Pathfinder 1E So what did the ENnies do for publishers besides PAizo and WOTC?

[Jack99]

I am a purist, so the Ennies have never done much for my purchases.

 

[Mistwell]

Between the Origins and Ennies awards, I bought Mouse Guard and Monsters and Other Childish Things.

 

[Alt F4]

I'm another one in the category of "ENnies don't influence my purchases at all." My interest in the ENnies is seeing recognition for products that I already consider to be awesome. If anything I'm likely to have a negative outlook towards nominated products that I haven't already heard of. Afterall they're the competition for the products that I want to win.

 

[Treebore]

The ENnies mandate isn't to generate sales - although if they do have that side benefit, then I'm sure nobody will complain.

The ENnies are to award recognition to those who work in the industry. It's a way for the fans and peers to step up and say "Well done! You did a fine job there!" To some people, I'm sure that doesn't matter, but to others it has a value in of itself.

Thats all well and good, but the OTHER way the ENnies are looked at, especially by smaller publishers where shipping off those 6 copies, often with shipping over seas and to Canada, is a hit to their finances. So they ask themselves, "Does the expense of the ENnies help my bottom line? What tangible benefit does it give my company?"

I heard about a half dozen companies seriously question the value, to the point where even PAST WINNERS are questioning how much they will support the ENnies in the future, including what they will submit, and if they submit.

So yes, the issue of the financial value of being nominated, let alone winning the ENnies, is financially worth it to the various publishers, in particular the small ones, needs to be addressed and clarified for these publishers.

During the ENnies the MC, and maybe even Peter A., commented on the diversity submitted to the ENnies. So any value added that can be determined to be a benefit to these publishers, especially the small ones, will help the ENnies to continue to comment on how the submissions continue to grow.

Helping their bottom line, especially when they are also a past winner, is an important thing to prove, since they cited how they do not see any help to their sales being derived from their ENnies wins. To the point where they commented their future submissions will be curtailed.

Is that a direction the ENnies wishes to go? Including with past winners?

I don't think so.

 

[Treebore]

Where is the option for "The Ennies haven't encouraged any purchases, it's interesting but not a purchase motivator"?

As I said in my OP, the perception that the ENnies do not help publisher sales is already very prevalent, this thread is about reinforcing the other side of the coin, that the ENnies do help with exposure and sales.

So I saw no need to put up poll options that tell us what the perception already is. I am only interested in seeing if there is enough feedback to suggest the perception is wrong, like I believe it to be since the ENnies led to me buying a lot of things I would have otherwise ignored or stayed ignorant of.

 

[Piratecat]

During the ENnies the MC, and maybe even Peter A., commented on the diversity submitted to the ENnies.

The MC? Dude, I'm standing right here.

As I said at the ceremony, the biggest challenge a publisher has isn't other publishers. It's anonymity, as you work to achieve name recognition for your game. Anything at all you can do for this is a good thing. If your book gets an award nomination, some people will hear about it who wouldn't otherwise, and that's a fine thing.

 

[Mark]

The MC? Dude, I'm standing right here.

You stand while you type on the computer? What happened to that inflatable donut I got you last Valentine's Day?









Argh!

 

[PaulofCthulhu]

Aahhh, so that's why! i didn't submit a book. Seriously, well done to the winners and the nominees this year.

The Ennies doesn't make me buy things, but it does bring them to my attention, especially web sites and podcasts - where financial gain as a result of the ENnies is not usually relevant.

Perhaps one question is, what do Publishers actually expect of the ENnies? More than it's stated intent?

 

[Shemeska]

I hope the Cthulhutech guys get a new bunch of support and interest from their Ennies wins, because they deserve it for making an awesome freaking product.

 

[blindrage]

Thanks to the ENnies, I brought CthulhuTech and look at new games I would have never looked at. But it's not the ENnies job to improves sales because that the job of the companies making the products job.