Why is/was Shadowrun more popular than Cyberpunk?

[MacDhomnuill]

Fantasy is more popular than sci-fi.

Shadowrun is cyberpunk plus fantasy.

Yup same reason fantasy games always sell more than Scifi and modern combined. People like playing elves

 

[DrunkonDuty]

Elf Rocker is the best archetype in SR.

 

[MGibster]

In a nutshell, I think a mundane high tech world is just less broadly appealing for an RPG than a similar world with a ton of magic also worked in.

I've been racking my brains trying to think of any RPGs that don't have some form of magic or fantastical technologies that might as well be magic. Twilight 2000 and Delta Force: America Strikes Back! are the most mundane settings I can think of as as there's no magic or super science in either of them. I still think part of Shadowrun's success compared to Cyberpunk are due to some of the factors I mentioned, but at the end of the day I think you're right. A mundane hi-tech world just isn't as broadly appealing as fantasy. There's something about fantasy that makes it easy for people to dive into.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I've been racking my brains trying to think of any RPGs that don't have some form of magic or fantastical technologies that might as well be magic. Twilight 2000 and Delta Force: America Strikes Back! are the most mundane settings I can think of as as there's no magic or super science in either of them. I still think part of Shadowrun's success compared to Cyberpunk are due to some of the factors I mentioned, but at the end of the day I think you're right. A mundane hi-tech world just isn't as broadly appealing as fantasy. There's something about fantasy that makes it easy for people to dive into.

I think there's a couple of odd and ends of espionage games. Oh, and a few Old West games (obvious not "haunted West" and their kin). Naturally, none of either are particularly well known.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Marketing, FASA put out a slick game and had the bucks to promote it, they were showing it off for a couple of years at Gen Con, gamers knew it was coming and the demos/seminars were hot items. Plus, it had the fans from BattleTech to draw from. Cyberpunk, just did not have that "bang". Supporting material, Shadowrun had a good bit on a regular schedule. Cyberpunk, not so much and that hurt them.

Then there were the rules, Cyberpunk rules just lacked something in play (may still) which did not capture the world well enough in my opinion.

 

[Reynard]

Then there were the rules, Cyberpunk rules just lacked something in play (may still) which did not capture the world well enough in my opinion.

This may be the first time history anyone suggested Shadowrun 1E had better rules than any other game.

 

[Thomas Shey]

This may be the first time history anyone suggested Shadowrun 1E had better rules than any other game.

Oh, there were much worse rules sets than SR1e (and I had some big issues with those rules). Not sure I'd have called CP2020's one of them though...

 

[Reynard]

Oh, there were much worse rules sets than SR1e (and I had some big issues with those rules). Not sure I'd have called CP2020's one of them though...

All I know is that my 15 year old brain was too small to figure out the damage system.

 

[MGibster]

I think there's a couple of odd and ends of espionage games. Oh, and a few Old West games (obvious not "haunted West" and their kin). Naturally, none of either are particularly well known.

There's Boot Hill as well. Did Bushido have magic or was it pretty much a historical setting?

Marketing, FASA put out a slick game and had the bucks to promote it, they were showing it off for a couple of years at Gen Con, gamers knew it was coming and the demos/seminars were hot items. Plus, it had the fans from BattleTech to draw from. Cyberpunk, just did not have that "bang".

Behold the might of FASA marketing!

 

[DarkCrisis]

So, would you say Cyberpunk is bigger today? More people trying the TTRPG since the game and anime came out...