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Printer Error Found on my Game

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evansmind244
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Welp the worst case is officially here for Bullfrog Games LLC. Of course I'm always positive so I think this is actually cool but here's the story.

I've attached a picture of the Bottom Box or Box Back. There is 1 of the 4 sides that is missing a letter. The "Y" on "Family".

How do I approach my customers about this? Are my left over 680 games Trash? Can I sell these games for full price? Have I created a future collectible? Most importantly as I continue the process of finding Retailers (WALMART being one of them) can I sell this game with a known printer error to a Retailer? I appreciate all feedback and wisdom. Thanks

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxg5oSgam3_MTFJNeWJ6aEJQQ1VpcVFhcnYxQk...

questccg
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My opinion is...

You're screwed unless you have a shrink-wrapping machine. Any games in stores will REQUIRE the shrink wrapping! Sorry, I thought you could have printed 500 bottom boxes and had them fixed... With some extra you could sell at a discount.

But now that you need the shrink-wrapping... Not much you can do without it...

let-off studios
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Discounted Web Sales

My first reaction is to offer these games at a "mis-print discount" on your website only. Indicate the print error just as you have here so your customers know you are completely transparent. Meanwhile, have proper versions of your game in retail stores.

My gut is to say you should not put those misprinted boxes in retail stores under any circumstances.

I Will Never Gr...
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As horrible as it may seem ..

As horrible as it may seem .. I would not worry about it myself. You'd be amazed at the mis-prints seen in major publishers products that go to retail. This is pretty minor all things considered (it's an inside box side that most people probably won't even notice).

Of course, it's heartbreaking to know that something got past the proofing stage like that but it does happen. A lot!

Ultimately the decision on what to do is yours, of course, so take any advice given with a grain of salt and weigh your options carefully.

Jay103
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First of all, that's not a

First of all, that's not a printer error :)

Second of all, don't worry about it. Stuff happens. It has no effect on the game at all, and 99% of people will never notice it in the first place. YOU didn't even notice it for months. I would literally ignore it, and just make sure a second print run, if and when that happens, fixes it.

Personally, I have several errors in my campaign booklet.. nothing major, but I'd certainly edit it in a second printing. Missing italics, that sort of thing. I also have an entire page at the end with a screwed up image of my dice. That was actually the printer's fault, though I don't know exactly how they managed it (they had to edit my PDF to do that). I put a note at the bottom of my web page, with a download of the correct document. Not sure anyone's ever really bothered to get it, and only one person has ever mentioned it to me (though I told the KS people in a KS update, so they presumably wouldn't all bother to mention it). Nobody's ever been upset about it.

Oh, and I DID catch a back-of-box error in the proofing process, the word "Ilustrated", but I missed it the first 25 times I looked at the box images. And then my wife caught a typo in the same image.. It's amazing how things get through.

Mosker
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Perfectly thematic...Early, rough version.

"Holiday Fever: together we will put the y back in family."

Blech. Doesn't scan well, but it's a start...

Don't worry about it, Evan: even casual game players eventually will focus only on the numbers and icons needed for victory.

Why indeed...
Double blech.

Jay103
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Such a weird error. I would

Such a weird error. I would assume that that was a copy-and-paste of the same image four times. The "y" is replaced by blank space on just one. I don't understand how either you or the printer could've had that happen.

I Will Never Gr...
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To be fair to the manufacturer ..

Jay103 wrote:
Such a weird error. I would assume that that was a copy-and-paste of the same image four times. The "y" is replaced by blank space on just one. I don't understand how either you or the printer could've had that happen.

To be fair, the manufacturer only prints what is provided AND approved through digital proofs sent to the customer, so this was missed all the way through to the proofing process. They aren't responsible for catching spelling errors or missing graphics. The same thing goes for printing in the US/Canada, as I work on an offset printing press and we see errors ALL the time that have been approved.

Jay103
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Well, I can say that one of

Well, I can say that one of my manuals had the last page screwed up when it was printed. Two sets of images were reversed. Like

A B
C D
E F

became

B A
D C
F E

However, there was text next to each image, and at the top and bottom of the page, and all the text was correct. This is NOT what the proof looked like (I still have the proofs, for proof). And I provided the document as a single 24-page PDF.

So.. I do accept that maybe sometimes the printer may be disassembling an image for some reason. However, in this case, that would be a super-weird thing to have happen in that way.

But at the same time, I would've thought that would be a copy-and-paste by the designer.. so it's also weird that there would be a copy of that logo that was different. But.. that's the only plausible explanation here.

Anyway, don't worry about it! Even if you'd misspelled "Bullfrog" I'd be telling you not to worry about it. UPC symbol error, okay, worry.

evansmind244
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I'm really glad I posted

I'm really glad I posted about this. I feel a lot better. Originally I felt it would be an ethical thing, that could destroy trust with customers...but I've asked my customers for feedback on the game and if anyone found the printer error on the box. So far no one noticed. No one has even asked where it is. Of course I would be happy to give a return if someone did care. With the feedback you all have given I'm even more confident that it's not a big deal. We will fix the issue on print run 2.
I got a hold of your manufacturer J and I'm waiting for a quote.
I'm laughing my head off at help us out the y back in family!!!!!!!!! I'm definitely using that!!! Another friend said Holiday Fever, it's better than a rash!!!

I Will Never Gr...
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Jay103 wrote:Well, I can say

Jay103 wrote:
Well, I can say that one of my manuals had the last page screwed up when it was printed. Two sets of images were reversed. Like

A B
C D
E F

became

B A
D C
F E

However, there was text next to each image, and at the top and bottom of the page, and all the text was correct. This is NOT what the proof looked like (I still have the proofs, for proof). And I provided the document as a single 24-page PDF.

So.. I do accept that maybe sometimes the printer may be disassembling an image for some reason. However, in this case, that would be a super-weird thing to have happen in that way.

Yeah, you got me there. I have no explanation how something like that could happen. Just .. odd.

A single 24 page PDF or 24 single page PDF doesn't matter as much. Each page will be separated out and arranged in a way that works best for the paper size and type of folding/trimming/stitching being used (but it should be the WHOLE page, all at once, not just bits and pieces moved around).

When we go to print we get a copy of the digital proofs (the same thing that the customer approved). That proof is our print bible, so-to-speak. Everything is to match the proof. If it doesn't, we don't print it until it's verified and/or fixed (or if we did print it, we have to put it on hold, notify the customer, get an approval WITH the mistake or re-print the job).

Tim Edwards
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evansmind244 wrote:I'm really

evansmind244 wrote:
I'm really glad I posted about this. I feel a lot better. Originally I felt it would be an ethical thing, that could destroy trust with customers...but I've asked my customers for feedback on the game and if anyone found the printer error on the box. So far no one noticed. No one has even asked where it is. Of course I would be happy to give a return if someone did care. With the feedback you all have given I'm even more confident that it's not a big deal. We will fix the issue on print run 2.
I got a hold of your manufacturer J and I'm waiting for a quote.
I'm laughing my head off at help us out the y back in family!!!!!!!!! I'm definitely using that!!! Another friend said Holiday Fever, it's better than a rash!!!

Find The 'Y'

That's gotta be the name of your next game, surely! You needn't even mention where the idea came from in the blurb - let that go down in folklore. (But the Y you're looking for should look exactly like the missing Y from the Holiday Fever box!) :D

questccg
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Funny, eh?

Tim Edwards wrote:
Find The 'Y'

That's gotta be the name of your next game, surely!

How about "Land of the Ys"... (a play on Land of the Wise)...

Tim Edwards
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questccg wrote:Tim Edwards

questccg wrote:
Tim Edwards wrote:
Find The 'Y'

That's gotta be the name of your next game, surely!

How about "Land of the Ys"... (a play on Land of the Wise)...

There it is! That's the hard work done for him. :)

Jay103
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If there's a second printing,

If there's a second printing, it should say "Familyy" to compensate.

questccg
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Maybe you could...

Refund everyone $0.05 cents! That seems like a REASONABLE discount for that missing "Y"! I mean in TRUTH with all the rest of the wording, $0.05 is probably a VERY HIGH "discount" for such a small typo... LOL

Note #1: If it was an error on a "card"... That would be a $0.09 cents error! LOL

Note #2: See how "clever" we are getting with this typo! Hehehe... Got it down to a science now.

questccg
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@Evans ... I GOT IT!!!

I have A REAL COOL IDEA: Print STICKERS you can put on the inside of the Box.

Yeah they can be only the "Y" size (It's pretty small). And people could REQUEST the sticker via an e-mail OR your website!

A FREAKEN STICKER is all you need... It would probably cost like "$1.00" to mail it... That's the only real postage problem...

But if people WANT to "request" it... You can make it available. Print out like 1,000 stickers.

You could get your "Graphic Designer" to design a "nice Y" and people who bought the game CAN STICK IT on the box. It know it won't be PERFECT... But you can get it "nice enough"!!!

The sticker will probably cost you $0.05 cents. Maybe you can get it made on The Game Crafter...??? Yup you can make CUSTOM MINI stickers on TGC:

https://www.thegamecrafter.com/publish/product/CustomMiniSticker

Not sure about the PRICING... Can't figure out 18 slugs per sheet and then $2.05 is what??? 18 slugs for $2.05?

So on TGC it's (I believe) $0.12 each sticker (I think...)

Check it out... Maybe could be COOL to boil it down to a STICKER!!!

Note #1: This could help YOU identify your TRUE FANS. Only a true fan would request the "Y Sticker" and in exchange you would ask them to provide a e-mail and mailing address... It's PERFECT for helping identify the people who really CARE ABOUT IT!

Note #2: You don't need 1,000 stickers. Maybe 100 or so. And see who requests it... Building your FAN BASE as you go along too! That would be like $12 USD for that quantity... A modest amount to satisfy 100 customers who REQUEST the correction sticker!

Note #3: Instead of just the "Y" you could PRINT a sticker of the WORD "FAMILY"... That would be an instrumental STICKER to share with your Fan Base!!! Family (how important it really is!) And you just stick it on top of the "FAMIL" on the box!

evansmind244
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The great lost "Y"

Hahahahahaha!! I definitely need an expansion that covers the "Y" axis.

The reality is that I'm taking this game all the way so IMPO (in my perenal opinion) these games will become collectables!! First run and only a thousand made!! If anyone wants a good investment I will sell any BGDF member games at wholesale!!!! :) In 30 years you could be looking at 250+ percent ROI. Has anyone been watching TESLA stock??? Wow

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