Meta-Buying

[Dr. Harry]

Indirectly, this topic has come up quite a lot, but I was wondering about the following situation.

Suppose that, in your opinion at least, the owner/chairman/high muckety-muck of a game company kept making public statements about games, gaming, life, etc., that were so totally assine and narcissistic that it becomes impossible to imagine shelling down any money on a project knowing that some tiny fraction of your cash would go to that person. Totally hypothetical, of course. This might also include hypothetical publishers who couldn't publish a book on "St. Benedict's Rule as applied to fantasy monastaries" with art of a woman who would need DD cups at the least, if she was actually wearing a bra.

There are some companies now whose products I wouldn't take if you were giving them away free on a streetcorner.

Is there a general ENWorld consensus? Are there those who would buy a chainsaw-murderin', puppy-violating pscho's stuff if it had good role-play value? Is there a D* (designated *^&$&$#@) level where the company doesn't exist on your radar?

For myself, I can think of three companies whose material I don't even look at, and a couple companies that I will always give the benefit of the doubt to, at least initially.

I realize that as a goofy, offensive boss would tend to produce goofy, offensive product and hire goofy, offensive people, there is a bit of a feedback loop here, but I am curious where the "smeg-the-whole-thing level is for different people.

Harry L

 

[elbandit]

There are some companies now whose products I wouldn't take if you were giving them away free on a streetcorner.

Which three?

 

[diaglo]

yes. even i draw a line when it comes to purchasing. it takes a lot to cross my line. but some people in the industry have. and even i won't purchase products from the company they are affiliated with.

personally, if i ever see the schmucks i'm gonna knock the living @#%$ out of them.

 

[SneakyB]

Speaking only for myself, I agree with you whole-heartedly. There are several companies that no matter how great their product may look or sound, I will absolutely never buy. Two of which I think you're covering here. My money is better spent lining the pockets of individuals and/or companies that produce quality merchandise while not presuming that their OPINIONS are anything more than that.

Just getting my 2 cents in before the flames start and the thread gets closed.

Dan

 

[BiggusGeekus@Work]

There's two companies I don't like based on such things and I don't buy their products (not that they've noticed/cared). There is a third who I had on that list, but am considering taking off because they've conducted themsleves very differently this past year.

But ... someone would have to do something pretty illegal/ totally unethical before I'd turn away something given away for free on a streetcorner. ...and I prefer "courtosean" to "whore", thank you very much.

 

[PowerWordDumb]

I don't care who publishes a product, if it's good, interesting, and potentially useful to me.

If it gets past the "would I like it?" hurdle, it doesn't matter if Adolf himself publishes/writes/designs/draws it.

I may hate the person, but I realize they are distinct subjects. I don't care who you are as long as your products are excellent and your customer service is superb (and you're not a cancer on the environment or society, though those concerns are admittedly secondary).

On the flip-side, I wouldn't buy *anything* from Mother Theresa or Ghandi himself if they didn't know how to put together a compelling product.

 

[PowerWordDumb]

I should say there is at least one company for me as well whose products I won't even look at.... but that's got nothing to do with who they are, or what they might say or do. It's got entirely to do with the consistency with which they have released low-quality products with potentially good ideas, but horrible rules problems and glaring issues with understanding the system within which they're working.

Again, nothing to do at all with who they are, what their boss posts on his rant pages, or anything else. Just based on my own reading of their products.

Should they ever release something worth my time (and assuming I make the effort to pick it up and read through it), then I'd buy from them, but they've created quite a hurdle for themselves in even getting my attention.

 

[Dr. Harry]

Re: Re: Meta-Buying

Which three?

As individual tastes may vary, I hesitate to explicitely name the companies invovled, although it seems that posters have made successful deductions regarding two of the companies, and the thrid has been the subject of many long, and forcibly closed, threads on this board in the not-too-distant past.

I am more willing to name the companies that I think quite well of due to the quality of their past releases, if notbecause I know anything about the individuals at all. Product from Green Ronin, Fantasy Flight, and Malhavoc will get a second look when the same presentation by other companies, even ones I don't think poorly of, don't.

Harry

 

[Fenes 2]

I tend to buy based on reviews of products, not of companies. So far no company or designer has offended me to a point where I would not buy their stuff if I was interested in.

 

[ergeheilalt]

I have yet to go and look exclusively for third party game material. I only bought my first mongoose book a couple months ago; however, if I did find something that looked really good and would go along with either the campaign I'm in or the one I play in I would not hesitate in the least. I have no stigma for buying a product from a company that may have produced really bad material - maybe (little chance as that may be) they've actually changed - I base my buying on the relevancy to what I play and the opinions of friends.

Erge