EN World Gamer (Mongoose)

[Theocrat]

Hi all -
I was re-arranging my gaming area and sorting my Dragon, Dungeon, Campaign Magazine (what an awesome d20 mag that was) and the EN Gamer Mag's. I found issues 1-4 that Goodman Games produced but only issue 1 that Mongoose produced. Looking on their site, I see that there was an issue #2, but at a quarterly time table, shouldn't we be further along than that? Are things going behind schedule or did it get canceled? If not, how do I find out what happened to my subscription? Of course Mongoose's site only lists sales for an email address - no costumer service.
Thanks for any assistance you can provide.
Be well.

 

[Man-thing]

I believe this was cancelled quite a while ago. You can address questions you have to:

Matthew Sprange (owner)- msprange@mongoosepublishing.com
Ian Belcher (Roleplaying Game Manager) - ibelcher@mongoosepublishing.com

 

[TheAuldGrump]

It is indeed gone. Not enough were sold to keep it afloat, games stores in particular did not take a chance on ordering it.

The Auld Grump

 

[RangerWickett]

When we were selling it through Goodman Games, it was only doing okay -- like any magazine, it takes a while to get off the ground and get enough subscriptions and stores buying it to make money. But Mongoose arranged a new deal, thinking they could make it more successful because they already have at least one popular gaming magazine and had a stronger distribution than Goodman. Goodman was cool with handing it over.

We changed the name to reflect that we were being sold by new folks, though in hindsight a name change might not have been what a fledgling game magazine needed. Anyway, things did not work out, and Mongoose ended the magazine after the second issue.

However, we did have a 3rd issue completed, ready to go to print. We spent the past five months trying to work out how to handle releasing the magazine in pdf format, to make sure we didn't step on anyone's toes. Of course, we ultimately did make one rather bad snafu, but as of a few days ago, Issue 3 is available in pdf format at RPGNow.com.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Cool! Any possibility of issues 1 & 2 becoming available as well?

My not so friendly local game store refused to order it, and tried to tell me that Alliance Distribution did not carry it. Why the manager felt the need to lie I do not know, he has done so before, so he must know that I can check Alliance and see that he is lying... Ah well, they are going out of business, and closing their doors late next week. I am not going to miss them, though I liked some of the clerks I disliked the manager for his sluglike behavior.

The Auld Grump

 

[LloydBrown]

Ah well, they are going out of business, and closing their doors late next week.

Isn't it amazing how often places that deliver bad service go out of business? You'd think the two were related or something.

Where is/was this store?

 

[Morrus]

Cool! Any possibility of issues 1 & 2 becoming available as well?

Yep, but we have to wait for 12 months after original release.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Yep, but we have to wait for 12 months after original release.

Cool again! I hope that they sell well enough for the magazine to be reborn as a running PDF publication.

The store was near Portland, Maine, the owner spent his time at his other game store about forty minutes away, and left it in the hands of the most lethargic manager he could find. If you wanted service then you went in while the manager was not there. If he was, then well... He also had the regular staff do all the work while he played MUDs on the computer. But the owner never did anything about him, regardless of the complaints from both customers and staff.

The Auld Grump

 

[Theocrat]

Mongoose No Reply

Hi all -
So as mentioned above, I did email Matt, and of course the CEO isn't going to answer my lowely question. He's got tons more to do than that. Or so I'd hope. But shouldn't they have the email sorted by a peon kobold?
So what are they doing with the return of my money? When I emailed them, I said that I'd like to receive the 2 latest issues of Signs & Portents - although I'm not sure that will happen.
For the record, S&P is no where near the quality that EN World Gamer was - in any of it's incarns. Dragon & Dungeon are of course the paragon standards, and Campaign Magazine d20 (prior to Fast Forward Games taking over) was awesome (they too still owe me the last issue and my remaining balace - no matter how many emails I send, I get no reply). I'd love to see a true d20 magazine, one that supports the whole industry not just a particular brand or company. But it just has to have the backing, I mean even WotC's Star Wars Gamer died.
The PDF market is awesome, growing and has much talent, however there is direct drop off in talent in that regards as well. While I'd say that some of the PDF magazines are better than even Signs & Portants, there is something to be said about being a print magazine.

Thanks for chiming in. If there is anybody else out there that is getting a refund - or since #3 is now in PDF, do those of us that had a Subscription get it free? - or what we have to do to get a refund - or something else of value - let me know.

Thanks.

 

[Morrus]

Thanks for chiming in. If there is anybody else out there that is getting a refund - or since #3 is now in PDF, do those of us that had a Subscription get it free? - or what we have to do to get a refund - or something else of value - let me know.

Mongoose put out an announcement regarding subscriptions/refunds. More info in this thread.