Eric Noah's Info

[woodelf]

Agreed. It would be consonant with the prior sale of Dragon and Dungeon to Paizo. It's also consistent with Hasbro's company practice. If it does go up for sale, it would be great to see a company with enough capitol to nurture RPGs for the future.

With Palladium on the ropes, doesn't that mean WWGS, or maybe SJG? That would be interesting...

 

[librarius_arcana]

Actually, SW D20 has worked out really well for WotC. A game like that has to be updated to stay current to what's happening with the movies. Granted, I'm surprised a new editoin didn't come out aournd the same time as Ep3. However, there are several instances where the rules are contradictory to what we see in the movies, and therefore needs an update. Not to mention the introduction of new characters, species, creatures, droids, force powers, and so on that fans will want to see in their games.

Check out the prices for some of the SW line through Amazon Marketplace and ebay. Secrets of Tatooine was going for $80 + at one point (not sure now). Books that no-one is looking for don't go for prices like that.

SW D20, may not have been WotC's biggest seller, but by many indications on this board alone it sold well. Minis simply sell better.

Thats not true, they didn't release the core rule again just because of content for the latest film, it was done because of the new rules, (or so is the claim),

(btw they stopped producing this stuff didn't they?, why if it sold so well?)

If you could do a poll of what Star Wars players were playing (outside of a d20 forum) I think you may be surprised, I know of many who own both versions of WotC Star Wars, and Westends D6 version, and refuse to play the d20 in favour of D6, (myself included)

For me the choice is very simple, the fact that one covers the setting well the other doesn't
plus the fact that one is a pain in the arss to learn for beginners, were as the other a breeze, (with the massive bonus of being much more realistic)

 

[nobodez]

ehm...
sorry, i know that RPG books are luxury items, and that production prices has gone up, blah blah blah...

i would *still* rather buy a black and white book than a full colour one.

i would *still* rather buy a single normal-paper 34$ book (actually, 22$ from amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/15...5614/ref=pd_bbs_3/103-6294374-4839044?ie=UTF8) that gives me a complete game, than 3 "deluxe" glossy-paper books, at 30$ each (again, amazon has them for around 20$).

i would *still* rather buy a game that is really 100% modular (GURPS, hero), or much simpler (C&C), or that is written in a less academic fashion (WoD books), or that gives me something more than the dry rules and a couple of hints about a generic setting that is not supported outside RPGA or magazines (WHFRP). even if the cost the same.

Yeah, this is an old message to reply to, but it's a long frelling thread.

Me, I'm almost completely the opposite. When I compare my Complete Warrior to my Sword and Fist, I know which one I prefer. CW is a hardcover, which means that it'll last longer in play and I don't have to worry about it falling apart on me. CW has full-color art, and while some prefer the old-school fantasy art, I prefer the more, cinematic art of v.3.5 and 3e.

Well, I liked the modular rules, so it's not all contrary, but still, if I had to choose between a hardcover book for $30 and a paperback for $20, I'd always buy the hardcover.

 

[Scribble]

A plan to possibly sell off RPGs entirely?

This one I've heard absolutely nothing about. I know that the power house is still Magic, but I can't believe that Chainmail alone accounts for a larger haul than, or that it would be able to survive without the RPG. It might be that the cost of producing adventures isn't as lucrative as the core material, but ditching all of it and focusing only the minis would be like the auto industry deciding to stop making cars because people buy more wheels. Why would they still be going to press with new material, and even with a new updated core system if they were planning to sell it all off? Maybe it's an inter-Hasbro shuffle?

They already do this, and have done this in certain cases. Look at Dragonlance and Ravenloft... Farmed out to another company to do, but still technically owned by Wizards. (I think Dragonlance still is at least.) Same with Dragon and Dungeon. Farmed out to Paizo because it wasn't making enough money against the cost of dealing with it, but still technically owned by Wizards.

4E might be exactly the same thing. A set of rules that can be used as a collectible miniatures game. But another company also makes the D&D roleplaying game, which produces the settings and "fluff" of it all.

Wizards continues to rain in cash from the collectible kids, while at the same time making "free money" from some other company that pays the liscensing fee and deals with the production issues that come from us weirdo RPG kids...

 

[Kanegrundar]

Thats not true, they didn't release the core rule again just because of content for the latest film, it was done because of the new rules, (or so is the claim),

Sure. They cleaned up the rules, but there was a lot of new material from EP 2 in the RCR.

(btw they stopped producing this stuff didn't they?, why if it sold so well?)

Minis sell better. The RPG sold well by all accounts I've ever been able to find on the subject. Minis have a broader appeal. Period.

If you could do a poll of what Star Wars players were playing (outside of a d20 forum) I think you may be surprised, I know of many who own both versions of WotC Star Wars, and Westends D6 version, and refuse to play the d20 in favour of D6, (myself included)

:shrug: Anecdotal evidence proves nothing. My experience is exactly the opposite. SW D6 was played because it was SW *in spite* of the system. When SW D20 came out, all but a couple of people leaped onto it and didn't look back. Plus, I remember reading an interview with Ryan Dancey where he talked about how well the SW RPG was selling.

For me the choice is very simple, the fact that one covers the setting well the other doesn't
plus the fact that one is a pain in the arss to learn for beginners, were as the other a breeze, (with the massive bonus of being much more realistic)

I actually liked the way WotC handled fluff. (Though I still hold onto several of my old WEG material.) It wasn't to your tastes, that's fine. However, your views of the game doesn't really make it a reality of how the game sold or the game's popularity with gamers overall.

What it all comes down to is play what you like. Just don't make the mistake that because you and your group doesn't like a game that it's not selling well. I don't like GURPS, for instance, but there's no doubt in my mind that it sells well.

 

[philreed]

(btw they stopped producing this stuff didn't they?, why if it sold so well?)

Word is that the license allows only so many products each year, of which WotC must balance a mix of minis and RPG books. My understanding is that the minis made so much money that they elected to fill their publishing slots with minis products rather than RPG books.

 

[philreed]

(Though I still hold onto several of my old WEG material.)

Since the WEG Star Wars RPG was where my first game writing was professionally published I've always had a special place in my heart for it. Still, books like the Dark Side Sourcebook and Hero's Guide, for the d20 version, are definitely fantastic resources for any Star Wars campaign no matter the system.

 

[sullivan]

They already do this, and have done this in certain cases. Look at Dragonlance and Ravenloft... Farmed out to another company to do, but still technically owned by Wizards. (I think Dragonlance still is at least.) Same with Dragon and Dungeon. Farmed out to Paizo because it wasn't making enough money against the cost of dealing with it, but still technically owned by Wizards.

4E might be exactly the same thing. A set of rules that can be used as a collectible miniatures game. But another company also makes the D&D roleplaying game, which produces the settings and "fluff" of it all.

Wizards continues to rain in cash from the collectible kids, while at the same time making "free money" from some other company that pays the liscensing fee and deals with the production issues that come from us weirdo RPG kids...

That's actually the first thing I thought of when I saw Eric's original post. How WotC "is getting out of the RPG business" could mean something like the above, or even just doing the core design but farming everything else out. But via Telephone Game passing between people come out as "selling the RPGs".

 

[provik]

Really Talking About

Is no more books. D & D Minis 2.0 Re-release with a slight expansion in the stuff on the info cards. Keeping crunchy and dropping the story crap out of books.

Yeah, sounds like a good bottom-line decision for the WoTC folks. Sounds like crap for the gamers.

Stock up on your extra copies of books now, folks, cuz this is probably the last good RPG we'll get out of WoTC. As I've always heard them whine, books don't make money these days.

Provik

 

[Henry]

The strange thing is its old time vets like me who won't pay the crazy costs to continue with the game, but parents fork out tons for their kids. I don't get it.

I do. The conventional wisdom in marketing is this: If you want a man's luxury money, market to his wife or his kids. And even with social and family paradigms changing, this is still a pretty sound strategy.