Greetings from Canada and the "Greatest Little City in the East," to borrow a phrase coined by a former mayor. Saint John, New Brunswick is the home of a very large gaming population. We have several clubs or guilds operating here. KingCon society and The Gaming Guild are two of the more widely known and attended gaming establishments in our area. Together they organize several conventions throughout the year that attract between 60 and 70 different people over several days. The games played are varied but mostly fantasy or role playing is involved.

The majority of the gentry are young, between the ages of 17 and 25, with a few old-timers like me in their mid to late 30s. I've stood by and watched several Battle-Tech, Fleet Battle, and AD&D games at these conventions and they do look interesting, but give me a wargame with a historical setting and you will have my undivided attention forever.

At right, Dave Betts (left) and Alex Vye show off Black Wednesday at a local convention.

This is what The Gamers, Inc. has been doing for me since my first purchase of Guderian's Blitzkrieg back in 1992. At the present time I own eleven games from The Gamers, plus all of their Operations magazines (my sub is due to run out in 1999). So Big Deal: what's your point?

The Point

Well, if you bear with me a little longer I will get to that in just a minute. First I would like to tell you, in this epistle of sorts, who I am and what I'm doing gaming-wise. My introduction to wargaming began in the mid '70s when I was a senior in high school. I played many games over the years, both face-to-face and solitaire. I experienced the ebb and flow of the gaming interest that followed over the years. In this neck of the woods, fantasy and science fiction really took over ,and by the end of the 80s had a well-established following that is present even today. Wargamers like me have retreated to the world of endless solitaire or small groups. What does not help much either, as mentioned in Dean's Out Brief [Ops 18], is the very real problem with retailers not stocking their shelves with new games. Rather, they rely on the few regular customers to order in games sometimes at too high a price. Many wargamers miss out on new games simply because there are no game boxes on the shelves for them to browse through.

The constant state of flux between the exchange rates of the US and Canadian dollar also affects prices. This is one reason given by retailers for their cautious approach to investing in products that may or may not be big sellers. If left unchecked, these trends could lead to lower interest in wargaming and could spell doom for companies that produce new games on a regular basis.

I agree with Dean on many points that he has expressed in Operations. But Dean, I do believe that someone has to push your products. I don't mean like a door-to-door salesman either. You have, in my view, come across the near-perfect balance in a wargame. Seeing that perfection can never be obtained in this world, you are therefore second to none. But even with all your advertising with each game, there are some who either dismiss your promise of satisfaction or have overlooked it completely. I don't want to call myself a Gamers groupie, but I am completely sold on the series concept and have found that three of The Gamers' series are very popular up here in the frozen tundra.

The American Civil War does not seem to excite much interest, even though apparently upwards of 50,000 Canadians took part and fought in that war. Several thousand fought on the Confederate side as well. Anyway, the big three that are very popular are here TCS, OCS, and NBS. Several individuals have expressed an interest in the SCS, but at this point in time only an interest.

I'm not purporting to have a unique situation on my hands. But there are several problems which must be addressed if the industry is to survive. It is, after all, we the consumers who either make or break even the best. One of Canada's major banking institutions advertises that it became one of the biggest one customer at a time. Well, this applies to gaming in much the same way. It's not good enough just to have a good product. You have to have faithful followers.

They in turn must be willing to spread the word about a good game when it appears. We all expect value for our money and quality for the price we pay for a game. I personally reserve around $200 (US) dollars per year for buying games or accessories. Most gamers, I'm sure, have a similar budget and expect to receive at least three or four games plus a year's subscription to a company's magazine, right?

What to Do?

So what can we do? Well, first let's sum up here: we have the company putting out excellent games, a sheepish or cautious retailer that won't stock games, and a healthy but scattered wargaming population. It seems to me from reading other articles in Operations that all you need is for several individuals to become The Gamers' field representatives, if you will, like SSgt Ronald Chacon and Kevin Kiconas. They're doing a wonderful job in exposing an excellent gaming product to others.

But what I'm proposing is going it one step further and starting a fan club. It's run much the same way as any gaming club. All you need is a place to meet and people to come and enjoy themselves. I was fortunate enough through my old unit to have secured some room at the Armoury for free. Maybe your local hobby shop has a spot you can use or local community hall or school can lend you some space. You should be able to find a place for little or no cost. Once this is done, you must set a regular time. We meet one Sunday a month from 10:00 to 6:00.

I hate to charge a membership fee just to belong to something. The prerequisite we have is that you must be a proud owner of at least one Gamers game or be a subscriber to Operations. As a member you will be encouraged to subscribe to the magazine so that all errata and/or variants will be sent to you. Any updates, special rates on games, or any other item of interest will also be made available. Questions will be dealt with on a local basis and any unresolved problem will be forwarded on to The Gamers for interpretation.

The Gamers QM is eight months old now and has attended two local cons. The reception was warm and the interest is building. These games are drawing great reviews from veteran gamers. We have several newcomers, but we also have seasoned masters like Karl Messer, Dana Betts, Alex Vye, and Derek Knox, who in my mind could rival the Iceman himself at a game from the OCS or TCS anytime.

[Ed. note: OK, I bet Rod will be at HomerCon.]

The Gamers QM will participate at future conventions where it is hoped that interested individuals will join. I think 20 or more members should provide a good cross-section of players for the five different series. We will not turn anyone away who has a real interest in military simulation games. Also, I intend to run a competition among members once a year and have various games or accessories from The Gamers as prizes. Through the help of the KingCon executives Joe Harris and Raymond Saulnier, themselves wargamers, both The Gamers Inc. and the fan club will get continual exposure in the gaming world. I have been invited to give a demo and lecture at the next KingCon Convention to be held in June of 1996.

Another area of exposure is with the local hobby shop, The Sorcerer Stone. Stan is willing to help. Now on display is the wonderful game Black Wednesday and various other box covers on the wall behind the front counter (photo at right).

In closing I would like to say that if you intend to organize something similar, have patience and be willing to promote anywhere you can. Word of mouth, I'm beginning to realize, is still the best means of communication, and as a former communication officer in the Canadian Forces, I can attest to that. If you find yourself in this part of the world, look us up and I will set something up if I can. Just remember: the cause is to promote and the battle cry is Keep them playin'.