This has to be at least the 6th delay. When you keep saying it will be shipping next month and that comes and goes, it just makes the customer more upset. In the future, I would suggest not stating any ship dates until you have something that you can actually commit to. I do agree that quality is very important, but also is setting realistic customer expectations.

Assuming that we do announce a slip to an August shipping date, this would be the *first* delay on these games. Not that we enjoy delays, mind you; I don't think anyone does. Again, if the delay is unacceptable to you, we're willing to offer you a full refund.

Putting out an inferior product to meet a release target would be a much bigger problem, in my opinion. I think it's a lot more respectful to your preorder to give you the best product that we can with the funds you've entrusted to us.

In regards to Jason's comment: Yes, we are very careful when picking preorder bonuses so as not to release an "incomplete" game (I am *not* suggesting that this is the case with Agricola). We try to pick items that most gamers would consider quite valuable/useful, but without changing the way the game itself is played.

Thread: Re: Release status?

grimstuff — 2008-07-18T05:14:24+00:00

Thread: Re: Release status?

chrisdem — 2008-07-18T03:54:03+00:00

If you cannot commit to a ship date, I dont think its right to keep throwing these estimates out there. This has to be at least the 6th delay. When you keep saying it will be shipping next month and that comes and goes, it just makes the customer more upset. In the future, I would suggest not stating any ship dates until you have something that you can actually commit to. I do agree that quality is very important, but also is setting realistic customer expectations.

Thread: Re: Release status?

Smilinbrax — 2008-07-18T02:25:28+00:00

tppytel wrote:
Woohoo! Let the vicious flames and snarky comments commence! Just like they have for Z-Man and Agricola!

Oh, wait...

I think there is no comparison. Z-man is releasing an inferior game to the public and only the pre-orders get the standard game.

Valley games does not do this. They may be late, but at least I will get the same game everyone else does.

So there's my snarky comment about agricola, but I have no problems with titan at all, delay or no.

Thread: Re: Release status?

grimstuff — 2008-07-18T12:58:05+00:00

xeonrf wrote:
This probably wouldn't be a real big deal if I preordered like 10 days ago or something, but you guys have had ahold of my money for months, always pushing back the release date. Please get us a solid answer, I'd love to have it before our upcomming convention in SoCal which is the very last weekend in Aug. Any chance this will happen before then?

I'd count on "no." If you knew anything about pre-orders, you'd know that all answers about release dates are "no."

Thread: Re: Release status?

xeonrf — 2008-07-17T11:11:25+00:00

This probably wouldn't be a real big deal if I preordered like 10 days ago or something, but you guys have had ahold of my money for months, always pushing back the release date. Please get us a solid answer, I'd love to have it before our upcomming convention in SoCal which is the very last weekend in Aug. Any chance this will happen before then?

Thread: Re: Release status?

Aging One — 2008-07-17T08:32:26+00:00

maka wrote:
Aging One wrote:
Well, Thought Hammer is listing the availability date as "Fall 2008" which is a lot longer away than August; how about November? :gulp:

Hopefully, if all is fair, those of us who preordered will get the game in August and those that didn't will get it afterwards (maybe in the fall...) :p

-Jorge

I pre-ordered. ;) :D

Thread: Re: Release status?

maka — 2008-07-17T04:21:55+00:00

Aging One wrote:
Well, Thought Hammer is listing the availability date as "Fall 2008" which is a lot longer away than August; how about November? :gulp:

Hopefully, if all is fair, those of us who preordered will get the game in August and those that didn't will get it afterwards (maybe in the fall...) :p

-Jorge

Thread: Re: Release status?

Aging One — 2008-07-17T03:10:30+00:00

Well, Thought Hammer is listing the availability date as "Fall 2008" which is a lot longer away than August; how about November? :gulp:

Thread: Re: Release status?

EagleWarrior1 — 2008-07-17T12:50:12+00:00

So, here I am ,in the US,like many of you awaiting Agricola and Titan.What's worse, Agricola is holding up a nice sized shipment from Thoughthammer.Now, I could alwayssplit the order up and pay the freight,but I won't...

I've been thinking a great deal about the pre order process,it's ups and downs and whether I want to continue doing it on occasion.I think if I do, there are several things I need to keep in mind.

1. Game publishers do preorders in order to get enough of a commitment to be able to publish a game with limited financial risk to themselves.They are businesspeople first, game enthusiasts second.They will do what it takes to make a profit and stay in business (I should note here that there is nothing wrong or evil about this)

2.They are thus encouraged to set the earliest release date imaginable.The earlier the release date,the greater the pressure/desire on the part of the consumer to preorder.(If the game is truly a year away and not 3 months away, what's the hurry to preorder?)

3.Just order and walk away.It's going to come when it's going to come.Don't make any plans to play any preordered game on your vacation,don't look to take your preorder game to a con,just don't.It's like the stock market,look every once in a while but if you check BGG every day looking for release info,you will go crazy.

4.You can just say no.Should publishers be more realistic/honest when they give you a release date?Sure they should,but it runs counter to their interests.Should they build in a 1-2 month fudge factor when figuring when a release will hit and deliver the game on time (Or even early ???).That would be nice, but see #2 above,it's better for them this way.At the end of the day you can just opt out of the preorder process as many have done in frustration.

In conclusion, I will continue to preorder for one simple reason...If I want the game, this is usually still the quickest way to get it.Waiting for a game to be released to purchase it will not make it get to you quicker.The main problem for people on BGG is that you care too much,don't set your leisure time activities by when Agricola or Titan will get to your mailbox.Just quit it, walk away,play another game,read a book,get interested in something else and before you know it,Agricola or Titan will be there and you'll be pleasantly surprised...

EW1

Thread: Re: Release status?

tppytel — 2008-07-17T02:02:45+00:00

Woohoo! Let the vicious flames and snarky comments commence! Just like they have for Z-Man and Agricola!

Oh, wait...

Thread: Re: Release status?

Smilinbrax — 2008-07-17T01:48:45+00:00

Yay, I win with August...

Unless it slips too... :what:

Thread: Re: Release status?

otrex — 2008-07-16T06:18:41+00:00

My apologies to you, Marty. I had replied to your geekmail here, but had wondered if the reply had reached you. BGG went down just seconds after I hit send.

In answer to your question, no it does not appear that Valley Games will be at WBC this year, and it will not be possible to pick up preorders there. I do not yet know if someone will be selling our games there, but I will let everyone know if this is going to happen.

I have an update on the shipping status of Titan coming shortly via our newsletter (which will, undoubtedly be reproduced here on BGG). We're waiting for the factory to provide us with more details on how far along the production is. I can say that we made some last minute changes to the tray insert to make it better able to hold all the pieces properly, and we found a couple typos that needed fixing (including one on one of the pieces). It was important to us that these issues be fixed.

I do not have an official shipping estimate just yet, however, I am growing more confident that we will now miss July. At the same time, however, I am under the impression that we should be able to make August, especially with the change of delivery port that we instituted. This August estimate is not yet offical, although I hope to make an official announcement within 2 or 3 days, pending our factory's response to us.

As you can imagine, nobody likes delays, especially us. Given the current need to produce games in international locations sometimes such delays are unavoidable. We remain committed to delivering the best product that we can. Quality trumps speed, in our opinion, and we believe that most of our customers would agree.

If necessary, Valley Games does offer a full refund to anyone whom requests it, right up until we begin shipping.

Thread: Re: Release status?

Marty S — 2008-07-16T03:47:18+00:00

I sent Kevin a Geekmail a week ago asking if it would be possible to pick up pre-orders at WBC . GMT does this every year with games whose shipping window is close enough that the game might land on someone's doorstep while they are at the convention. I also posed the same question on Consimworld last week .

Neither inquiry has gotten a response .

Thread: Re: Legion Splits in early game (2 or 3 players)?

BFoy — 2008-07-16T02:21:46+00:00

Its not uncommon however to slit a 5-high stack at the beginning of the second turn of a 2-player game...

Thread: Re: Release status?

jbetz45453 — 2008-07-16T12:38:00+00:00

I think the last that kevin from valley games posted in a previous thread he said on june 26th that "titan was still on track for a july release date".So it could be "released" on the last day of july i guess but you would not receive it until august.June 26th was over two weeks ago so who knows what kind of delays may have sprung up.I am wondering if I will have the game before the WBC(world boardgaming championship)which starts august 5th.They have a titan tournament there.right now it appears it could be close to whether it makes it or not.You figure it might take a few days after they announce a shipping date until it starts arriving at peoples homes.

Thread: Re: Release status?

4rchmage — 2008-07-16T02:56:47+00:00

I think what Chris was going for, and admittedly what I'd like to hear about as well, is if VG has given a set shipping date instead of a vague statement like the month, or season.

Though I can't say for certain, I suspect that a large number of people who have ordered the game would like to know specifics about one of the biggest highlights of their summer.

Thread: Re: Release status?

Smilinbrax — 2008-07-16T01:02:40+00:00

We are already at mid july with no peep from valley games. does anyone want to go for August?

Thread: Re: Release status?

Henry Rhombus — 2008-07-15T03:12:26+00:00

The latest from Valley Games was that the game would ship in July 2008 after being debuted (but not sold) at Origins in June.

Eric
Editor, http://www.BoardgameNews.com

Thread: Release status?

chrisdem — 2008-07-15T02:25:20+00:00

I am almost afraid to ask, but has anyone heard of any ship dates as of yet? I was really hoping that we would have the game shortly after Origins. Obviously that was wishful thinking.