Black Industries to produce DC Heroes RPG

[SWBaxter]

I'm a little surprised that there are so many supers RPG's instead of settings and supplements lisenced for use with existing systems. Sure people will buy a Marvel or DC-based RPG, but look at the current trends: The new Marvel game has pretty much died out while M&M and Hero keep going strong.

Marvel the game died out because Marvel Comics decided they didn't want to be in the gaming business any more. Sales were low by Marvel standards, but by all accounts it did pretty decently by Superhero RPG standards, which are very much a niche market.

I have a feeling that Marvel at least has unrealistic license expectations, so the cost would be too high for most companies to officially license material that fans produce anyway. DC might have a more realistic approach, they seem a bit more aware of the licensing market in various fields.

 

[Gentlegamer]

The questions is: will it be better than MEGS? Those are big shoes to fill.

 

[Kanegrundar]

I don't know about all accounts, but in this area the Marvel rules sold well initially, but then ended up traded at the local LGS's that do that and have been sitting there ever since. I never played it myself, but several of those that I know did thought Marvel would have been better served by lisencing it out to a more established publisher with a better ruleset.

I do agree with Marvel having unrealistic ideas of how well a game should sell. RPG's aren't like comics or video games that have a much broader appeal. I guess we'll see how DC fairs. Granted I would still like to see it lisenced for use with an existing system in lieu of a setting-specific deal. If it's done well, then that's fine, but Hero and especially M&M could serve the setting just as well if not better. (IMO)

Kane

 

[Gentlegamer]

It's too bad Pulsar Games couldn't get the license (if they still exist). They held the MEGS license.

 

[Kanegrundar]

I had never heard of MEGS before now. How did the system work compared to M&M (my current supers game of choice)?

I just looked up the Pulsar Games website. They're under new ownership, but there hasn't been an update since '04. You can still order books from them, but by all other accounts they are dead in the water.

Kane

 

[Driddle]

re supplements/settings and Marvel's licensing expectations: The company is trying to sue the "City of Heroes" people because online gamers might craft their personal PCs to represent actual comic book heroes. Marvel does, indeed, have a tight fist on its so-called intellectual properties.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

"City of Heroes" brought a certain amount of that on themselves -- having metallic claws that click out with a snikt-like noise when activated, and having the options to recreate Wolverine exactly -- he's hardly a generic-looking character -- says that enabling people to duplicate Marvel's IP was intentional. Given that they've already started to make concessions by eliminating Marvel names off of things (even for obscure Marvel characters and locations), they probably should have had their lawyers analyze whether they could survive an IP suit by Marvel BEFORE releasing their Make-Your-Own-Marvel-Hero generator-cum-MMORPG.

(The game works much better for duplicating Marvel heroes as compared to DC heroes as well; it may not be true, but it certainly seems like the art team has a clear preference as to what company's comics it enjoys. It's almost impossible to make most iconic DC characters, but outside of their chest logos, every major Marvel character but Spider-Man is pretty much doable, sometimes scarily so.)

In any case, I hadn't thought of the GR connection with Black Industries. If a DC-branded edition of M&M or a DC sourcebook were produced by them, via Green Ronin, I think that'd be a great thing for M&M and DC fans alike.

 

[Kanegrundar]

In any case, I hadn't thought of the GR connection with Black Industries. If a DC-branded edition of M&M or a DC sourcebook were produced by them, via Green Ronin, I think that'd be a great thing for M&M and DC fans alike.

My thoughts exactly. Ever since the Nocturnals book was annouced, I was hoping for more setting books lisenced for use with M&M...It never happened, but maybe it will now. I doubt it, but I will hope for it.

Kane

 

[Gentlegamer]

I had never heard of MEGS before now. How did the system work compared to M&M (my current supers game of choice)?

I just looked up the Pulsar Games website. They're under new ownership, but there hasn't been an update since '04. You can still order books from them, but by all other accounts they are dead in the water.

Kane

MEGS is the Mayfair Exponential Gaming System. It was the system developed for the original DC Heroes RPG. Mayfair lost the DC license to West End Games back in the day, and when Mayfair went under, Pulsar Games picked up the rights to the game mechanics of the system and released it as Blood of Heroes.

 

[Kanegrundar]

MEGS is the Mayfair Exponential Gaming System. It was the system developed for the original DC Heroes RPG. Mayfair lost the DC license to West End Games back in the day, and when Mayfair went under, Pulsar Games picked up the rights to the game mechanics of the system and released it as Blood of Heroes.

I wondered if that was the case. I have played the MEGS system then. It was alright, but I played the old TSR Marvel system more often. Both pale in comparison to M&M IMO. I doubt we'll see the DC RPG return to its roots, however.

Kane