Ampersand hot hot days of Summer

[Rechan]

Yeah, I really don't understand the need for the secrecy. Its a game for goodness-sake. Just tell us already.

I think there are alot of folks at WoTC that think of themselves as waaaaayy more important than they really are.

1) They have to sign legal documents saying they can't reveal stuff until it's designated to be revealed.

2) GenCon is where announcements are made, so people pay attention to WotC at GenCon. If they reveal it prematurely, it will kill the buzz, and they won't get as much press. It's just more benefitical for WotC to release the info at the major gaming event of the year, then blow their wad two weeks beforehand.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I'm baffled that you have to be a subscriber to read Ampersand.

"This month, keep an eye out for Adventurer’s Vault 2. This is a product that every player needs, because you can never have access to enough cool and powerful items and equipment. Check out the neat group items for something new and different. Also, Monster Manual: Legendary Evils huge miniatures boosters hit the shelves this month. In addition to the visible huge figure (including a beholder ultimate tyrant and a balor), each booster contains four random figures drawn from the newest D&D products.

Next month, make sure you get your copy of Dungeon Master's Guide 2, and look for a D&D Game Day event in your area. Also in September, the Revenge of the Giants super adventure provides a great paragon-tier epic involving giants, elementals, and a waking primordial. For D&D Insiders, next month also sees the premier of the exclusive player character class -- the assassin!


Yeah, don't want non-subscribers to get shilled at for paragraphs at a time eh?

 

[Drkfathr1]

1) They have to sign legal documents saying they can't reveal stuff until it's designated to be revealed.

2) GenCon is where announcements are made, so people pay attention to WotC at GenCon. If they reveal it prematurely, it will kill the buzz, and they won't get as much press. It's just more benefitical for WotC to release the info at the major gaming event of the year, then blow their wad two weeks beforehand.

Yeah, but see, that's kind of the point I'm trying to make. I don't mean individual designers/employees making the announcement, I mean the company as a whole.

We're not talking national security here, we're talking about a game.

And honestly, if the biggest thing they've got going for GenCon is the announcement of what setting they're doing next year, that's just kind of lame.

Now, if that announcement came with: "Surprise, we're releasing it now, early!" That would be worthy. But still a year away? Meh.

There should be hype and excitement over what they're doing NOW, not what they MIGHT do next year.

 

[Jhaelen]

I'm baffled that you have to be a subscriber to read Ampersand.

Yeah it's a bit odd. I guess it's because sometimes Ampersand contains product spoilers, i.e. 'exclusive' previews.

 

[Drkfathr1]

Yeah it's a bit odd. I guess it's because sometimes Ampersand contains product spoilers, i.e. 'exclusive' previews.

Great marketing plan!

 

[D.Shaffer]

Because Gencon's the place where things like this gets announced. *shrug* The lead up into it is to generate buzz for the announcement. It's just marketing. The fact that people are curious means it's working.

 

[CelticMutt]

Yeah, but see, that's kind of the point I'm trying to make. I don't mean individual designers/employees making the announcement, I mean the company as a whole.

We're not talking national security here, we're talking about a game.

And honestly, if the biggest thing they've got going for GenCon is the announcement of what setting they're doing next year, that's just kind of lame.

Now, if that announcement came with: "Surprise, we're releasing it now, early!" That would be worthy. But still a year away? Meh.

There should be hype and excitement over what they're doing NOW, not what they MIGHT do next year.

That's how all entertainment businesses (at least geek ones) work. RPGs, comics, video games, they all make their biggest announcements their plans for what's coming 6 - 12 months down the road at the big conventions for their industry. Gencon, e3 (or whatever's replaced), Sand Diego & NYCC, they all function the same. Hell, movies get announced 2 - 3 years in advance usually.

 

[Rechan]

We're not talking national security here, we're talking about a game. [/quote[
All companies that produce any sort of product don't want their employees leaking info about the product ahead of time.

I'm certain that any movie or video game maker would come down hard on an employee that leaked info about it ahead of marketing. "It's just a movie" and "It's just a game" is equally hollow when used in response to an NDA for a movie or game company.

It has nothing to do with what the product is, and everything to do with the fact it's a Product. It could be tiddly winks if tiddly winks sold well, and if the company is coming out with a better, new type of tiddly wink to get ahead of the competition, they're going to make their employees sign a NDA. It's just how companies are run. Part of it has to do with competition, and all of it has to do with the potential of losing money.

And money is serious business.

So "It's just a game" is a pointless catchphrase.

 

[gribble]

I just can't warm to these Ampersand articles. Too often Bill's tone smacks of, "Look at me! I'm the boss! I'm so important!"

It's not just you, the Ampersand articles make me feel the same way. That and the fact that they always read like over-hyped marketing/advertising really annoys me. I don't like feeling like my DDI subscription subsidizes WotC's marketing department...

If it wasn't for the fact that there are occasionally decent spoilers (like draconian stats or the bard stuff a while back), I'd never read the article. As it is, I tend to skip right to the end to see what this months "leaked" content is.

 

[Drkfathr1]

We're not talking national security here, we're talking about a game. [/quote[
All companies that produce any sort of product don't want their employees leaking info about the product ahead of time.

I'm certain that any movie or video game maker would come down hard on an employee that leaked info about it ahead of marketing. "It's just a movie" and "It's just a game" is equally hollow when used in response to an NDA for a movie or game company.

It has nothing to do with what the product is, and everything to do with the fact it's a Product. It could be tiddly winks if tiddly winks sold well, and if the company is coming out with a better, new type of tiddly wink to get ahead of the competition, they're going to make their employees sign a NDA. It's just how companies are run. Part of it has to do with competition, and all of it has to do with the potential of losing money.

And money is serious business.

So "It's just a game" is a pointless catchphrase.

Wait, wait, wait.

So, announcing early what their next setting is going to be...next year...is somehow going to cause them to lose money? An exculsive setting that only they can sell? How is the "competition" going to beat them to it?

Regardless of what the setting they cover next year is going to be, Dragonlance, Darksun, Spelljammer, or whatever, no one else is going to be able to produce products for that setting that will in any way cut into WotC profits.