Too much, too little

[Belen]

When a company regularly puts out new books on the game, it gets called "bloating the game". And people deride the company for it. People complain that they can't "keep up" with buying the books.

No. Bloat comes when you have thousands of pages of rules that cannot possibly be used in any one lifetime.

When a company does not regularly put out new books on the game, it gets called "killing the game". And people deride the company for it. People complain that there are no more books to buy.

If a company does not put at least 3 books a year into a line, then they threaten to kill the line. People want new material to give them ideas etc. New material on a regular basis also helps to promote the game and create a stable customer base where you can find players or DMs for a game or world.

What the hell is wrong with this customer base?

No idea, but you seem to have a bee in your bonnet. This last statement seems like you want a flame war since it is meant to insult everyone, but no one.

 

[Nebulous]

Personally i wish the d20 market wasn't so damn big. There's too many great titles out there and i feel like i'm missing out every month. It's a fine line to balance, especially with a greedy credit card...

 

[The Shaman]

What the hell is wrong with this customer base?

Who the hell cares?

Seriously, where does this need to complain about people's foibles come from?

 

[Grimstaff]

When a company regularly puts out new books on the game, it gets called "bloating the game". And people deride the company for it. People complain that they can't "keep up" with buying the books.

When a company does not regularly put out new books on the game, it gets called "killing the game". And people deride the company for it. People complain that there are no more books to buy.

What the hell is wrong with this customer base?

Quasqueton

Nothing's wrong, every industry gets "consumer commentary". What's amazing is the extent to which this industry actually LISTENS to its customers. Look at these boards, if you post a complaint or compliment about a product, the actual writer or publisher will probably respond. Ever try that with Pepsi? Go ahead, move on over to the Pepsi boards and post "Why do we get so many $^%& new flavors every month" and see how much of an impact you make. Clamor for more adventures on the WotC boards and look what happens...

 

[William Ronald]

Nothing's wrong, every industry gets "consumer commentary". What's amazing is the extent to which this industry actually LISTENS to its customers. Look at these boards, if you post a complaint or compliment about a product, the actual writer or publisher will probably respond. Ever try that with Pepsi? Go ahead, move on over to the Pepsi boards and post "Why do we get so many $^%& new flavors every month" and see how much of an impact you make. Clamor for more adventures on the WotC boards and look what happens...

I think the fall of TSR in the 1990s taught gaming companies to try their best to listen to their customers. This in part explains an increased emphasis on marketing, and companies making a variety of products. I would like to say that I see the gaming industry taking more chances in trying to please its customers than some other industries. There are various rules systems, alternatives to existing rules (AU/AE, Iron Heroes), and various settings and other products.

However, no company can please everyone all the time. So complaints are part of it. Some of it depends on us. JoeGKushner mentioned Nyambe, which is a great setting. (There are many ideas that can be used in any setting.) However, it is a non-traditional setting that would see more support if customers bought more. So, market demand is a major factor on what gets published and what does not get published. So, I think we need as customers to find products that we want and to strongly support them. Of course, there will be complaints as not every product will please everyone.

 

[werk]

Because no matter what you do, people will bitch and whine.

If no one is complaining, no one is paying attention, which is far worse.

 

[delericho]

Perhaps it's because people who are happy don't feel the need to complain?

If a company produces too much for me to consume, I might feel the need to speak up, to see if it makes a difference. If a company produces too little for my tastes, again, I might speak up. However, if it's just right (as is the present situation in my case), I'm not really going to speak up.

So, all you ever see are the voices of dissent. But it's important to remember that there is always a silent majority that is quite happy. (Of course, when a company responds to the complaints and changes something, some of the voices of dissent fall silent, but another segment, that was happy with the status quo, suddenly needs to complain.)

 

[Melan]

Disposable supplements could be a decent compromise. A module, for example, is degradable: you use it on your players and shelve it. Then you buy another and another. With rules, setting material and similar supplements, consumers are left with a feeling of "bloat" because all that material builds up.

 

[Hussar]

Who the hell cares?

Seriously, where does this need to complain about people's foibles come from?

Seconded on this one.

Nice when I can agree with someone once in a while.

Like was said, if no one was bitching, that would mean that no one cares enough to make any comment and that would be a far worse place to be.

Be afraid when the complainers fall silent. No news really isn't good news sometimes.

 

[The_Magician]

"I dont know the secret of success, but I know the secret of failure, and that is to try to please everyone at the same time." Jack Welsh