Indies go dutch on cheap deal

A Dutch distribution house has given UK indies the choice to buy exclusively distributed games from wholesalers, other than the authorised distributor, without being penalised on price.

Mind Multimedia is offering games from Electronic Arts, Sierra-on-Line, Domark, and Microprose to UK wholesalers at prices which allow them to sell to indies below official trade prices and compete with multiples.

Peter Sleeman, MD of Pinnacle which handles EA and Microprose titles doubted that either Mind, or the UK wholesalers it sold to, could offer the retailer services like stock rotation, credit terms, and next day delivery Microprose offers and that is why the stock is cheap.

One of the wholesalers buying from Mind responded: