D20 Modern Spectaculars Canceled

[Kanegrundar]

My guess is if it did get the axe it is because they are holding off for the 4E retool.

I was wondering when 4E talk was going to be brought up in this...

That's even assuming that D20 Modern would be retooled along with D&D.

 

[Vigilance]

This doesn't add up. Maybe it's just being rescheduled?

I don't buy the "fear of M&M" explanation. Spycraft didn't stop them from releasing d20 Modern. Adventure! and Sidewinder didn't stop them from releasing d20 Past.

I don't buy the "lack of interest" explanation. Has WotC ever cancelled a project because a handful of Internet nerds diss it sight unseen?

I don't buy the "Marvel rights" explanation --- why not use Spectaulars as a large-scale playtest? --- although I supposed they could've drafted the license to preclude WotC from putting out a "competing" supers RPG.

The idea that WOTC would be afraid of another product is a non-starter for me. The games would appeal to different tastes. There are people who have a pre-disposition that classes and levels and HP cannot work with supers. These folks would never buy a supers game containing these elements even if it was a co-design by Jeff Grubb and Steve Kenson, had a Chris Shy cover and interior artwork of never before released Jack Kirby pencils.

On the other hand there's also a large segment of the gaming market that want something they can layer on top of d20 Modern, either to spice up an existing game with the occasional freak accident (like the guy on the X-Files who could shoot lightning from his hands) or to run a very high-powered campaign (think Aliens vs. Predator with d20F used for the bugs and Spectaculars used for the Predators).

When I want to run straight-up supers, I use M&M in favor of Hero- a system that was my supers system of choice for 20 years.

On the other hand, I don't RUN straight-up supers often, I run a SHIELD/GI-Joe style game were highly trained military people deal with mutants and freaks of nature on a regular basis. So something based on d20 Modern is more what I'm looking for.

At any rate, since ability for products to compete is based as much on distribution access and company name recognition as it is product quality, and since Wizards has been "playing the hits" with their d20 Modern releases of late, releasing books like d20 Apocalypse, I would be surprised if this book was canceled and go out on a limb to say that if it was, it wasn't because WOTC is afraid of a little competition.

Chuck

 

[Pramas]

I talked to a distributor rep this morning and he said it was cancelled. If this is true, I'm sure WotC will confirm it soon. I doubt it had anything to do with Mutants & Masterminds. It's more likely that the last few Modern books underperformed and they just decided printing the book didn't make economic sense.

Update: The following appeared on game distributor Alliance's daily receiving report:
***FYI FOR THIS WEEK!***
Cancelled:

TSR 9569574 d20 Modern d20 Spectaculars

For what it's worth.

 

[philreed]

It's more likely that the last few Modern books underperformed and they just decided printing the book didn't make economic sense.

That's exactly what I was thinking had happened. Someone probably went over the last few releases and decided that it wasn't worth throwing money away.

 

[Vigilance]

That's exactly what I was thinking had happened. Someone probably went over the last few releases and decided that it wasn't worth throwing money away.

The leadership at the top of Wizards has changed recently as well.

The folks in charge might have a new plan.

It's unfortunate but not totally unpexpected.

 

[jaerdaph]

WotC's d20 Modern line has had a tendency lately to retread on what third party publishers have already put out for the game (and the third party publishers usually do a much better job with it too). That might work for an 800 lb. gorilla like D&D, but d20 Modern has a much, much smaller player base, so it's bound to affect sales.

 

[Arashi Ravenblade]

Maybe they are not so much concelling the mechanics of the book so much as they are putting it into a new book. Think about it. They dont have a modern "Epic" book yet or a 21st level and up book, and while i would assume it wouldnt be too much different from D&D epic they might feel the mechanics of the spectaculars book might do better in a modern 21st level and higher book. and combining the two books might get more sales, one set form the people who would have never bought the supers book but would have bought the epic one and vice versa. So now the two groups buy one book and thus more sales, though it might have a higher cover price, though i would galdly pay up to 40 bucks for a supers/epic book.

 

[Ranger REG]

Maybe they are not so much concelling the mechanics of the book so much as they are putting it into a new book. Think about it. They dont have a modern "Epic" book yet or a 21st level and up book,...

Do we really need an epic book for d20 Modern? Didn't realize we need to follow up on Urban Arcana in a series of over-the-top game material. :\

 

[King of Old School]

There are people who have a pre-disposition that classes and levels and HP cannot work with supers. These folks would never buy a supers game containing these elements even if it was a co-design by Jeff Grubb and Steve Kenson, had a Chris Shy cover and interior artwork of never before released Jack Kirby pencils.

I am one of those people you refer to, though I wouldn't use the word "predisposition"... it's more a familiarity with my own tastes. But I did want to point out that I'd even buy The Foundation: A World in Black and White if it had previously unseen Jack Kirby pencils!

I have to wonder: if this book was cancelled due to the underperformance of the line, doesn't that pretty much sound the death knell for in-print d20M support from Wizards?

KoOS

 

[JPL]

WotC's d20 Modern line has had a tendency lately to retread on what third party publishers have already put out for the game (and the third party publishers usually do a much better job with it too). That might work for an 800 lb. gorilla like D&D, but d20 Modern has a much, much smaller player base, so it's bound to affect sales.

Well, I guess opinions vary as to who does stuff better.

I'm not sure what you have in mind as far as "retreads"...with a generic modern system, there are certain books that are sort of a given --- a sci-fi supplement, post-apocalypse, a book of weapons, some popular historical eras, etc. Inevitably, if WotC doesn't get there quick, someone else will get there first.

Maybe the book got pulled because the whole line has been underperforming...that's plausable. But based on Kenneth Hite's recent Out of the Box article about the extent to which WotC dominates the industry, I'm skeptical about 3rd party games stealing d20 Modern sales --- and I say that as both a fan and a designer of third party d20 products.