It’s pretty obvious Dove is ONLY there as a tool to coax Sam. Working with Dove was never supposed to be how this went. Using Dove to get Sam to agree, is. That said, I don’t think Sam WILL agree.
Sam is a lot more intelligent than that. He knows when he needs help, and can’t handle a situation on his own (e.g. Sam and Lee vs Kringus). He knows when to listen (e.g. Jeanie and the depression thing). Sam and Lee each have their own strengths and weaknesses, which seem to fill gaps in their sibling. Together, I’m pretty sure they’d end up owning the entire town in about 10 years.
I still say it’s a trap. Dove may not be the mastermind, as I’d expected, but it’s still a trap designed to draw in self-described “hardcore” “elite” gamers, and to effectively give them monopoly over the only major popular gaming place left in town.
Now, granted, that could be a reverse trap, but exactly how, I’m not sure.
I’d love to see Lee turn to Dove and reveal that his bringing Dove on board was so that he could pull the rug out from under him like this. Because of all the times Dove and his roid rage cousin fucked with Sam so much, and this is Lee’s revenge for his brother, who he does seem to care about in his own way.
Subtle implication: Lee does regard his brother as a fellow adult. If this is played straight I can see how Lee can truely believe he’s helping his brother out. & Lee does have quite a few fair points. & SEEMS to be putting all the cards out on the table.
Even though the underlying motivation seems to be getting rid of the dragon’s deb cause…well Trevor called it “daddy issues”. Upsides and downsides to either road Sam takes, while don’t get a good vibe from Lee his business logic is sound enough as their Father probably wouldn’t have retired if he knew Lee was doing this.
Not for me. Anyone willing to screw others over for you is willing to screw you over for other people. Lee might have gotten older and richer, but this kind of subterfuge does NOT have Sam’s best interests at heart, and this was aimed at their father.
You can’t build a lasting legacy by murdering another one. Go see how well communism worked out when it tried that.
Best idea – Run both. Own both. Monopolize the local market. Get all the profits. Have douchey big-bro be the face of Game Haus and lovable Sam as the face of the classic Dragon’s Den.
Also, keep Dove the fuck out of the Brother’s Project.
I’d love that, but Lee wouldn’t let it happen. His goal isn’t primarily to own the market, he wants to crush the Dragon’s Den to destroy his father’s legacy. So as long as Sam doesn’t abandon the Den, Lee won’t work with him. Peaceful Coexistence is possible between the brothers, but not between the shops.
Wow that sam in the third panel is harsh. Looks is like Smeagol halfway to Gollum. New revenue stream for Brian: Commissioned drawing of what people will look like after twenty or thirty years struggling at an overwhelming job.
this is making me sad on a personal level. Our city here in the Philippines had a hobby store named Dragon’s Den as well. Growing up it was the gathering place for all Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon, Mage Knight, Legend of the Five Rings, and DnD players… now it’s been reduced to a pub where drunks sing karaoke off-tune T_T
I hope he will give Sam the option of thinking about it for a day or three. Cause if its the whole decide now or its off bull of a troupe then Lee would have lost my now renewed faith in the character.
I mean yes in all purposes he is burying the Dragon’s Den. But he is still being a good business man about it and he is being somewhat considerate of his brother. So at least not everything there is a stab at his and Sam’s dad. At least I hope so.
Still, Sam would feel weirded out for working for his older brother though (which i am too now, for months now and I’m still weirded out about it.)
Even if its work with, the one who is the at monetary risk and the one providing most of the capital is still get the final say. I work for my older brother true but one of my cousins is his business partner and in the end, my cousin gets the final say cause he is the one giving us most of the capital for the business. Granted this practice isn’t the norm but then again how many people work alongside/with/for their families? Most of the time no, they can be in the same industry but rarely its in the very same office/shop
Run both stores until the market decides which one is the favorite location then role out customer support to the location preferred by customers. The deed and the inventory are the investment both can still be utilized, the inventory at either location and the deed can be sold to any other business that wants it. No problem really IF Sam gets a true partnership out of it and not just a glorified manager position. Sam needs 50% stake in the store IN WRITING before he could agree.
I think their dad would be totally fine with it actually. As long as the new store still has some soul and it’s not just a big box retailer with tables I think Pops would be okay with it. He certainly wasn’t broken up about retiring why would this be different. If Sam didn’t change a thing in the Den it would just be creepy and sad.
Rename the Gamer Haus the Dragon’s Den. If its just business then having the old name will help retain the existing customer base. Also allows them to use the old space as an event area allowing the shop to run larger events such as Magic PTQs, which as a former game store owner I can say bring in a lot of revenue.
The way this is presented, Sam most likely will turn his brother down. But I would love to see the script flipped, and see him jump at the opportunity to really take control of his destiny, and modernize the gaming space. My reasoning on this is The Source Comics and Games in Minnesota. It’s been an awesome gaming store, but they had to move their location due to the cost of rent at their site. They ended up moving into a place that was even bigger, and provided a better bang for the space buck. This place thrives despite most other gaming stores that come and go. But they also have been investing in other gaming stores to keep them going as well. I’d love to see Sam gush about this opportunity, while letting his brother work through his Daddy issues, without worrying about it.
but yeah, in all honesty if Sam takes the offer under the conditions of keeping the Dragons Den name this would actually be a good move all around. legacy of the Den kept, now with a new building and one that unlike the current one wont look like it’s gonna be condemned soon, Lee strikes a blow to feel good by getting rid of the original location and showing that he can be part of the family and run the Den, and over all the customer base wins all around.
Not to forget any local gamers would recognize the Dragons Den and know the quality of the staff where as Game Haus is already a known failed business, a black mark that is near impossible to remove.
Only way the previously stated things will not happen is if Sam shortsightedly refuses. Because with Lee being a business man (a successful one given the limo), he would understand branding and the benefits of changing the name and Sam taking charge of the day to day.
I can think of a few conditions I would impose before agreeing.
1) the Dragon’s Den name continues.
2) All employees of Dragon’s Den get taken on.
3) it’s explicit that Lee is a sleeping partner- that is, Sam makes the decisions, not Lee.
4) Sam gets a 50% stake in the business.
5) Dove is banned from the premises permanently, or at least, until he matures a LOT. (there’s nothing wrong with Dove running his own gaming group that plays by his own rules, provided he’s upfront about it to any prospective members. He’s a dick because he tries to impose his own rules on tournaments that he isn’t running.( That and him conducting a campaign against Dallas, IIRC mainly due to her being a female game programmer(and/or designer- I can’t remember which) which comes under a similar heading “If you disagree with the rules/don’t like a game, don’t play- don’t spoil it for everyone else)
Sell the dragons den, to brett. With his resources he can sell product cheaper. Show Lee that your dad’s legacy can survive the test of time. Then run game house into the ground.
Hell, take the offer. Sam’s dad wouldn’t even let him work at the Dragon’s Den for how long? Yeah, him and seemed closer that him and his brother, but he should think about the future. Maybe have a private gaming room in the Gamer Haus called the Dragon’s Den and rent it out, have it a duplicate the atmosphere of the old store with some upgraded offerings (WI-FI, fridges, lockers, ect.) but keep the new store and it’s modern feel.
And it would be worth it to see Dove thwarted. 🙂
I think it was only like that because of Dove, with him out of the picture I’m sure Lee will allow for Sam to welcome whatever clientele he wants as long as the business runs like clock work.
A thread behind, but yeah. Just losing a sign. Sam’d keep the heart and spirit. The only real gain is /pride/ and /legacy/.
… that said, there’s crazy buillshit magic stuff on like Santa and the Narrative going on that may very well depend on picking an uphill battle of a fight to work.
I hate to say it, but I’m with Lee on this. Yeah, it’s clear daddy issues plastered all over, but the dude is speaking reason and it’s clear Sam has the skill to work clients while Lee has the brains to do business and investments, these two together can pretty much be a deadly team if they agree to work it.
Honestly…. He should just take it. More often than not it’s better to let go of the old things. It’s got sentimental value but it just can’t go on any longer. The new shop he can at least change to make more homey like the Dragon’s Den, he can’t say no to this offer.
Before Sam agrees to anything, he needs to find out exactly how Lee is capitalized. Sam also needs a good attorney, because Lee has made it clear he is a business man; all sorts of nastiness has been done in the name of “just business”.
Lee was so quick to cast Dove aside what’s to say he won’t do the same to Sam? If I was in Sam’s position I would request for a written contract and to read through it before I even put my hand anywhere near a pen.
That’s kinda where my train of thought is going. The request for a written contract would probably make Lee pull out because he should know that a written contract between two consenting and mentally competent adults is legally binding and a lot tougher to violate.
There’s only2.5 ways to legally get out of a contract as far as I know:
1. Any methods allowed and stated within the contract.
2. One party being proven or becoming what is known as “non compis-mentis” or mentally incapable of upholding the contract.
2.5. One of the parties showing such gross negligence and incompetence that it either endangers safety of workers or clients or does something in violation of the contract. If they’re proven to break the contract first, you can withdraw from it without legal penalty.
I forget how old Sam is but I’m also presuming that he’s a legal adult as minors cannot sign legally binding contracts and require a legal adult to under-sign for them.
Lee was so quick to cast Dove aside what's to say he won't do the same to Sam? If I was in Sam's position I would request for a written contract and to read through it before I even put my hand anywhere near a pen..
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HOVER-TEXT: Why yes, I DID set up Lee taking off his shades to quell the “he is possessed” theories. Nice theories, though.
The Reverse-Horatio. Nice.
I’m giving up on predicting where this goes next. I’m just gonna enjoy Dove being treated like a food-grade bitch. 🙂
It’s pretty obvious Dove is ONLY there as a tool to coax Sam. Working with Dove was never supposed to be how this went. Using Dove to get Sam to agree, is. That said, I don’t think Sam WILL agree.
I don’t think Sam will agree either, solely on principle. I do, however, think it is the smarter move if Sam is given creative control of the venture.
Sam is a lot more intelligent than that. He knows when he needs help, and can’t handle a situation on his own (e.g. Sam and Lee vs Kringus). He knows when to listen (e.g. Jeanie and the depression thing). Sam and Lee each have their own strengths and weaknesses, which seem to fill gaps in their sibling. Together, I’m pretty sure they’d end up owning the entire town in about 10 years.
Sam’s best move at this point is to ask to think about it and talk to his friends.
But that could mean Lee will never outgrow his Daddy issues. Not accepting and beating him might be the better option for Sam.
I still say it’s a trap. Dove may not be the mastermind, as I’d expected, but it’s still a trap designed to draw in self-described “hardcore” “elite” gamers, and to effectively give them monopoly over the only major popular gaming place left in town.
Now, granted, that could be a reverse trap, but exactly how, I’m not sure.
I’d love to see Lee turn to Dove and reveal that his bringing Dove on board was so that he could pull the rug out from under him like this. Because of all the times Dove and his roid rage cousin fucked with Sam so much, and this is Lee’s revenge for his brother, who he does seem to care about in his own way.
Subtle implication: Lee does regard his brother as a fellow adult. If this is played straight I can see how Lee can truely believe he’s helping his brother out. & Lee does have quite a few fair points. & SEEMS to be putting all the cards out on the table.
Even though the underlying motivation seems to be getting rid of the dragon’s deb cause…well Trevor called it “daddy issues”. Upsides and downsides to either road Sam takes, while don’t get a good vibe from Lee his business logic is sound enough as their Father probably wouldn’t have retired if he knew Lee was doing this.
Dang that is a rough decision i would hate to have to make.
Not for me. Anyone willing to screw others over for you is willing to screw you over for other people. Lee might have gotten older and richer, but this kind of subterfuge does NOT have Sam’s best interests at heart, and this was aimed at their father.
You can’t build a lasting legacy by murdering another one. Go see how well communism worked out when it tried that.
stcik with the den – Dove will annoy the heck out of any possible business in the haus
^What mist42 said. In spades.
am i the only one shipping trevor and hot lee
*high five*
Best idea – Run both. Own both. Monopolize the local market. Get all the profits. Have douchey big-bro be the face of Game Haus and lovable Sam as the face of the classic Dragon’s Den.
Also, keep Dove the fuck out of the Brother’s Project.
I’d love that, but Lee wouldn’t let it happen. His goal isn’t primarily to own the market, he wants to crush the Dragon’s Den to destroy his father’s legacy. So as long as Sam doesn’t abandon the Den, Lee won’t work with him. Peaceful Coexistence is possible between the brothers, but not between the shops.
Know of a duo in my town who tried to do that. Didn’t work, now they’re in more-or-less direct competition
Wow that sam in the third panel is harsh. Looks is like Smeagol halfway to Gollum. New revenue stream for Brian: Commissioned drawing of what people will look like after twenty or thirty years struggling at an overwhelming job.
this is making me sad on a personal level. Our city here in the Philippines had a hobby store named Dragon’s Den as well. Growing up it was the gathering place for all Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon, Mage Knight, Legend of the Five Rings, and DnD players… now it’s been reduced to a pub where drunks sing karaoke off-tune T_T
I hope he will give Sam the option of thinking about it for a day or three. Cause if its the whole decide now or its off bull of a troupe then Lee would have lost my now renewed faith in the character.
I mean yes in all purposes he is burying the Dragon’s Den. But he is still being a good business man about it and he is being somewhat considerate of his brother. So at least not everything there is a stab at his and Sam’s dad. At least I hope so.
Still, Sam would feel weirded out for working for his older brother though (which i am too now, for months now and I’m still weirded out about it.)
By what lee has been saying it seems more work with than for
Even if its work with, the one who is the at monetary risk and the one providing most of the capital is still get the final say. I work for my older brother true but one of my cousins is his business partner and in the end, my cousin gets the final say cause he is the one giving us most of the capital for the business. Granted this practice isn’t the norm but then again how many people work alongside/with/for their families? Most of the time no, they can be in the same industry but rarely its in the very same office/shop
Run both stores until the market decides which one is the favorite location then role out customer support to the location preferred by customers. The deed and the inventory are the investment both can still be utilized, the inventory at either location and the deed can be sold to any other business that wants it. No problem really IF Sam gets a true partnership out of it and not just a glorified manager position. Sam needs 50% stake in the store IN WRITING before he could agree.
I think the mission of Lee is to dismantle the Dragon’s Den in the both ways.
First panel – Agreement not Aggreement.
“Aggreement” is what you get when you’re so aggrieved that you get aggressive over the aggregate agitation.
I think their dad would be totally fine with it actually. As long as the new store still has some soul and it’s not just a big box retailer with tables I think Pops would be okay with it. He certainly wasn’t broken up about retiring why would this be different. If Sam didn’t change a thing in the Den it would just be creepy and sad.
Ok, counter offer:
Rename the Gamer Haus the Dragon’s Den. If its just business then having the old name will help retain the existing customer base. Also allows them to use the old space as an event area allowing the shop to run larger events such as Magic PTQs, which as a former game store owner I can say bring in a lot of revenue.
The way this is presented, Sam most likely will turn his brother down. But I would love to see the script flipped, and see him jump at the opportunity to really take control of his destiny, and modernize the gaming space. My reasoning on this is The Source Comics and Games in Minnesota. It’s been an awesome gaming store, but they had to move their location due to the cost of rent at their site. They ended up moving into a place that was even bigger, and provided a better bang for the space buck. This place thrives despite most other gaming stores that come and go. But they also have been investing in other gaming stores to keep them going as well. I’d love to see Sam gush about this opportunity, while letting his brother work through his Daddy issues, without worrying about it.
CALLED IT HAH!
but yeah, in all honesty if Sam takes the offer under the conditions of keeping the Dragons Den name this would actually be a good move all around. legacy of the Den kept, now with a new building and one that unlike the current one wont look like it’s gonna be condemned soon, Lee strikes a blow to feel good by getting rid of the original location and showing that he can be part of the family and run the Den, and over all the customer base wins all around.
Not to forget any local gamers would recognize the Dragons Den and know the quality of the staff where as Game Haus is already a known failed business, a black mark that is near impossible to remove.
Only way the previously stated things will not happen is if Sam shortsightedly refuses. Because with Lee being a business man (a successful one given the limo), he would understand branding and the benefits of changing the name and Sam taking charge of the day to day.
I was hoping someone would mention “daddy issues.”
I can think of a few conditions I would impose before agreeing.
1) the Dragon’s Den name continues.
2) All employees of Dragon’s Den get taken on.
3) it’s explicit that Lee is a sleeping partner- that is, Sam makes the decisions, not Lee.
4) Sam gets a 50% stake in the business.
5) Dove is banned from the premises permanently, or at least, until he matures a LOT. (there’s nothing wrong with Dove running his own gaming group that plays by his own rules, provided he’s upfront about it to any prospective members. He’s a dick because he tries to impose his own rules on tournaments that he isn’t running.( That and him conducting a campaign against Dallas, IIRC mainly due to her being a female game programmer(and/or designer- I can’t remember which) which comes under a similar heading “If you disagree with the rules/don’t like a game, don’t play- don’t spoil it for everyone else)
I need a Trent in my life.
Trevorlee, sounds like Beverly. Shippin’ it.
Sell the dragons den, to brett. With his resources he can sell product cheaper. Show Lee that your dad’s legacy can survive the test of time. Then run game house into the ground.
Are those. . . are those MARSHMELLOWS around Lee’s neck?
Hell, take the offer. Sam’s dad wouldn’t even let him work at the Dragon’s Den for how long? Yeah, him and seemed closer that him and his brother, but he should think about the future. Maybe have a private gaming room in the Gamer Haus called the Dragon’s Den and rent it out, have it a duplicate the atmosphere of the old store with some upgraded offerings (WI-FI, fridges, lockers, ect.) but keep the new store and it’s modern feel.
And it would be worth it to see Dove thwarted. 🙂
Depends on the conditions. Is the Gamer Haus going to be explicitly hostile to the “unworthy” clientele?
I think it was only like that because of Dove, with him out of the picture I’m sure Lee will allow for Sam to welcome whatever clientele he wants as long as the business runs like clock work.
A thread behind, but yeah. Just losing a sign. Sam’d keep the heart and spirit. The only real gain is /pride/ and /legacy/.
… that said, there’s crazy buillshit magic stuff on like Santa and the Narrative going on that may very well depend on picking an uphill battle of a fight to work.
I hate to say it, but I’m with Lee on this. Yeah, it’s clear daddy issues plastered all over, but the dude is speaking reason and it’s clear Sam has the skill to work clients while Lee has the brains to do business and investments, these two together can pretty much be a deadly team if they agree to work it.
Honestly…. He should just take it. More often than not it’s better to let go of the old things. It’s got sentimental value but it just can’t go on any longer. The new shop he can at least change to make more homey like the Dragon’s Den, he can’t say no to this offer.
Before Sam agrees to anything, he needs to find out exactly how Lee is capitalized. Sam also needs a good attorney, because Lee has made it clear he is a business man; all sorts of nastiness has been done in the name of “just business”.
Lee was so quick to cast Dove aside what’s to say he won’t do the same to Sam? If I was in Sam’s position I would request for a written contract and to read through it before I even put my hand anywhere near a pen.
Lee doesn’t care as long as he gets to treat Sam as his b!tch, and the Den is destroyed. Beyond that it’s pure cash business deal.
That’s kinda where my train of thought is going. The request for a written contract would probably make Lee pull out because he should know that a written contract between two consenting and mentally competent adults is legally binding and a lot tougher to violate.
There’s only2.5 ways to legally get out of a contract as far as I know:
1. Any methods allowed and stated within the contract.
2. One party being proven or becoming what is known as “non compis-mentis” or mentally incapable of upholding the contract.
2.5. One of the parties showing such gross negligence and incompetence that it either endangers safety of workers or clients or does something in violation of the contract. If they’re proven to break the contract first, you can withdraw from it without legal penalty.
I forget how old Sam is but I’m also presuming that he’s a legal adult as minors cannot sign legally binding contracts and require a legal adult to under-sign for them.
Lee was so quick to cast Dove aside what's to say he won't do the same to Sam? If I was in Sam's position I would request for a written contract and to read through it before I even put my hand anywhere near a pen..
Am I the only one who would take the offer?