SHASN Is Coming To PAX Unplugged
over 4 years ago
– Tue, Nov 12, 2019 at 01:23:20 AM
Hi Backers!
I’m so happy to share that SHASN will be at PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia this year, between 6th - 8th December. And this time, I have a passport that I promise to keep safe. Coming with me is the genius visual designer behind the game - Soumik Lahiri! We’re looking forward to meeting all of you there! Drop by Booth 3301, right across from our friends at Lay Waste Games, and we can discuss everything from Brexit to dictators to possible impeachments over a game of SHASN.
On that note, we’re looking to bring on a couple of people to help us run our booth at PAX. You’ll help Soumik and I setup the booth and run it - and have a kickass time introducing SHASN to new players. Rest assured, we will compensate you fairly, so please drop me a direct message if you’re interested, or know somebody who is!
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A general progress update: we’re well on track and on schedule. Most of the additional SHASN content has been designed and tested. This handy chart outlines exactly where things stand:
Thanks for your continued support, and as always, we’ll see you in the next update!
WE WON AN AWARD!!!
over 4 years ago
– Sun, Oct 20, 2019 at 02:02:19 AM
The Social Impact Award at IndieCade Europe, To Be Precise
With every single one of our 540 Ideology Cards, we have tried to put a finger on the most urgent problems of our world. Our greatest ambition has been to catalyse conversations that steer us towards change. Thank you IndieCade Europe, for this recognition - it’s a real honor.
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In other convention news, SHASN is going to be at SPIEL ’19 in Essen! Find us in Hall 1 - Booth 1D129 from 24th-27th October!
I was super excited to be there, in the nice, shiny stall we have all to ourselves. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make it there in person. It’s a long story about an eventful day in San Francisco, culminating with the mysterious disappearance of my passport…
I lost it. It was me. Yep, it hurts.
However, if you can make it there and want to help manage the SHASN booth and demo the game, please drop me a message! You will receive fair compensation and my eternal gratitude. After all, the game must go on.
Auf Wiedersehen!
Zain
MORE CONVENTIONS! AND A WORD ON SHIPPING
over 4 years ago
– Fri, Oct 11, 2019 at 02:13:05 AM
Hey politicos!
SHASN has been nominated for the Spotlight Award in the Tabletop Category at IndieCade 2019!
I just landed in LA with an armload of SHASN, and I am pumped to be a part of this prestigious gathering of independent developers. I’ll be here for the entirety of the festival, 10th-12th October. If you are attending, please drop in for a taste of SHASN on the 2nd Floor, Building D, every morning between 10 AM - 12:30 PM!
For our friends in Paris, SHASN will also be available to play at IndieCade Europe during 18th-19th October!
I’m also thrilled to report that SHASN will be at the Kickstarter booth at SPIEL ‘19 in Essen, 24th-27th October. This will be the first time we have our own booth at a major convention, can’t wait!!
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Now, I just want to take a moment and discuss our shipping prices with everyone. I’ve seen your concerns, and fully understand where they're coming from. Throughout the SHASN campaign, I have been very open and up front about our game and its creation. I will continue doing so in this update, and for as long as we make games. You have my word.
Let’s get into some details about the SHASN shipping.
HEAVY. QUALITY.
This game is seriously dense and seriously big. The box will be about 15” long x 9” wide x 4” deep and weighs 11 pounds. To put that in perspective, Scythe from Stonemaier Games weighs about 7 pounds. We’ve not cut any corners on quality or quantity, from the thickness of the player boards to the number of wooden tokens to the sheer amount of cards inside. We’ve built SHASN to be a durable game that can be played over a long period of time. This makes it heavy, which means higher shipping costs than a card game or an average-sized board game on Kickstarter.
ACTUAL SHIPPING PRICES
Here are the actual shipping prices from our fulfilment partners in the top five locations that bought SHASN -
US:
Shipping cost we pay per game: $28 - 30 (depending on final tariff costs)
Shipping cost charged to backers: $28
INDIA:
Shipping cost we pay per game: $19
Shipping cost charged to backers: $15
UK:
Shipping cost we pay per game: $30
Shipping cost charged to backers: $30
CANADA:
Shipping cost we pay per game: $30
Shipping cost charged to backers: $30
These prices include freight forwarding (the shipping from the warehouse to the fulfillment center). Some companies bury this cost in the price of the game or absorb it, but as first time creators, we do not have that luxury.
When running a campaign, there are various ways companies “mask” shipping costs. Some choose to offer smaller or no discounts on their games, and in turn, offer free or very low shipping. Production quotes can be locked in before a campaign as those costs are known and fixed, but shipping costs change year to year. I opted for a lower game cost (AKA more off MSRP), and to charge actual shipping prices. It seemed the lowest risk strategy to ensure SHASN’s success, and to avoid a situation where the games get made but we run short on the funds required to deliver them to you. This brings us to the next point:
US TARIFFS (this only affects US backers)
While this was on the potential horizon, no one knew when and if it would occur. But unfortunately, Donald Trump decided to put tariffs on China into action, effective December 15. This will cost us around $3-5 for each copy of SHASN being shipped into the US. I chose to go with the lower of these numbers to reduce the added costs. This is an unavoidable shipping cost that will hit all games shipping from China to the US for the foreseeable future, so be prepared. Other companies may think of unique and less costly ways to deal with this tariff, but as one of the first creators hit by it, this is the solution I went with. For future campaigns, I will certainly look to Kickstarter veterans to see how they handle this increase in shipping costs.
On a side note, there was a small error while setting up BackerKit that indicated inflated rates for Hong Kong. We are talking with our backers from Hong Kong to resolve this.
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Our team has done its absolute best to ensure that the copy of SHASN you receive is well worth the cost of the game and shipping, with its generous high-quality components and 9 Kickstarter Exclusive promos.
I am always open to feedback, so you are more than welcome to post in the comments and I will respond as usual. You are also welcome to drop a message if that makes you more comfortable.
Thank you all for your support in making SHASN a reality. It’s a pleasure and a responsibility that I take very seriously.
- Zain
USA SHIPPING UPDATE
over 4 years ago
– Sat, Sep 28, 2019 at 03:37:08 AM
Hello, friends and backers in America!
We have been busy playtesting the new SHASN content a whole bunch, and production processes are well underway! Things are moving smoothly and we are in fact, ahead of schedule at the moment!
Now - from the get go, we have tried to keep the cost of getting the game to you as low as possible. While our shipping was initially going to be $25 or under, an unexpected bump has changed that.
A new tariff on all games imported into the US (in the range of $3-5) has come into effect, forcing us to revise prices and incorporate this into the shipping cost.
This was an unpleasant surprise that we couldn't really account for earlier. This is also the reason that shipping is charged later, after the campaign, to prevent creators from being hit with unexpected fees that can stop the game from being delivered.
It is also worth noting that the $20 shipping estimate mentioned previously was for one copy of SHASN only. Once more Campaign Decks etc. are added to the box, the weight goes up, as does the shipping price.
We apologise for this less than ideal tariff, and continue to aim for the lowest possible rates for all our backers.
Thank you for your support - we are committed to delivering a high quality, well produced game that you can be proud to own. See you in the next update!
