Do book delays hurt sales?

[Crothian]

I've always wondered if inn the RPG Industry book delays hurt the sales. Delays are practically an industry norm with a few weeks to a few years. As consumers I'm sure we have all waited eagerly for a book that has been delayed and delayed, yet that in my mind never really hurts as I still go out and buy it even it has been a few years in coming.

 

[Psion]

I can't help but think that the major, major delays in the Dragonstar line helped doom that setting to an early death.

 

[Mythtify]

Delays do hurt sales. I dropped Dragonstar because of the delays. I have also decided to stop supporting the Iron Kingdoms because of the delays.

 

[Arnix]

I think that a short delay is acceptable, but extended delays hurt.

I would rather have a book delayed a month than it have an errata/typo sheet longer than my arm (see most of WoTC books lately).

 

[JoeGKushner]

I imagine that delays in core books are worse than delays in merely supplemental material. I imagine that delays in supplemental material that are refererenced in the core book are worse than just delays in supplemental material that's free floating.

 

[Voadam]

I'm pretty sure that the delays in getting out the Penumbra Fantasy Bestiary hurt its sales. It was delayed for something like a year as they worked on it then with the anouncement for 3.0 they delayed more months first deciding to update if for 3.5 and then deciding it wouldn't do well with the glut of books right after 3.5 came out so they ended up releasing it about a month before 3.5 came out which changed a bunch of monster rules and conventions. I'm sure if it had come out a year before 3.5 it would have been attractive to a bunch more people.

I also understand Frost and Fur was significantly delayed and would have had a much longer exclusive market niche before Frostburn came out if it was not delayed.

 

[Crothian]

What about non d20 books? Obviously, in the d20 market you can miss a window as books of similar topics come out in bunches. But other systems where the products come from only one company, do their delays hurt them? THe Buffy book Welcome to Sunnydale for instance is way late, like a year or so and from the talk people are still eagerly wnating it and the delay really hasn't had a huge negative effect.

 

[Kanegrundar]

Take a look at the Iron Kingdoms Character Guide. It was released waaaaay late, but it's flying off the shelves. (Several of the LGS's in my area have found it to be one of their best selling books this year.)

I think it all comes down to the type of book. Penumbra Fantasy Bestiary got hurt by not being a 3.5 monster book following the change to 3.5. Monsters are something that will greatly benefit from the most updated rules and they should have retooled and put it out even later. (Although, I bought it and love it, even if it is 3.0 and I play 3.5.) It wouldn't have flown off the shelves, but it would have fared better. Something like the IKCG was going to sell regardless. 3.5 information for the races and equipment was icing on the cake. It's a hugely popular setting not only from the Witchfire Trilogy and the Monsternomicon, but also from the minis wargame. I'm just glad they took the time to get it right rather than gives us a product that was truly finished.

Kane

 

[drnuncheon]

I've always wondered if inn the RPG Industry book delays hurt the sales.

Fields of Blood was delayed long enough that all of its competitors came out before it. I can't help but think that might have hurt its sales.

J

 

[Wombat]

What about non d20 books?

Decipher's Star Trek line died in a large part due to delays in releases. Books were listed as "Due in December 2003" that never saw the light of day. I know many people who got so frustrated with multiplicity of release delays the line that they gave up on it entirely.

Just one example.