We’ve got an ad. We’ve got a box. We’ve even got a preorder key chain. You’re all set to buy the game, but wait a second—you can’t find it anywhere!

No matter how much work we do to get a consumer interested in a game, it doesn’t do us any good if the consumer can’t find the game to purchase. It’s up to our crack sales team to make sure the shelves of your local retailer are stocked with our product.

Truman B. Fitzgerald (Me): Today I’m speaking with the man with the magic touch, Alaine de Leon, Sales Manager. Alaine, how do you approach retailers with a new title?

Alaine de Leon: This is a tough question. It really depends on the title. But for the most part, each title has something new and exciting that I look forward to sharing with retailers. The key is to share as much information as possible to help get the message across to the consumers.

Me: What was that “something new and exciting” for DRAGON QUEST HEROES: ROCKET SLIME?

AdL: Well, for me, it’s a nice multiplayer action game, which is really new for anything that we’ve ever done.

Me: How many retailers do you deal with on average?

AdL: About 40 accounts on average.

Me: That’s an awful lot for one guy. How do you handle it all?

AdL: I have an amazing team. They help me keep things running smoothly. All the credit should go to them.

Me: Did selling Rocket Slime present any special challenges?

AdL: Besides being our first Nintendo DS title in the US, one of the challenges was getting a handle on the growing DS market and the positive impact that it will have on the Rocket Slime sales.

Me: How do your operations change after the game is released?

AdL: After a game is released, the focus turns to managing the sales of the title. This includes looking at the sales performance, analyzing the inventory in the market, and forecasting for building more units.

Me: Why can I never find the game I’m looking for at “such-and-such” store?

AdL: This really depends on what game you’re looking for and how old the title is. For the most part, you should be able to find all of our games at your local specialty store (e.g. GameStop, EB Games, Game Crazy).

Me: So Rocket Slime will be at every single imaginable retail outlet, right?

AdL: Yes, unless it’s sold out, so don’t wait too long to buy it.

Me: What if it is sold out?

AdL: I guess it’s a good problem for us to have, but please be patient until more stock comes in.

You heard the man! September 19 is the release date; you don’t want to have to wait until New Year’s, right?

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