A Replacement for DRAGON?

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I don't think right now is a good time to try it.

I think a better time to try it would be when 4e comes out and if 4e is closed again. In that case, it makes perfect sense for a magazine to pop up to support the community of OGL publishings.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I think it's, at best, an uphill battle, and at worst a fool's errand.

That said, I respect a particularly determined fool.

Gareth, if you were to try to get such a beast up-and-running, I'd not only take a gander at it as a fan, I might be willing to be a part of the process. If this ever gets past the "pipe dream" stage and you're looking for help and/or words, shoot me an e-mail.

 

[Nightfall]

Ari,

Most of us do cheer for the underdog fool. I mean hey I still can sing it. "Dadum, dadum, dadum... Ahhh.. When in this world the headlines read; Of those whose hearts are filled with greed; And rob and steal from those in need.; To right this wrong with blinding speed goes

Underdog! Underdog!"

 

[Stormborn]

Yes, I think someone should do it, and yes I would do my best to support it as a fan and as a writer (not that I am in Ari's league, but just offering). However, I do think money and position in the magazine marketplace are factors. Maybe someone like GR could pull one together with the aid of Adamant and other major PDF publishers but somehow I doubt it.

Instead I see one company that has the magazine market presense and the money to do it: Wizards Entertainment. Not WotC, but the publisher of Wizards, Inquest, ToyFare, etc. Given that they cover most of the collectible/fanboyish market with one or more of their publications I will be a bit suprised if we didn't hear that they intend to try and fill the hole left by Dragon's absence. And it is Dragon that will be missed, IMO, Dungeon's content is too easily replaced by things like Pathfinder, DCC, and other print and pdf adventures.

Ideally? I'd like to see someone like Gareth, someone that knows the industry and publishing in it, linked to a company like Wizards Entertainment to produce a new Fantasy RPG magazine. Use the OGL to provide d20 Content primarilly, but also include other systems that either are also open or provided their content for the sake of exposure. You could easily feature one "genre" article each issue such as modern, western, supers, espionage, etc gaming that fell outside of the focus of traditional fantasy gaming. Have a regular column that deals with other types of games as well, reviews, industry news, and maybe an editorial or two by industry proffesionals and you are good to go. Comics might be OK, but not in abundance, and I would stay away from fiction in all but the most exceptional of circumstances.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

So tell me: With DRAGON and DUNGEON gone the way of the Dodo, would you be interested in an OGL-based magazine that attempted to fill that niche? Should someone give it a go?

Yes, and its Pathfinder for me.

 

[Glyfair]

It has been tried...but it's never been tried with the 800-pound gorillas taken off the market. Dragon and Dungeon not being out there changes the playing field for OGL zines somewhat. That's not to say that it would work...just that the odds are somewhat better now than they've ever been.

The big problem is that right now is not the time to start a new magazine. Magazine sales are way down because of the internet. I even doubt Dragon and Dungeon would do well if they had to launch now, in this environment.

A new magazine that was perfect might be able to survive if launched now. However, I believe it would always be a month to month survival process.

What might help such a magazine survive?

Active and advertised links to major existing publishers.
Having visible "names" in the industry visibly involved in the magazine every issue.
Carefully walking the fine line between innovative material and universally useful material.
Quality production values including eye catching covers.

 

[Jemal]

The 'official' part was good, but never an actual selling point to me. What made Dragon and Dungeon worth buying (at least over the past year that I've been subscribed to them) was the generally excellent quality of their content, which was a result of the excellent staff writers, editors and independent contributors employed by Paizo.

A replacement magazine by Paizo, offering similar content at similar prices, would most likely get my money. A replacement magazine by a third party with no track-record in this format probably wouldn't, without massive word-of-mouth in their favour.

Ditto. I wasn't a subscriber, or a 'hardcore' buyer. When I saw a mag that looked good, I picked it up if I had cash. I usually saw a couple dungeons that caught my eye (I prefer making my own adventures), and 3/4 of the Dragon mags that I liked out of a year. The 'official' part never mattered to me in the slightest, unless I was trying to 'sell' some new rule I'd read that I wanted for a character. Since I DM more than I play, that didn't matter much... If I like something, pow it's in, WOTC or not.

The majority of what i liked were the IDEAS in the Mags. Ecologies, etc. that I could take and change into my own by combining some of their ideas with some of mine.


If a Magazine had good, interesting content, I'd get it.

 

[Morrus]

Shoulda bought EN World Gamer when it was around. Ah well.

That said, this thread is clearly market research, and so off to Publishers it goes.

 

[amethal]

So tell me: With DRAGON and DUNGEON gone the way of the Dodo, would you be interested in an OGL-based magazine that attempted to fill that niche?

Yeah, I'd buy it.

Should someone give it a go?

Only if that person didn't mind a lot of expense and heartache.

Plenty of gamers are talking the talk at the moment. Not sure how many would be prepared to walk the walk.

Also, I imagine plenty of the people who have signed up for Pathfinder would struggle to afford another subscription (unless those "boycott WotC" threats came to fruition )

 

[DItheringFool]

YES, I will be a charter subscriber.