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4 Hours w/ RSD - Escapist Bonus Column
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<blockquote data-quote="OpsKT" data-source="post: 7647729" data-attributes="member: 70780"><p>Can't argue with your numbers (except a lack of documentation, as neither you nor Lisa Stevens has ever shown the research, much like the Golden Tablets we have to take your word for it), but there are a couple of specific points... </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Except they changed that with the nWoD. While anyone who has actually used the new rules can attest they work <em>worlds</em> better, they also changed the flavor of the settings (going so far as to actually END THE WORLD® of the previous settings), which plagued them with their own version of the Pathfinder/4e Edition wars. Then, after they were acquired by CCP, they had a problem with a much lower production schedule (in favor of the MMO development, that still hasn't even hinted at a Beta) that made people think that White Wolf was having problems. You should know this, you were associated with White Wolf (via CCP) during much of this. They also fail to communicate with the retailers that well, as many believe they are dead and gone as opposed to on a Print on Demand format. Not that they'd care anyway, as they don't get those sales, but that kind of rumor does not help. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Or, as I see the case with Pinnacle in particular, that allows them to really listen to the fans, and produce fun games that are fun to play, instead of an exercise in marketing. Savage Worlds is hands down the best game I have ever played. This is a subjective opinion, sure, but considering they keep selling out of print runs I'm clearly not the only one. It works with my group because of the fact that it plays fast, learns fast, is very flexible, and doesn't take me the time to prep games that v3.5 did, or 4e still does. </p><p></p><p>Who cares if it is a <em>secondary income</em> source? You say that like it's a bad thing. As gamers, if we're playing it, we're having fun, they are getting to write and sell the kind of games they like, and it at least breaks even so they can keep doing it, what's wrong with that? </p><p></p><p>This is about gaming in general, not if you're going to get rich at it. It's always been a market and hobby that you do because you enjoy it, not to make tons of cash. If you want to make better money, you can probably do so by applying those math skills to the finance or insurance industries. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Except for the part of the population, who being gamers in their own networks (and in places like <u>EN World</u>) outside of the RPGA and Paizo boards and similar <em>marketing</em> tools that still pick out games based on their preferences, and are turned off of both 4e and Pathfinder due to the Edition Wars. It doesn't matter what 'the industry' wants to try to pick as the winner, for many gamers they will pick games based upon what they want to play and to hell with what the 'big boys' marketing divisions want to push on us. </p><p></p><p>For us, our flight to quality is those smaller publishers that you took so lightly in your article. My personal flight to quality is Savage Worlds. Since I first played the Explorer Edition (sold out of print runs twice, I might add, and the Deluxe is already gearing up for printing 3 according to their own people on their forums) I have spent more on their books than I have on 4e and Pathfinder combined (and I don't have to spend that much on Pathfinder because the same rules that let you publish other people's IP also allow me to get it for free). They also have a more community minded set of forums and one hell of a good <a href="http://opscon.tumblr.com/post/14514598012/and-this-is-another-big-reason-that-pinnacle-and" target="_blank">sense of public relations</a> as opposed to fueling vitriol and edition wars with putting out press releases that amount to, <em>"Look, we're outselling the guys whose IP we republished!"</em> </p><p></p><p>We're a small segment, sure, but not one to ignore in a niche market because we're the GM's that have income to buy and run this stuff. We're the guys who are deciding what games (and their related culture) we want to teach our kids, nephews, and others. Regardless of a company's size, when they operate in a niche market they ignore gamers like me at their own risk. Even if we're only 10%, can even Paizo afford to turn away 10%? </p><p></p><p>And then there are the ones that the edition wars have drove away from current publishers entirely. Their flight to quality was <em>back to the print books of games they already had, played, and enjoyed.</em> Two of the colleges near me have gaming clubs. In each one, I see various groups play when I visit, and sit in on games. The smaller college has about 3-4 tables a week, and they play BESM2, L5R, Shadowrun, and Star Wars Saga. Note only 2/4 of their games <em>are in print and currently earning money for a pubisher.</em> The larger college's gaming club usually ends up with about 8 tables a week. They rotate games a lot, and I haven't seen them play 4e or Pathfinder in over a year. In fact, the only currently published one they are running is Dragon Age. They don't give a crap what you and your 'big boys' and 'market research' say they should play. They play what they like. They play games written by other gamers, not by lawyers and people in marketing. </p><p></p><p>And that's the way <em>that the hobby should be.</em> You spend so many words on the shared experience, but forget in your analysis that it used to be that the <em>publisher, and the writers, and the designers, were part of and in on that experience.</em> But no more. Now it's all market research, and focus groups, and data mining, and the <strong>soul of the hobby</strong> is being left to die, as the companies that used to share writers and ideas and their customer base now take shots at each other and tear what used to be <strong><em>OUR</em></strong> Big Tent to shreds. </p><p></p><p>That's what is killing the hobby.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="OpsKT, post: 7647729, member: 70780"] Can't argue with your numbers (except a lack of documentation, as neither you nor Lisa Stevens has ever shown the research, much like the Golden Tablets we have to take your word for it), but there are a couple of specific points... Except they changed that with the nWoD. While anyone who has actually used the new rules can attest they work [i]worlds[/i] better, they also changed the flavor of the settings (going so far as to actually END THE WORLD® of the previous settings), which plagued them with their own version of the Pathfinder/4e Edition wars. Then, after they were acquired by CCP, they had a problem with a much lower production schedule (in favor of the MMO development, that still hasn't even hinted at a Beta) that made people think that White Wolf was having problems. You should know this, you were associated with White Wolf (via CCP) during much of this. They also fail to communicate with the retailers that well, as many believe they are dead and gone as opposed to on a Print on Demand format. Not that they'd care anyway, as they don't get those sales, but that kind of rumor does not help. Or, as I see the case with Pinnacle in particular, that allows them to really listen to the fans, and produce fun games that are fun to play, instead of an exercise in marketing. Savage Worlds is hands down the best game I have ever played. This is a subjective opinion, sure, but considering they keep selling out of print runs I'm clearly not the only one. It works with my group because of the fact that it plays fast, learns fast, is very flexible, and doesn't take me the time to prep games that v3.5 did, or 4e still does. Who cares if it is a [i]secondary income[/i] source? You say that like it's a bad thing. As gamers, if we're playing it, we're having fun, they are getting to write and sell the kind of games they like, and it at least breaks even so they can keep doing it, what's wrong with that? This is about gaming in general, not if you're going to get rich at it. It's always been a market and hobby that you do because you enjoy it, not to make tons of cash. If you want to make better money, you can probably do so by applying those math skills to the finance or insurance industries. Except for the part of the population, who being gamers in their own networks (and in places like [u]EN World[/u]) outside of the RPGA and Paizo boards and similar [i]marketing[/i] tools that still pick out games based on their preferences, and are turned off of both 4e and Pathfinder due to the Edition Wars. It doesn't matter what 'the industry' wants to try to pick as the winner, for many gamers they will pick games based upon what they want to play and to hell with what the 'big boys' marketing divisions want to push on us. For us, our flight to quality is those smaller publishers that you took so lightly in your article. My personal flight to quality is Savage Worlds. Since I first played the Explorer Edition (sold out of print runs twice, I might add, and the Deluxe is already gearing up for printing 3 according to their own people on their forums) I have spent more on their books than I have on 4e and Pathfinder combined (and I don't have to spend that much on Pathfinder because the same rules that let you publish other people's IP also allow me to get it for free). They also have a more community minded set of forums and one hell of a good [url=http://opscon.tumblr.com/post/14514598012/and-this-is-another-big-reason-that-pinnacle-and]sense of public relations[/url] as opposed to fueling vitriol and edition wars with putting out press releases that amount to, [i]"Look, we're outselling the guys whose IP we republished!"[/i] We're a small segment, sure, but not one to ignore in a niche market because we're the GM's that have income to buy and run this stuff. We're the guys who are deciding what games (and their related culture) we want to teach our kids, nephews, and others. Regardless of a company's size, when they operate in a niche market they ignore gamers like me at their own risk. Even if we're only 10%, can even Paizo afford to turn away 10%? And then there are the ones that the edition wars have drove away from current publishers entirely. Their flight to quality was [i]back to the print books of games they already had, played, and enjoyed.[/i] Two of the colleges near me have gaming clubs. In each one, I see various groups play when I visit, and sit in on games. The smaller college has about 3-4 tables a week, and they play BESM2, L5R, Shadowrun, and Star Wars Saga. Note only 2/4 of their games [i]are in print and currently earning money for a pubisher.[/i] The larger college's gaming club usually ends up with about 8 tables a week. They rotate games a lot, and I haven't seen them play 4e or Pathfinder in over a year. In fact, the only currently published one they are running is Dragon Age. They don't give a crap what you and your 'big boys' and 'market research' say they should play. They play what they like. They play games written by other gamers, not by lawyers and people in marketing. And that's the way [i]that the hobby should be.[/i] You spend so many words on the shared experience, but forget in your analysis that it used to be that the [i]publisher, and the writers, and the designers, were part of and in on that experience.[/i] But no more. Now it's all market research, and focus groups, and data mining, and the [b]soul of the hobby[/b] is being left to die, as the companies that used to share writers and ideas and their customer base now take shots at each other and tear what used to be [b][i]OUR[/i][/b] Big Tent to shreds. That's what is killing the hobby. [/QUOTE]
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