Peter Struijf
Netherlands
Zoetermeer
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this is the third part in the series "Essen - oder Gegessen Werden".
Thursday 23 October, 0946....a momentous moment: the three friendly youngish middle-age gentlemen from England stand in front of my shop window (the table with a carefully feng-shui arranged display of game pieces, mapboard and pre-order list, with vistas of the Kraków boxes lining the wall behind it) smile at me.
"Yes, that's me." I say.
"We want to play the game" says one of the gentlemen in a kind manner. They seem quite pleased to have found and reached my stand before the official opening of the fair, aided by the green Press tags.
My mind wonders what kind of Press these guys are....they don't look like Wall Street Journal types....and if they were they should be busy writing about bigger things than my little game right ? Right ? Now, stay calm and explain how Geode Games plans to operate here....
"Oh I am sorry, I was not planning to have any actual games played. You see, I only have this table and I am all alone right now. This was meant to be my little shopwindow, so people could walk by the stand, touchie-feelie-seeie the game, while I stand behind the table and answer their questions. I don't know how I could help any other people if I sat down to play a game....." I say with little confidence. But it seems a logical answer to me....weren't they going to play back at their hotels anyway ?
Three faces stare at me in disbelief and three jaws drop slightly. Clearly they did not expect this answer. A pair of blue eyes over a friendly beard locks onto mine. He reminds me of Dumbledore in the movie, with a smaller beard. A calm and very determined voice says:
"Yes. But We Want To Play The Game."
I know this voice. We all know it. I have heard it many times before. In movies. At school. And of course, of course long back at home.... Moment of desperation. Should I stay friendly and firm like I used to when I had a job I knew anything about? Or sit down with them and abandon the whole shopwindow concept...
These guys are My Customers. Not just any customers, my first ever. And they are the Press! I could get ripped to shreds in the Wall Street Journal, when they write their daily Essen update this evening. And They-Want-To-Play.
"OK....why don't you come over here, we put the board like this, move this carefully arranged stuff over there at the back. Stick my pre-order list somewhere on these boxes, let's play the game."
Enormous backpacks are heaved into the tiny shop, coats are taken off, the three friendly determined youngish middle-aged gentlemen are pleased and sit down. Now I have to explain the game to them. My wife always says I take way too long, explain far too many details....but I have the wolf pack of Reviewers coming around this afternoon, so it might be a good occasion to try out my rap.
I explain the game. They already have read a little about it, so after some 15 minutes we start the card game. I also have to play myself as the fourth player, of course (how silly to design a game you can only play with four people, what was I thinking ?). I wonder how am I going to run this shop while playing a boardgame...what if the pre-order guys show up...well, who cares - here we are, let's enjoy it.
The game turns out to be really good fun. They-Who-Want-To-Play are really friendly, the game is full of banter and innuendo, some laugh at the text on my cards (woo-hoo !). I find out they are from a boardgaming club in England. Press badges are NOT that hard to get, apparently....good to know this.
At the end of the game, Blue Eyes says they want to buy a copy and ask me to sign it for them, which is quite an amazing question. I never signed anything but the Purchase Orders, the Requisitions and the Exit Interview Sheets.
Signing their copy of the game...wow that is exciting. The big blank space of the inside cover opens up before me, I have a pen or marker in hand. What to write ? Suddenly I realise this game here, played by these three friendly determined youngish middle aged customers and myself, is the first game ever played with the real, actual and final stuff from the box. I tell them this, explaining I only saw the game for the first time the day before, and carefully dedicate my message to Blue Eyes: "You played the first game and lost !"
During the course of this game (which lasted about an hour), several interesting and encouraging things happened. Soon after we started, several German boardgamers found my little stand and also asked to play the game. My Swiss friend Chris, who is visiting the fair and offered to come around and be of any help if necessary, shows up. I give him a fanwear promo t-shirt and a hug. Suddenly I see the obvious combination - German boardgamers, my Swiss friend, and my next appointment at 1230 with two Polish guys (a boardgame shop owner and a games publisher). I ask Chris to explain the rules to them in German and assist them with their game, while I go off to my appointment.
During these first few hours of the day, I have already learnt a few things: many people come to play games here, shops are really game demo grounds (everything else is frills), press cards are green. Those kind English gentlemen kindly dispelled my own irrelevant assumptions this morning. I am grateful to them. Nice, this Vertical Learning Curve (VLC).
A few of my games have been sold. Sold. Paid for. I saw them pay Jack. With my very own eyes. Right in front of me.
The customers during the first few hours were mostly Bag Men. I will tell you a bit about those in the next episode. You will hear about my Meeting with the Poles. And the Reviewers will storm onto the stage...
Don't go away now.
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Eric Atmaja
Indonesia
Jakarta
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great story !
I'll share this article to my fellow indonesian 
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Marco Keja
Netherlands
Leusden
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Great fun to read!
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Peter Struijf
Netherlands
Zoetermeer
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madhobbit wrote: Great fun to read!
Thanks so much guys ! I have been waking up in the middle of the night to write a chapter for the past three nights (helped by high levels of adrenalin and a bit of jet lag) - I really enjoy some creative writing in between all the business stuff I am involved in during the day.
I foresee now I have another 2-3 chapters I could write....and as long as I wake up around 0400 without setting an alarm each night, I think they will be nocturnal musings, or something like that....
Cheerio,
Peter
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Daniel Vincent Hadikrisno
Indonesia
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Man, its like reading a novel..
Looking forward for the next episode Peter! Thanks for sharing this great journey of yours.. 
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Rich P
Colombia
Sheffield
United Kingdom
I didn't know what to do with my UberBadge, so I left it as a GeekBadge.
I'm on a world tour right now, with limited access to BGG. My microbadges will spell out where I am at the moment.
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Very entertaining reading. I look forward to the next installment.
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RUSH May 21st 2011
England
York
North Yorkshire
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peterstruijf wrote:
The game turns out to be really good fun. They-Who-Want-To-Play are really friendly, the game is full of banter and innuendo, some laugh at the text on my cards (woo-hoo !). I find out they are from "Beyond Monopoly", a boardgaming club from England. Press badges are NOT that hard to get, apparently....good to know this.
Oh really? Three people from Beyond Monopoly! got press passes and I did not??? I am the BM! Chairperson.
Peter, was it the green press pass or the red/white exhibitor pass? What were their names?
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Matthew Bond
United Kingdom
Norwich
Norfolk
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Good stuff. Thanks for sharing.
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Peter Struijf
Netherlands
Zoetermeer
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Hi Jon,
sorry for the gaffe there ! My mistake !
 
It turned out I mixed up you guys (who came a little later and told me where you were from) with the first group of guys ! That happens if you try to remember everything that happened a week after the adrenaline rush...
My apologies to all of you - I have edited the story to represent reality, as I now know it !
The gist of the story remains, broadly, the same of course....
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Mark Farr
South Africa
Sandton
Gauteng
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This is a fascinating read, Peter.
Your writing conjures up fantastic imagery, as though I was there myself. I can't wait for the next one. I'm as excited about reading the next chapter as I am to get my hands on your game.
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Very good reading. I´m waiting for more.
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Jacob
United States
Lexington
Kentucky
Go Pats!
My awesome son =)
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I've enjoyed reading your story more than any of the other reports coming from Essen. Thanks for taking the time to write it up and for showing us the perspective from inside the booth.
When the story is all told I will be tipping the last installment! =)
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David Larkin
England
Brighton
Sussex
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Can't wait for the next instalment, and in case you forgot to take any photo's while you were at Essen Andreas has posted a couple including one of me looking very studious while playing see photo 90
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/351246/page/1
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Chris Payne
United Kingdom
Exeter
Devon
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A picture of three of the English gentlemen playing THAT first game...
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/image/390006
I was the only one with a press pass and have already submitted my glowing review upwards. Watch this space for news.
Chris
Sorry boys and girls, the image has been declined by the BGG admins:-
Reason: The image was badly cropped or not rotated.
Reason: The image was irrelevant to the subject.
Reason: The image was too similar to another image already in the database.
Reason: The image was submitted under the wrong category.
Reason: The image was too small.
Reason: The image was under/over exposed.
I'll see if I can find another home for this momentous moment for the designer of Krakow 1325 and his first gamers.
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Chris Payne
United Kingdom
Exeter
Devon
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Peter,
I've put the picture in my personal gallery...
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/images/user/34807
I think Dumbledore has his back to us....
Chris
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bran mcmillin
United States
Batavia
Ohio
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REALLY GREAT STUFF, PETER!!!
i think these are great! suggestion would be to add the previous posts' links at the end.
GREAT STUFF! 
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Peter Struijf
Netherlands
Zoetermeer
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Hi guys,
thanks so much to all of you for the big encouragement. It is a lot of fun to write this stuff (otherwise I wouldn't spend my nights behind the computer screen, I am not some kind of solitary drunk sad antisocial hermit loner or something, if that's what you thought...). To have an audience which actually enjoys and looks forward to these scribblings is a really nice thing.
I am not really sure how to include the links to the previous posts..if any of you finds that childishly simple, please lend a hand ??
I will certainly try linking it up at the end of the next episode, which I hope to write in a few hours time. I first need to have a lie down, so I can wake up ready to describe the hard truths (sometimes inflated, lopsided or tiddlywinked of course) that need to be told about the rest of my Essen D-Day.
Cheers
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Mark Johnson
United States
Santa Clarita
California
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peterstruijf wrote: I . . . carefully dedicate my message to Blue Eyes: "You played the first game and lost !"
I'm really enjoying this story!
-Mark
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M LF
United States
Tarrytown
New York
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I just wanted to say, Peter, that I am also really enjoying these installments. These kinds of stories help me to build a "personal" connection with game designers which adds to my enjoyment of their games. Just to let you know, I have just added Krakow to my wishlist thanks to these posts. Can't wait for the next chapter...
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Krzysztof Zięba
Poland
Kraków
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Ha, I'm waiting for the meeting with the Poles I hope they were nice to you
And THANKS A LOT FOR MAKING A GAME ABOUT KRAKÓW. I come from the city, and I am extremely proud you found it interesting. I hope that players will, also
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Tim Goose
United Kingdom
Hitchin
Hertfordshire
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Quote: Three faces stare at me in disbelief and three jaws drop slightly. Clearly they did not expect this answer. A pair of blue eyes over a friendly beard locks onto mine. He reminds me of Dumbledore in the movie, with a smaller beard. A calm and very determined voice says:
"Yes. But We Want To Play The Game."
We prefer to think of him as Obi-Wan. (Think first Star Wars film.) Obi-Wan walks up to the booth. "We want to play the game". Peter says "Oh I am sorry, I was not planning to have any actual games played." Obi-Wan waves his hand and pitches his voice a little lower, using the Force. "We want to play the game". A now befuddled Peter says "Of course you must play the game", only later wondering how it all happened.
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Ken Dean
United States
Athens
Ohio
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Peter-
Great posts! Your experience sounds frightening and exhilarating. I'm looking forward to getting your game.
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Steve Blackwell
United Kingdom
Brighton
East Sussex
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I love that quote below!
Peter, it looks like you are doing a great Marketing job with these stories. Inspiring stuff. You already have one person after a copy solely on reading your chapters and I am interested enough to check out your game page on here.
Keep up the good work. I wish I could send appreciation in GeekGold but thumbs up will do for now.
 
Shandazar wrote: Quote: Three faces stare at me in disbelief and three jaws drop slightly. Clearly they did not expect this answer. A pair of blue eyes over a friendly beard locks onto mine. He reminds me of Dumbledore in the movie, with a smaller beard. A calm and very determined voice says:
"Yes. But We Want To Play The Game." We prefer to think of him as Obi-Wan. (Think first Star Wars film.) Obi-Wan walks up to the booth. "We want to play the game". Peter says "Oh I am sorry, I was not planning to have any actual games played." Obi-Wan waves his hand and pitches his voice a little lower, using the Force. "We want to play the game". A now befuddled Peter says "Of course you must play the game", only later wondering how it all happened.
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K A
United States
Unspecified
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Peter, there is also that writing career that you should work on...
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Seems like I just walked by when the game with the English guys was over:
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Posted Wed Oct 29, 2008 5:20 am
