Avalon Hill Blows It Again

In keeping with Avalon Hill's long-standing tradition of terrible decisions and generally fucking things up, they've just announced that the third game in their reissue series (which include cardboard-only editions of DIPLOMACY and ACQUIRE) is going to be some kind of AXIS AND ALLIES anniversary edition that adds Italy (so it's a 6 player game now), a much larger board, and cruisers. Retail is $100.

Now don't get me wrong. 6 player A&A with some new units and a big, nice board isn't a bad idea. But for one thing, the damn thing is $100 (which outprices FFG's Epic box games by $20)and for another it's just been 3 years since we've seen a revised A&A _that could have included_ these revisions.

I don't know anyone that into A&A at this point to drop $100 on some kind of jumped-up collector's edition. I get that AH is thinking that this is probably their tentpole brand and all, but if anything a reprint could have been an opportunity to get a new brand started or to capitalize on the demand for their best out-of-print games. It's a lazy, stupid business decision.

I can't imagine a mainstream, casual gamer walking into a store to buy A&A and opting for a version that is _$40_ more than a very nice, recent edition of the same game. I mean, have sales of A&A minis and those BULGE and GUADALCANAL games been that great? I don't even know anyone who bought any of that stuff.

Oh well...I've cut AH some slack in the past for crummy business decisions but man, this one stinks.

Fucking ouch. THAT is state of the art stupid. That type of price point will only apply to "Collection Edition" junkies and uber A&A fans.

Me? I'll pass on that, thanks.

I like Axis and Allies but not enough to shell out $100 for a new edition with Italy and some cruisers. Given the Italian contribution to the war, it seems like a pretty stupid addition if you ask me. Heck, why didn't they add Canada or Australia instead (both made larger contributions to the war). I've been tempted to pick up Guadalcanal but since it's a two player game and my two player time is better spent with better games, it will wallow on the shelf. I have a bunch of the Minis (both land and sea) but I see those wallowing on the shelves as well. And since they decided to make half of the next Navy set sister ships, I will probably pass on that as well. (I'm one of those crazy people that bought extras and painted them so that I had sister ships).

If you want a monster Axis and Allies variant WWII game. Spend $115 and buy Pegasus' The War Game WWII . This is a monster, has tons of stuff, and plays up to 8..

I really don't understand how releasing a bigger, more expensive, more niche game is supposed to make them more money. I'm not keen on business, but this just seems like more of a misstep than usual, even for this new "avalon hill." What next, a collector's edition of rocketville?

Count Orlok wrote:

I really don't understand how releasing a bigger, more expensive, more niche game is supposed to make them more money. I'm not keen on business, but this just seems like more of a misstep than usual, even for this new "avalon hill." What next, a collector's edition of rocketville?

Has Avalon Hill ever made anybody money?

MWChapel wrote:

Has Avalon Hill ever made anybody money?

Resellers of their OOP stuff?

I dont know if we have any millionaires who are members of Fortress Ameritrash but I will try this any ways...Will some one please purchase Avalon Hill back from Hasbro Please !!!!!Anyone?
Hell If I had the money I would...I am just getting sick of the once great Avalon Hill being turn into some crack whore hooker doing tricks for some dirtbag greedy pimp.

Druen Kree wrote:

I dont know if we have any millionaires who are members of Fortress Ameritrash but I will try this any ways...Will some one please purchase Avalon Hill back from Hasbro Please !!!!!Anyone?
Hell If I had the money I would...I am just getting sick of the once great Avalon Hill being turn into some crack whore hooker doing tricks for some dirtbag greedy pimp.

If i was a millionaire, I would just buy every AH game ever made in mint condition, and spend the rest of my money on something other than a money sink.

How would they incorporate Italy into the existing Axis and Allies Scheme? Their conquests amounted to Ethiopia and Italy and in the time frame of Axis and Allies, they didn't even have that. They did have troops in Russia though but they were basically under German command and logistics. Same thing with some of their forays into Africa. After Mussolini was killed, Hitler was pretty much running the show as far as the military was concerned.

I guess I could possibly see them splitting Italy into 3 parts, Northern, Southern and Sicily, but I can't see it producing many IPC's.

As I said in my original post, splitting out Canada or Australia would make more sense as both contributed more to the war than Italy.

Potentially the most boring power to play Evar, Italy in A+A.

I don't think I'll ever play A+A again, but even for people who still love the game... a longer more massive A+A? Is that really the answer for more sales and happier players? Wha?

I don't get it.

Making A&A a 6 player game is possible, but only if you start at 1939 and add France or Italy then. Starting in 1942 with Italy is silly; Il Duce was being propped up by Adolph and the Italian army was a shadow of what it was even in 1939 (cue derisive laughter).

If you're going to add a 6th player in A&A, you could add China as a separate player, or divide the UK into Pacific and European divisions.

Then again, I still have the original version of A&A lying around, and I didn't really intend to purchase the revised edition anyway.

WTH is wrong with WotC anyway? Why do they behave like a kid in need of Ritalin when they simply cannot wait for a product line to grow? Maybe a better way of looking at WotC is a football analogy: Wizards is behaving like the Washington Redskins, constantly looking to get the instant upgrades via free agency, when they should be concentrating more on building through the draft.

--Mike L.

Depends on the print run. If they produce just a couple thousands copies like Mega-Settlers I can see the logic, and they will sell them.

I think the key to revitalizing A&A isn't to go the "BIGGER THAN EVER!" route, but instead to learn a lesson from Risk 2210. 2210 isn't "bigger and badder" than regular Risk. It plays quicker but doesn't short change the epic conquest. It adds more options for players while retaining the simplicity. I'm not sure exactly how I'd achieve the same results with A&A, but that is what they should be trying to do.

I dont know, I guess I'm the only guy here who thinks this sounds badass. The price is lame, and I am perhaps imagining it as being more FFG-y than it is going to be, but I'd buy this if I could get around 25% off.

Adding a sixth player is cool, imo. Everyone's complaints about Italy are valid, but you seem not to realize, the point is to dig up another Axis faction, not just another player. That's why it has to be Italy, and not France, Canada or Australia. Who else would they use, Vichy France?

If they revamped the pieces in a good way and made the board old-school I would be sold (the new A&A board looks too much like Risk, and is too small. The 80s one kicks ass).