D&D 4E Goodman exiting 4E 3PP market?

[ggroy]

Just noticed this. Scroll down to page 16 (fifth page) of the following linked pdf file.

http://www.gametrademagazine.com/downloads/GTM124Games.pdf

It lists two Goodman "mega pack" packages:

IMP GMG9998 4e Adventure Mega-pack (GSL) $100.00
IMP GMG9999 4e Character Mega-pack (GSL) $50.00

The "4e adventure mega-pack" consists of 15 adventure modules. Not hard to guess which modules could be in the pack. Just count the "DIS" (discontinued) 4E Goodman modules on Alliance's Goodman catalog page.

Alliance Game Distributors Search Results

The "character mega-pack" consists of a 4E "character codex" and the five character options 4E books Goodman published back in late-2008 -> 2009. (Not too hard to guess these ones either).

Goodman Games


This looks very much like a liquidation sale of old 4E Goodman stuff which possibly may have been collecting dust in a warehouse.

If I had to guess, Goodman is probably more interested in eventually promoting his own "Dungeon Crawl Classics" rpg, which he has been playtesting over the last several months at several "old school" D&D/AD&D conventions.

Goodman Games • View topic - Goodman Games has own rpg?

 

[Shemeska]

Unless I totally missed them if they're sharing space with someone else, I didn't see Goodman actually being present here at GenCon (they aren't listed on their own in the con listing of companies in the dealer hall). So certainly a lesser presence here at least compared to a year or two ago.

 

[ggroy]

Goodman isn't officially hosting any games either?

 

[Shemeska]

Goodman isn't officially hosting any games either?

Don't appear to be doing that either.

 

[ggroy]

Goodman is not listed on the exhibitor list either.

http://c0021160.cdn1.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/exhibitorlist.pdf

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Well, that would have little to do with exiting the 4e 3PP market.

Honestly does this really mean they will make no more 4e adventures? I don't know, but they've really cranked out a LOT of 4e adventures, 15 in 2 years is a lot. Quite likely they just have such a big lineup they needed to cut back. I mean selling 15 modules for $100 isn't really a 'firesale' price either.

As for their character options books, I think the reality is there's little market for this stuff with 4e. WotC did a pretty amazing job of filling up the design space in a small period of time. Most of the GG 4e crunch books overlap with official stuff at this point, that's gotta really make it hard to compete.

 

[ggroy]

Honestly does this really mean they will make no more 4e adventures?

There's two more on tap, according to the upcoming releases page. (One of them, "From Here to There", has been on that page for a long time. It looks like it kept on being pushed back and back without ever being released).

Goodman Games

I don't know, but they've really cranked out a LOT of 4e adventures, 15 in 2 years is a lot.

Most of those fifteen 4E modules were released over a one year period or so (ie. September 2008 -> September 2009), until it went into a subsequent dry spell.

As for their character options books, I think the reality is there's little market for this stuff with 4e. WotC did a pretty amazing job of filling up the design space in a small period of time. Most of the GG 4e crunch books overlap with official stuff at this point, that's gotta really make it hard to compete.

Not too surprising here. Most likely they didn't anticipate the DDI character builder becoming a huge "hegemon" on the 4E rules options market.

 

[dragnsteph]

I don't know, I run my campaign in their Aereth setting and I'd been really looking forward to a 4e version with updated maps, etc -- I only have the electronic version of the 3.5 setting, so really was excited about getting my grubby paws on an actual set of books. As late as December, Harley Stroh was posting on Goodman's forums about 4e Aereth setting books and a new Paragon level Punjar module. I exchanged emails with Joseph Goodman recently about an issue with my forum access, and took advantage of having his attention to ask about 4e Aereth, and he basically told me it was very unlikely to happen (emails on home PC, so going by memory -- apologies if I'm misrepresenting anything).

Anyway, nothing new for 4e except Amethyst has been released in a while and a lot of things have been pushed back. DCC #64 was the last 4e module, and I'm not sure when it came out, June, I think? #65 is available for preorder. I think it looks like we may continue to see DCCs at a slower pace, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if they were backing away a bit.

As an aside, they're having a 5-dollar sale all this month.

Goodman Games

S

 

[ggroy]

I don't know, I run my campaign in their Aereth setting and I'd been really looking forward to a 4e version with updated maps, etc -- I only have the electronic version of the 3.5 setting, so really was excited about getting my grubby paws on an actual set of books. As late as December, Harley Stroh was posting on Goodman's forums about 4e Aereth setting books and a new Paragon level Punjar module. I exchanged emails with Joseph Goodman recently about an issue with my forum access, and took advantage of having his attention to ask about 4e Aereth, and he basically told me it was very unlikely to happen (emails on home PC, so going by memory -- apologies if I'm misrepresenting anything).

I missed the Aereth box set the first time around too.

If Aereth is not being released for 4E D&D, hopefully Goodman will release it for his own upcoming "Dungeon Crawl Classics" (DCC) rpg. Even if I don't end up playing the DCC rpg much, hopefully the DCC rpg modules and box sets will be easy enough to convert to different versions of D&D/AD&D. I remember the 3.5E era DCC modules were relatively easy to use with older editions of D&D/AD&D or Castles & Crusades.

 

[Dias Ex Machina]

Yes, Amethyst came out in May. From Here to There, a great module, is coming out soon.