Alternate Gaming History - What If?

[moritheil]

For some reason I just remembered something while browsing the boards.

A while back, White Wolf put out a horribly offensive game wherein the PCs were all pimps. This was done in the spirit of good humor, but like all things, it was swiftly taken out of context (and it is arguable whether or not such a game is justifiable in context, but let us put that aside - it is not the question I propose.)

I wonder what would have happened to WotC if they had put that out. Would there still have been boycotts, or would people have simply been forced to realize that they will buy WotC products no matter what?

Additionally, how would WotC's response have differed from White Wolf's?

Note that I am not asking for discussion of the politics involved; I am merely trying to grasp how the two gamer companies function differently.

 

[Crothian]

Did anything happen to White Wolf? They still seem to be a popular gaming company with great games. I doubt anything too much would happen to Wizards. Surely, the cancellation of Dragon and Dungeon caused a bigger uproar and threats of boycott then any game that was there and then gone would.

 

[jdrakeh]

Did anything happen to White Wolf?

The only real fallout was that discussion of Pimp: The Backhanding was banned at RPGnet. . . for a brief while. There was no other fallout that I'm aware of. There was no notable drop in sales at White Wolf and, indeed, the One Book Shelf and Innovators CCP mergers (both wildly successful) took place after the online Pimp release.

 

[Umbran]

I wonder what would have happened to WotC if they had put that out. Would there still have been boycotts, or would people have simply been forced to realize that they will buy WotC products no matter what?

A bit of a false dichotomy there. I don't think there would have been any effective boycotts, but I don't think many would have bought the product. Failing to buy poorly considered products en masse does not constitute a boycott.

 

[moritheil]

A bit of a false dichotomy there. I don't think there would have been any effective boycotts, but I don't think many would have bought the product. Failing to buy poorly considered products en masse does not constitute a boycott.

If memory serves, there was actually a boycott of White Wolf called for by at least one organization. Whether or not that had any practical effect on sales is not something I'm aware of. Though I guess according to this poster, the answer is a resounding "NO:"

There was no notable drop in sales at White Wolf and, indeed, the One Book Shelf and Innovators CCP mergers (both wildly successful) took place after the online Pimp release.

Thanks for that info!

 

[jdrakeh]

Thanks for that info!

I should note that the sales information came second-hand (I have never worked for White Wolf, merely communicated with people who did at that time). That said, boycotts of any kind have never (to my knowledge) been successful in causing a noteworthy drop in RPG sales. Indeed, the only boycott that I am aware of which had the potential to harm RPG sales was that issued by Jimmy Swaggart in the early 1980s.

And that backfired wholly.

Jimmy Swaggart, Pat Pulling, and others in that 'anti-RPG' movement unwittingly thrust what had, up until that point, been a rather obscure hobby into the national media. While a lot of us alive at that time genuinely dislike Swaggart and company for their efforts, the fact is that the nationwide attempt at persecution was just that -- an attempt. A failed attempt. A failed attempt that made RPGs more popular than they ever had been before (or since).

 

[moritheil]

the fact is that the nationwide attempt at persecution was just that -- an attempt. A failed attempt. A failed attempt that made RPGs more popular than they ever had been before (or since).

That's an interesting choice of words. I agree that a boycott by people who don't use a product to begin with will never be successful, but it's hardly persecution.

Also, is there a reason you think that RPGs are not more popular now than they were then?

 

[Dave G]

I bought a buddy a card game based upon the Pimp idea... I wonder who published that? Google is my ninja!

http://www.white-wolf.com/pimp/index.php?line=intro

 

[Umbran]

If memory serves, there was actually a boycott of White Wolf called for by at least one organization.

Yes, and there were any number of boycotts called against TSR back in the 1980s. We see how well that worked.

The simple fact is that no boycott will be effective if it is not adopted by the core market of the offending company. And while any number of gamers might have said, "That game is dumb and it isn't funny," I don't think many would feel it so offensive as to call for trying to remove other business from WotC.

 

[Aholibamah]

I think it was meant to be a joke game anyway, just the title sounds hilarious if you know White Wolf products. Everything is "X: The Something". You could have Drunk: The Retching, or Bimbo: The Bouncing or whatever you wanted.