Griffonsec
First Post
So, all the "sky is falling" threads have gotten me thinking about the ups and downs in the RPG industry. Like all businesses it seems to go through cycles, especially withing each individule company.
Now, I started playing in '82, and while there are those who have played longer, I think there are very few who have played as consistantly. I take a six week break whenever I have a new baby (number three is due a week from tomorrow), but that's about the longest time I have ever gone between games.
I actually even use my free time during that six weeks to plan out new campaigns (this time it will be Spycraft).
So, I've seen a few of those ups and downs on the way.
OMG, these fanatics that think we're devil worshipers are going to destroy the game!
OMG, that Magic game is going to destroy the game!
OMG, Everquest is going to destroy the game!
OMG, Hasboro is going to destroy the game!
You get the point.
But seriously, some people do feel like the game is collapsing, and I think for a lot of us that is directly tied to our own experiences. We buy less, so the game must be falling down without our support.
So, what are you doing that is destroying the game? What is it that is driving you awy?
I myself have bought a lot less this year and last than usual. It's not a matter of not having money really, I own my own business and do well for myself, but I just feel like the games aren't worth it so much any more.
For me, a hobby doesn't cost $50 a book. Especially as a DM and collector, I buy a half dozen or so books a month, and at these prices it's really eating into my "fun budget." At some point it becomes a matter of diminishing returns. How much do I have to use a book to feel like I got my money's worth.
It's not even price so much as value. I spent $40 on the new Spycraft book, in fact, I bought 2. I spent $50 on Stargate, another $50 on Game of Thrones, the list goes on... Then I see books like Grim Tales, which I would like, but $35 for a 200 page book seems idiotic. The Spycraft book was $5 more and it was 2 and a half times larger, on high quality paper, and in full color. Same thing with Game of thrones. It was a bit more, but I don't mind paying a bit extra when you have licensing fees to deal with.
But, you see books like those of WOTC and other companies who seem to just be doing all they can to force the price up, and I just can't stomache buying the books. The only thing that has had a similar rate of inflation to RPGs of the last five years or so is gas, and people around the world are outraged by that. And just like gas, it's not that I can't aford the increase, but that doesn't mean I'll pay it when I don't have to.
I guess the other thing, and probably the worse one for me, is second (or higher) editions. I stopped playing Vampire when it started to feel like I was buying the same books over and over again every year or two. I skipped the second edition of L5R, which I love, because I didn't think it was worth buying all the books again. I stopped buying d20 Starwars when my rulebook was outdated months after it came out. Likewise with games like Midnight, Mutants and Masterminds, and all of these other "new edition" books which are basically reprints with a few pages of new materials.
If it was just the big rulebooks it wouldn't be so bad, but with each new edition comes the obligatory worldbooks, clan books, and class guides. As a GM you feel obligated to keep up with the SOTA, so if I can't, I just drop the game from my "to buy" list. Better to cut my losses now. Such blatant money grabs are just beyond my ability to tolerate.
Sure, I've taken the bait if I felt it was absolutely necesary. I have DnD 3.5, and even though I feel that it is inferior to 3.0 in a lot of ways we still play it. I also have Spycraft 2.0 because I felt it was just too damn good not to own. The changes and updates were enough, for me, to make it worth my while.
Still, that's not to say that I really think the game is about to die, I just wanted to say that I'm doing my part, and why. When 3.0 came out I bout everything. I have an entire bookshelf stack up with games I'll never play from companies many people have never heard of, but my 3.5 bookshelf shares space with a lot of other games, and it probably always will. I now buy Shadowrun, Spycraft, and Fireborn (well, if they ever realease anything else) almost exclusively. Sure, I'll pick up the occassional product that looks good, but those are the things that factor into my decision. How much is the cost to page count/usefulness, and how frequently are they releasing new editions.
So, finally, my question to you is, are you doing your part to destroy the industry, and why?
Now, I started playing in '82, and while there are those who have played longer, I think there are very few who have played as consistantly. I take a six week break whenever I have a new baby (number three is due a week from tomorrow), but that's about the longest time I have ever gone between games.
I actually even use my free time during that six weeks to plan out new campaigns (this time it will be Spycraft).
So, I've seen a few of those ups and downs on the way.
OMG, these fanatics that think we're devil worshipers are going to destroy the game!
OMG, that Magic game is going to destroy the game!
OMG, Everquest is going to destroy the game!
OMG, Hasboro is going to destroy the game!
You get the point.
But seriously, some people do feel like the game is collapsing, and I think for a lot of us that is directly tied to our own experiences. We buy less, so the game must be falling down without our support.
So, what are you doing that is destroying the game? What is it that is driving you awy?
I myself have bought a lot less this year and last than usual. It's not a matter of not having money really, I own my own business and do well for myself, but I just feel like the games aren't worth it so much any more.
For me, a hobby doesn't cost $50 a book. Especially as a DM and collector, I buy a half dozen or so books a month, and at these prices it's really eating into my "fun budget." At some point it becomes a matter of diminishing returns. How much do I have to use a book to feel like I got my money's worth.
It's not even price so much as value. I spent $40 on the new Spycraft book, in fact, I bought 2. I spent $50 on Stargate, another $50 on Game of Thrones, the list goes on... Then I see books like Grim Tales, which I would like, but $35 for a 200 page book seems idiotic. The Spycraft book was $5 more and it was 2 and a half times larger, on high quality paper, and in full color. Same thing with Game of thrones. It was a bit more, but I don't mind paying a bit extra when you have licensing fees to deal with.
But, you see books like those of WOTC and other companies who seem to just be doing all they can to force the price up, and I just can't stomache buying the books. The only thing that has had a similar rate of inflation to RPGs of the last five years or so is gas, and people around the world are outraged by that. And just like gas, it's not that I can't aford the increase, but that doesn't mean I'll pay it when I don't have to.
I guess the other thing, and probably the worse one for me, is second (or higher) editions. I stopped playing Vampire when it started to feel like I was buying the same books over and over again every year or two. I skipped the second edition of L5R, which I love, because I didn't think it was worth buying all the books again. I stopped buying d20 Starwars when my rulebook was outdated months after it came out. Likewise with games like Midnight, Mutants and Masterminds, and all of these other "new edition" books which are basically reprints with a few pages of new materials.
If it was just the big rulebooks it wouldn't be so bad, but with each new edition comes the obligatory worldbooks, clan books, and class guides. As a GM you feel obligated to keep up with the SOTA, so if I can't, I just drop the game from my "to buy" list. Better to cut my losses now. Such blatant money grabs are just beyond my ability to tolerate.
Sure, I've taken the bait if I felt it was absolutely necesary. I have DnD 3.5, and even though I feel that it is inferior to 3.0 in a lot of ways we still play it. I also have Spycraft 2.0 because I felt it was just too damn good not to own. The changes and updates were enough, for me, to make it worth my while.
Still, that's not to say that I really think the game is about to die, I just wanted to say that I'm doing my part, and why. When 3.0 came out I bout everything. I have an entire bookshelf stack up with games I'll never play from companies many people have never heard of, but my 3.5 bookshelf shares space with a lot of other games, and it probably always will. I now buy Shadowrun, Spycraft, and Fireborn (well, if they ever realease anything else) almost exclusively. Sure, I'll pick up the occassional product that looks good, but those are the things that factor into my decision. How much is the cost to page count/usefulness, and how frequently are they releasing new editions.
So, finally, my question to you is, are you doing your part to destroy the industry, and why?
