{"id":12921,"date":"2021-12-28T19:38:45","date_gmt":"2021-12-28T19:38:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/?p=12921"},"modified":"2022-10-11T20:06:14","modified_gmt":"2022-10-11T20:06:14","slug":"ici-et-la-bashere-and-there","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/blog\/2021\/12\/28\/ici-et-la-bashere-and-there\/","title":{"rendered":"Ici et l\u00e0-bas<br><i>Here and there<\/i>"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/card9.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"653\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/blog\/2012\/05\/01\/la-vallee-des-mammouths-valley-of-the-mammoths\/card9\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/card9.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"916,1000\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Bruno Shaman\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/card9.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/card9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-653\" width=\"503\" height=\"552\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Depuis quelques mois d\u00e9j\u00e0, les \u00e9diteurs gros et petits sont de plus en plus nombreux \u00e0 se d\u00e9couvrir une conscience \u00e9cologique. Ils annoncent mettre d\u00e9sormais moins de plastique &#8211; inserts, figurines, protection &#8211; dans des bo\u00eetes de jeu dont ils rapatrient, ou envisagent de rapatrier, la production en Europe. C\u2019est moins le cas pour les \u00c9tats-Unis, nous verrons pourquoi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Je n\u2019ai pas les chiffres, je ne suis pas certain qu\u2019ils existent, mais il ne fait gu\u00e8re de doutes que l\u2019empreinte \u00e9cologique d\u2019un jeu avec plus de carton, ce que l\u2019on recycle le mieux, et produit plus pr\u00e8s du consommateur sera plus modeste que celle d\u2019un jeu de figurines produit au bout du monde et suremball\u00e9. Convaincu que la crise \u00e9cologique est in\u00e9vitable, esp\u00e9rant que l\u2019on peut encore en limiter les d\u00e9g\u00e2ts, je me r\u00e9jouis bien s\u00fbr de cette \u00e9volution. Je pr\u00e9f\u00e8re que mes \u00e9diteurs produisent en Allemagne, en Pologne ou en Tch\u00e9quie qu\u2019en Chine, mais je souhaiterais n\u00e9anmoins pointer les hypocrisies, les ambigu\u00eft\u00e9s et les limites de leurs discours sur le sujet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>S\u2019il n\u2019est pas exclu que certains se sentent en effet soulag\u00e9s de contribuer, m\u00eame marginalement, \u00e0 d\u00e9carboniser l\u2019\u00e9conomie, le motif principal de ces rapatriements d\u00e9j\u00e0 effectu\u00e9s ou seulement envisag\u00e9s a, je pense, peu \u00e0 voir avec les pr\u00e9occupations \u00e9cologiques.  On est dans une autre nuance de vert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cela fait une vingtaine d\u2019ann\u00e9es maintenant que les \u00e9diteurs de jeux produisent partiellement ou totalement en Chine. Ils le font parce que cela co\u00fbte moins cher, en grande partie du fait de moindres co\u00fbts salariaux. La qualit\u00e9 est la m\u00eame, gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 l\u2019utilisation des m\u00eames machines (souvent allemandes) et ce n\u2019est pas beaucoup plus compliqu\u00e9 maintenant que les fabricants chinois ont presque tous des repr\u00e9sentants en Europe et aux Etats-Unis.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AeVsX5eNqfI?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><figcaption>L\u2019usine Hopes, en Chine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Depuis trois ou quatre ans, n\u00e9anmoins, quelques \u00e9diteurs avaient d\u00e9j\u00e0 commenc\u00e9 \u00e0 d\u00e9placer ou rapatrier tout ou partie de leur production, ou envisageaient de le faire, et ce pour deux raisons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>La premi\u00e8re est que, en grande partie d\u2019ailleurs gr\u00e2ce aux d\u00e9localisations d\u2019entreprises occidentales, les salaires et donc les co\u00fbts en Chine augmentent assez rapidement, r\u00e9duisant lentement mais inexorablement le gain pour l\u2019\u00e9diteur \u00e0 sous-traiter sa fabrication \u00e0 des Panda, Wingo, Longpack ou Magicraft. Des process un peu plus automatis\u00e9s peuvent aussi diminuer la part du travail dans les co\u00fbts de production, mais comme le montrent les videos qui illustrent cet article, la fabrication de nos jeux demande encore pas mal de travail humain. Le choix est alors entre revenir en Europe ou aux \u00c9tats-Unis, ou se diriger vers de nouvelles localisations exotiques comme l\u2019Inde ou les Philippines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>La seconde raison est que la comp\u00e9tition sur le march\u00e9 du jeu de soci\u00e9t\u00e9 se fait au moins autant sur les produits que sur les prix, et que les \u00e9diteurs doivent donc \u00eatre de plus en plus r\u00e9actifs. Pas question de rater No\u00ebl \u00e0 cause d\u2019un container en retard ou parce qu\u2019un concurrent plus malin ou parlant mieux le cantonais vous a doubl\u00e9 sur le planning de production. Pas question d\u2019\u00eatre en rupture de stock sur un succ\u00e8s que l\u2019on n\u2019avait pas vu venir. Produire en Europe, notamment pour les petites s\u00e9ries, permet de s\u2019adapter rapidement. On peut aussi jongler entre plusieurs fabricants, et je sais que les boites de Mascarade sont produites tant\u00f4t en Chine, pour les plus gros tirages, tant\u00f4t en Espagne, pour les r\u00e9assorts et les plus petites s\u00e9ries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00c0 ces deux raisons d\u00e9j\u00e0 anciennes s\u2019en est ajout\u00e9 l\u2019an dernier une troisi\u00e8me, l\u2019engorgement des ports et l\u2019explosion du co\u00fbt du transport par container, multipli\u00e9 par 5 entre juillet 2020 et juillet 2021. Cela baisse un peu depuis septembre, mais on est encore bien au dessus des prix d\u2019avant crise, et il semble peu probable que l\u2019on revienne rapidement aux tarifs ant\u00e9rieurs, si l\u2019on y revient jamais. Lorsque les d\u00e9lais deviennent impr\u00e9visibles et les prix font du yoyo, raccourcir les chaines de valeur et logistique est aussi pour les \u00e9diteurs, surtout ceux de taille modeste, un moyen de reprendre le contr\u00f4le de leur processus de production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uvrmG7G7XqU?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><figcaption>L\u2019usine Ludofact, en Allemagne.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Les m\u00eames \u00e9diteurs \u00e0 la toute jeune conscience \u00e9cologique s\u2019enorgueillissent de mettre d\u00e9sormais moins de plastique dans leurs boites de jeu, mais c\u2019est surtout parce que les fabricants europ\u00e9ens, aux unit\u00e9s de production plus petites, s\u2019inscrivent dans une tr\u00e8s traditionnelle fili\u00e8re bois &#8211; carton &#8211; papier et ne connaissent rien \u00e0 la production de figurines\u2026 sauf \u00e0 sous-traiter en Chine. Les jeux des quelques \u00e9diteurs qui ont presque toujours produit int\u00e9gralement en Europe, comme Queen ou Czech Games, ont depuis longtemps des inserts en carton et des pions en bois. Le prix du papier ayant aussi pas mal grimp\u00e9, \u00e7a risque de se compliquer \u00e9galement pour eux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>C\u2019est plus compliqu\u00e9 pour les jeux destin\u00e9s au march\u00e9 am\u00e9ricain. Il existe encore en Europe, surtout mais pas seulement \u00e0 l\u2019Est, des imprimeurs-fabricants qui, s\u2019ils ont des prix un peu plus \u00e9lev\u00e9s que les chinois, produisent avec les m\u00eames technologies et la m\u00eame qualit\u00e9. Ce n\u2019est plus vraiment le cas aux \u00c9tats-Unis, o\u00f9 la plupart des imprimeurs sp\u00e9cialis\u00e9s ne savent gu\u00e8re faire que des jeux de cartes, et n\u2019ont de toute fa\u00e7on pas les capacit\u00e9s n\u00e9cessaires pour remplacer rapidement la production chinoise de jeux de soci\u00e9t\u00e9. Je me rappelle certes que les premi\u00e8res boites de Citadelles \u00e9taient produites au Canada, un coin o\u00f9 il y a du bois et o\u00f9 l\u2019on devrait donc pouvoir faire du carton et du papier, mais c\u2019\u00e9tait il y a bien longtemps et la qualit\u00e9 laissait un peu \u00e0 d\u00e9sirer. Aujourd\u2019hui, les \u00e9diteurs qui, parce que l\u2019id\u00e9e est \u00e0 la mode, cherchent \u00e0 rapatrier leur production aux \u00c9tats-Unis se plaignent tous de ne pas trouver de fabricant de qualit\u00e9 \u00e0 des prix abordables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Du coup, quitte \u00e0 produire en Europe pour le march\u00e9 europ\u00e9en, autant le faire aussi pour les \u00c9tats-Unis, ou\u00a0 quitte \u00e0 produire en Chine pour les \u00c9tats-Unis, autant continuer \u00e0 le faire pour l\u2019Europe, et l\u2019on ne diminue alors gu\u00e8re le transport.\u00a0<br>Il semble n\u00e9anmoins, et c\u2019est une bonne nouvelle, que du fait des \u00e9volutions technologiques, les \u00e9conomies d\u2019\u00e9chelle sur les gros tirages tendent \u00e0 diminuer, ce qui pourrait assez rapidement favoriser une production d\u00e9centralis\u00e9e en petites s\u00e9ries. On n\u2019en est pas encore \u00e0 \u00ab\u00a0chacun fait tout chez lui avec son imprimante 3D\u00a0\u00bb, mais cela finira peut-\u00eatre par arriver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Je n\u2019ai parl\u00e9 ici que des march\u00e9s europ\u00e9en et am\u00e9ricain. Le petit monde des joueurs s\u2019est certes mondialis\u00e9 depuis quelques ann\u00e9es, mais l\u2019Europe et l\u2019Am\u00e9rique du Nord restent les plus gros march\u00e9s. Viennent ensuite la Cor\u00e9e et le Japon, de plus en plus la Chine et le reste de l\u2019Asie, mais l\u00e0, la production chinoise est aussi plus ou moins locale, et le transport n\u2019est donc pas vraiment un probl\u00e8me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QLECNwmRvZU?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><figcaption>WinGo, China<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Peu importe, me dira-t-on, les motivations des \u00e9diteurs de jeux, s\u2019ils font r\u00e9ellement des efforts pour \u00e9conomiser sur le transport et le plastique. On peut, on doit sans doute, se r\u00e9jouir de ces \u00e9volutions vers une production \u00e9cologiquement moins co\u00fbteuse, mais la relocalisation \u00e9conomique se double souvent, et c\u2019est un peu le cas dans le jeu de soci\u00e9t\u00e9, d\u2019un repli culturel pas toujours tr\u00e8s sympathique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Si j\u2019ai toujours \u00e9t\u00e9 favorable \u00e0 la globalisation \u00e9conomique et culturelle, au m\u00e9lange des produits, des gens, des id\u00e9es, des cuisines, des bouquins, des musiques, de tout et de n\u2019importe quoi, c\u2019est parce que je crois, comme Montesquieu, au \u00ab&nbsp;doux commerce&nbsp;\u00bb &#8211; en gros \u00e0 l\u2019id\u00e9e que plus on se connait, plus on se m\u00e9lange, plus on \u00e9change, plus on se rend compte que nos diff\u00e9rences sont marginales et moins on a de chances de finir par se foutre sur la gueule. Si j\u2019ai toujours cherch\u00e9 \u00e0 travailler sur mes jeux avec des auteurs et \u00e9diteurs du monde entier, c\u2019est certes pour le plaisir de d\u00e9couvrir des gens un peu diff\u00e9rents, c\u2019est au moins autant pour v\u00e9rifier qu\u2019ils ne sont pas si diff\u00e9rents &#8211; m\u00eame si j\u2019admets que c\u2019est sans doute un peu plus vrai quand on travaille sur des m\u00e9dias r\u00e9cents comme le jeu de soci\u00e9t\u00e9 que sur des plus anciens comme la litt\u00e9rature ou la musique. Lorsqu\u2019a \u00e9clat\u00e9 la crise sanitaire, j\u2019\u00e9tais d\u2019ailleurs en train d\u2019essayer de me d\u00e9brouiller pour \u00eatre invit\u00e9 en Chine et y visiter au moins l\u2019une des usines o\u00f9 sont produits nos jeux, et je regrette que ce projet soit tomb\u00e9 \u00e0 l\u2019eau.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>N\u00e9cessit\u00e9 \u00e9cologique et risques sanitaires obligent, hommes et produits vont donc devoir moins circuler. La relocalisation de la production est un mal n\u00e9cessaire, qui touchera d\u2019ailleurs d\u2019autres secteurs bien plus fortement que celui du jeu, et dont les grands perdants risquent d\u2019\u00eatre ceux qui se pr\u00e9paraient \u00e0 profiter de la prochaine vague de d\u00e9localisations &#8211; pour le jeu, j\u2019aurais pari\u00e9 sur l\u2019Inde. Nous devrions faire tout ce qui est possible pour que cette relocalisation \u00e9conomique ne s\u2019accompagne pas d\u2019une \u00ab&nbsp;relocalisation culturelle&nbsp;\u00bb. Entre Zemmour et le Covid, c\u2019est plut\u00f4t mal parti.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Le discours sur le \u00ab&nbsp;made in France&nbsp;\u00bb ici, tout comme celui sur le \u00ab&nbsp;made in USA&nbsp;\u00bb outre Atlantique et sans doute ses \u00e9quivalents ailleurs, est en effet tr\u00e8s ambigu, m\u00ealant louables pr\u00e9occupations \u00e9cologiques et r\u00e9flexes r\u00e9actionnaires, voire identitaires. J\u2019ai r\u00e9cemment \u00e9t\u00e9 contact\u00e9 par plusieurs \u00e9diteurs qui se vantaient de pouvoir produire leur jeu int\u00e9gralement en France ; \u00e0 les \u00e9couter, \u00e0 voir les logos \u00ab&nbsp;made in France&nbsp;\u00bb \u00e0 base de petits drapeaux, ce qui aurait d\u00fb me r\u00e9jouir me mettait parfois un peu mal \u00e0 l\u2019aise. Quand les journaux locaux parlent de jeux \u00ab&nbsp;bien de chez nous&nbsp;\u00bb, ils m\u00e9langent d\u2019ailleurs sans complexes les produits fabriqu\u00e9s dans le coin et ceux dont l\u2019auteur habite dans le coin, deux d\u00e9marches pourtant bien diff\u00e9rentes. J\u2019ai m\u00eame vu passer sur Facebook un article sur les jeux bretons &#8211; la France, c\u2019est d\u00e9j\u00e0 petit, ridicule et, j\u2019esp\u00e8re, obsol\u00e8te &#8211; alors la Bretagne\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Si la tendance au retour de la production en Europe se confirme, je me r\u00e9jouirai que mes jeux aient de moins en moins \u00e0 faire le tour du monde pour parvenir aux joueurs, mais peu m\u2019importe qu\u2019il soient fabriqu\u00e9s en France, en Belgique ou en Tch\u00e9quie. De m\u00eame, je veux bien que l\u2019on \u00e9crive, discr\u00e8tement, \u00ab&nbsp;made in France&nbsp;\u00bb au dos de la bo\u00eete, mais je pr\u00e9f\u00e8rerais sans doute \u00ab&nbsp;made in Europe&nbsp;\u00bb &#8211; et dans les deux cas sans petit drapeau, merci.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-black-color has-css-opacity has-black-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/card7.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"651\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/blog\/2012\/05\/01\/la-vallee-des-mammouths-valley-of-the-mammoths\/card7\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/card7.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"941,1000\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Bruno Shaman\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/card7.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/card7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-651\" width=\"490\" height=\"523\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>For a few months now, game publishers, big and small, are suddenly discovering they have an ecological awareness. One after another, they announce publicly that they will, from now on, use fewer plastic elements in their game, be it miniatures, insert or wrapping, and even plan to bring their production back in Europe. Not so much in the US, we will see why. &nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I don\u2019t have the numbers, I\u2019m not even sure they exist, but I don\u2019t doubt that the environmental footprint of a game using more paper and cardboard, probably the components we are best at recycling, and manufactured nearer from the end consumer, will be much lower than that of a miniatures game produced on the opposite side of the world, overpacked and overwrapped. The ecological crisis is bound to happen, but it doesn\u2019t mean we should not do what we can to lessen the damage and I am therefore happy with this move. I prefer when my publishers produce their games in Germany, Poland or Czech than in China, but I would like nevertheless to pinpoint the hypocrisies, ambiguities and limits of their usual discourse on this topic. &nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>While many probably feel relieved in helping, even marginally, to decarbonize the economy, the main motive for the relocations they are implementing, or only considering, has little to do with ecology. It is all about another shade of green.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>For more or less twenty years now, most publishers manufacture some or all of their games in China. They do it because it is cheaper, mostly due to lower wages, for the same quality, in part due to the same German machines, and not really more complex now that many Chinese printers have representatives in Europe.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kHZkh77keRE?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><figcaption>HS Factory, China.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Recently, however, some publishers had already started moving or relocating some or all of their production, or were considering doing it, for two main reasons.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The first reason is that, in part due to the massive western outsourcing in China, wages and therefore costs are now steadily increasing, reducing slowly but inexorably the profit in outsourcing game production to Panda, Wingo, Longpack or Magicraft. More automatized processes might also lower the share of human work in the global cost but, as you can see on the videos illustrating this post, much work is still done by hand. This means the choice was now between relocating back to Europe or the US, or moving to other exotic destinations such as India or the Philippines.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The second reason is that competition on the boardgame market is increasing, and is more about products than about price. Publishers must be more and more responsive. It\u2019s not possible anymore to lose Christmas sales because a container was delayed or because you\u2019ve been overtaken on the line by a competitor more fluent in Cantonese. It\u2019s not possible to be out of stock for months because of an unexpected hit. Manufacturing games in Europe, especially for small series, makes fast reactions much easier. It\u2019s even possible to go back and forth between two or more manufacturers \u2013 I know that my Mascarade is printed sometimes in China, for the bigger print runs, sometimes in Spain, for short series and restocking.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>These two reasons are already a few years old. A third one was added last year, the harbor congestions and container shipping prices skyrocketing \u2013 they\u2019ve increased fivefold between July 2020 and July 2021. They are receding a bit since September, but are still much higher than before the Covid crisis. No one knows when they will fall back to the former standard prices, if they ever do. When delays become unpredictable and prices move wildly up and down, shortening the value and production chains is also a way, especially for small and midsize publishers, to gain back control on their activity.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WOcPKds47bo?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><figcaption>NSF factory, Netherlands.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The same publishers, proud of their new green awareness, now claim they will use less plastic in their games. This is mostly because European manufacturers have smaller factories, still belong to a very traditional wood \u2013 cardboard \u2013 paper sector and don\u2019t know anything about miniature production\u2026 or outsource it to China. Boardgames by the few publishers who, like Queen or Czech games, almost always entirely print in Europe, have cardboard inserts and wooden pieces. Anyway, the price of paper and cardboard is also going up, so production might become problematic here as well.&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>It\u2019s more complex for games aimed at the North American market. There are still in Europe, especially in Eastern Europe, boardgame printers-manufacturers whose prices are slightly higher than Chinese ones but can produce the same stuff with the same quality. It\u2019s not really the case anymore in the United States, where most manufacturers are only used to print standard deck of cards, and anyway don\u2019t have the capacity required to take over the Chinese game production. I remember the first Fantasy Flight copies of Citadels were printed in Canada, a place with enough wood to make cardboard and paper, but it was long ago and the quality was sub par. Publishers who, because the idea is in the air, consider relocating to the US regularly complain that they cannot find a manufacturer with a sufficient quality and realistic prices.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>And, well, if you produce in China for the US, it\u2019s simpler to do it there for Europe as well. And if you produce in Europe for Europe, why not do it there as well for America. In both cases, we\u2019ve not progressed much with reducing shipping. A good thing, however, is that due to more adaptable new technologies, economies of scale on large print runs are now receding, which might in time allow for more localized short print runs. It\u2019s not yet \u00ab&nbsp;everyone do everything at home with their 3D printer&nbsp;\u00bb, but we might be there some day soon.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I talked so far only about boardgames aimed at the European and North-American markets. The small gaming world has grown and been globalized these last years, but Europe and the USA are still the main markets. Of course, there\u2019s Korea and Japan, and there will very soon be China and a few other Asian countries, but for all of these, Chinese production is also more or less local, and transport is not an issue. &nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Anyway, never mind the motives of game publishers if they make serious efforts for less shipping and less plastic. Relocation is a move towards a leaner and more ecologically sustainable boardgame production, and it\u2019s a good thing. Unfortunately, this economic relocation often comes together with a far less pleasant cultural withdrawal, and this sometimes happens with boardgames.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6BIgDpvooA8?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><figcaption>Oriens Karton, Czech.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I\u2019ve always supported economic and cultural globalization, the mixing and meting of products, people, ideas, cooking recipes, books, music, everything. The main reason is that I believe in what Montesquieu, an XVIIIth century French political philosopher, called the \u00ab&nbsp;sweet trade&nbsp;\u00bb. His theory was basically that the more we know each other, the more we mix, the more we trade, the more we notice that our differences are extremely superficial and the less likely we are to go at war one against the other. If I\u2019ve always tried to work with designers and publishers from all over the world, it is of course for the fun of discovering slightly different people, but it\u2019s even more to make sure they\u2019re not that different. This is even more true with relatively recent cultural medias like boardgames than with older ones like music or literature. When the covid crisis started, I was trying to get invited in China and visit at least one of the factories where my games are produced, and I regret this project fell by the wayside.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Ecological imperatives and sanitary hazards mean that men and stuff will have to travel less. Economic relocation is a necessary evil, and many other sectors will be far more impacted than the boardgame business. The main losers will probably be those who were preparing to benefit from the next wave or outsourcing \u2013 for boardgames, may be India. We should do all we can to make sure that economic relocation doesn\u2019t go with cultural relocation. Between the Covid and Eric Zemmour, our French posh version of Donald Trump, we are getting a very bad start here.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The usual talk here about \u00ab&nbsp;made in France&nbsp;\u00bb, about \u00ab&nbsp;made in USA&nbsp;\u00bb in the US, and probably its counterparts everywhere, is ambiguous. It merges necessary ecological awareness with reactionary, if not nationalist, drawback. I\u2019ve recently been contacted by a few publishers who claimed proudly that they would produce their game entirely in French. Listening to them, seeing \u00ab&nbsp;made in France&nbsp;\u00bb logos with tiny flags in the wind, what should have made me happy made me feel uneasy. When local newspapers talk of \u00ab&nbsp;local&nbsp;\u00bb games, they mix those which are produced locally and those whose designers lives nearby, which is a completely different thing. Someone even posted recently on facebook an article about \u00ab&nbsp;games from Brittany&nbsp;\u00bb. I think that France is already small, a bit ridiculous and hopefully obsolete, so better not discuss Brittany\u2026&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>If the trend towards the relocation of game manufacturing in Europe goes on, I will be happy that my games won\u2019t have to travel all around the world to land on the players\u2019 table. I don\u2019t care, however, if they are printed in France, in Belgium or in Czech. I\u2019m OK with a small font &nbsp;&#8220;made in France&#8221; or &#8220;made in Europe&#8221; mention on the back of the box, but in both cases, please, no tiny floating flag. &nbsp; &nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"360\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 640 \/ 360;\" width=\"640\" controls src=\"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/fabrication.mp4\"><\/video><figcaption>In Iran, machines are a bit older, but the process is not different.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Depuis quelques mois d\u00e9j\u00e0, les \u00e9diteurs gros et petits sont de plus en plus nombreux \u00e0 se d\u00e9couvrir une conscience \u00e9cologique. Ils annoncent mettre d\u00e9sormais moins de plastique &#8211; inserts, figurines, protection &#8211; dans des bo\u00eetes de jeu dont ils &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/blog\/2021\/12\/28\/ici-et-la-bashere-and-there\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8529,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[254],"class_list":["post-12921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-le-monde-du-jeu-game-trends-and-styles","tag-politics"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/cropped-v314-shaman.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2HNOP-3mp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12921"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12921\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14220,"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12921\/revisions\/14220"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}