Are you doing your part to destroy the industry?

[Mark CMG]

Are you doing your part to destroy the industry?

I choose to believe that I am!

 

[Glyfair]

So, I'm destroying the industry with my purchasing power but buoying it by my love and practice of playing the game, and convincing others to buy books that I like too.

Honestly, I think a whole category of "things you can do to destroy the industry" would be not getting new players into the hobby.

Fortunately, I don't fall under this category. I have, in the last year, gotten at least 2 or 3 new players into roleplaying.

I've also encouraged other players to bring people in. Indeed, one of the new players I've brought into the game is now running his own game with brand new players of his own.

While I won't criticize anyone's individual choice to only game with those they know, in the comfort of their own home, I do think the trend towards this is hurting the hobby at some level. I'd like to see it more of gaming out in the public eye where people can try it, some can find they enjoy it and more will stay with it.

 

[Sledge]

Second, they are based in Germany.

Actually no. Fanpro is a north american company. It's based in the US. The original Fantasy Productions company is indeed a german company. While the two have a close relationship it is relevant to note that development and production of the Fanpro lines occur in north america, with the exception of the Dark Eye, which is a translation of the german rpg.

 

[lior_shapira]

I am participating in discussing OGC Wikis that will result in the cesseion of all OGC production and the downfall of the entire gaming community! Muhahahahah!

And I'm neglecting my PbP thread, badly.

I never get tired of the evil overlord laugh

I agree with the original poster about the swift version upgrading, its already caused me to stop buying several product lines (midnight, m&m...)

lior

 

[JoeGKushner]

Uh... nothing.

I think that the industry part of the RPG thing could be dying or dead and it isn't going to effect game play at all. I now have more options and sourcebooks than I could use in a lifetime, but it hasn't stopped me from buying.

I like reading new books and incorporating new material. I can't afford to buy everything I like, but that's okay. I don't hav eto have it all right this minute and it gives me something to look forward to.

 

[Psion]

I am buying "crappier games than I like to admit" (as one designer put it) that I like rather than games with "artistic merit" as determined by self important internet bodies that I couldn't give a crap about. Which is obviously encouraging publishers to print crap and drag the quality of the hobby down.

 

[Belen]

Again, I'm not telling you that you should buy books out of any sense of "duty," or that you should be happy about prices going up. I'm simply pointing out that RPG books are still cheaper than they "should" be, if one were to take inflation into account across the last three decades, and that nobody has artificially inflated prices to the point where anyone's raking in the dough.

Ari, I think you're ignoring the fact that if RPGs were priced according to "where they should be," then we would no longer have a market for them. If the three core books went for $60/book, then I guarantee you that not one kid would enter the hobby. The industry already pushes that delicate balance. For instance, no matter how great Midnight, Shackled City etc are, I could not convince one kid to buy them. They keep begging me to direct them to cheaper products.

$50/book prices a lot of people out of the hobby, especially the kids, which are the ones we need.

 

[DaveMage]

One of the fascinating things about 3e and 3.5e is that under 3e, Wizards put out comparitively few products for the game.

2000: 6 + 3 core
2001: 16
2002: 13
2003: 5

For 3.5e:
2003: 6 + 3 core
2004: 22
2005: 24

The 3e releases also tend to be much smaller than those of 3.5e. (I've counted several "Transitional" releases as 3e, btw - such as Fiend Folio and Savage Species)

For those who bought Wizards products only, the transition cost was much less than it would have been if they'd waited until 2005.

From Wizards point of view, 3.5e came at the right time.

From the d20 System publishers point of view, I don't think there could be a right time.

I personally think 3.5e came at the right time for the long term, but the short term effects were extremely harsh.

Cheers!

In hindsight, I'm glad the change was sooner than later, especially since the number of full-color hardbacks have increased dramatically since 3.5 came about. Take out the "softcover" books from your numbers above and effect of the early switch to 3.5 is even more dramatic.


As for the industry, the "problem" is the model. For most RPGs, you only need the core book(s). After that, anything else is optional. Most RPG companies are essentially trying to stay afloat by making products you don't really need to play the game.

 

[ShadowDenizen]

Personally speaking, I use Price as an indicator of what to buy, but it's not the only (or even the biggest) indicator.

Obviously, the BIGGEST indicators for me are:
A)Do I like the topic? and
B) Will I find the book useful? (Either to read and enjoy, or to use in a session.)

For this, let's take "Libris Nocturnis", the book on Undead put out by WotC.
It fits Criteria A, but, after leafing through it, it fails to meet criteria B.

So, then, I move down to price-point, and it seems a little pricey to me. (FYI, I don't typically work out the per-page cost, I just take stock, relative to me, if it's a good deal or not.)

Hence, I've passed on LN, but I didn't mind shelling out $50 for "Midnight 2E", or "WLD".
However, $60 or so is typically my cap.

Also, this year, I've bought FAR less stuff than in the past year, but overall, I've probably spent more this year than last.

 

[Maggan]

Sure, I do my part!

I uncritically buy every single rpg release from WotC (except those I get given as review copies). And I don't complain about them being overpriced, or about them having bad editing, or them being non-innovative!

HAH! That should keep the quality of the books down, since WotC now believe that their books are perfect! And the lower quality of the books should soon bring down the entire industry, since no one will buy the books!

Except me ... I am the mindless drone that will drive this industry to its knees!

There's a flaw there somewhere ...

/M