Has the age of the big book arrived?

[Psion]

Two of my recent purchases sort of stand out on my shelf:

Spycraft 2.0

World of Warcraft RPG.

And I am not just talking about graphic design here. These books are big. True, they ain't WLD (thought that may have been the book that started the recent trend), but at nearly 500 pages, they sure exceed the old usual upper limit of 256 pages.

Is this something of a trend? Can we expect to see more of these big books in our future? What does it mean for the industry? The hobby?

 

[Belen]

They are too big. They should have smaller GM guides and player guides. The large books are unwieldly. The other big books out recently have been Midnight 2e and AE.

 

[reveal]

I think it's more indicative of how much information is out on a particular topic.

Spycraft 2.0 - Second version. Take all the stuff floating out there about Spycraft, add it to the changes you made from version 1.0 and, voila, you have a 500 page book.

Warcraft RPG - Same principle.

The new book that WotC is releasing that combines all the spells from different official sources into one book also runs along this line.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Probably.

As for what it means, it probably means that publishers will have to start as PDF only before they go to print. Not really the end of the world given the state of distribution houses.

 

[Ghostwind]

I expect so. Big books are great as long as the bindings hold together. My only current complaint is with cracked wrist, they are damned heavy...

 

[Henry]

Don't forget about Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved, which weighs in at a 430+ page book. Same deal as Spycraft and WoW, it's a revision/compilation all in one.

 

[Crothian]

We've been walking this road for a while. First the age of the hardbound books and now they arte getting bigger.

 

[Vascant]

For me the larger the book, it is less likely I am going to get a chance to read it.

Of course if the topic is something that appeals to me, I will still buy it.. just never get around to reading it. I have 56 books I have purchased now and been to busy to read them and about 3 issues behind on Dungeon and 4 issues behind on Dragon subscriptions. When I get old, I will have a lot to read I guess.

 

[Psion]

I think it's more indicative of how much information is out on a particular topic.

Spycraft 2.0 - Second version. Take all the stuff floating out there about Spycraft, add it to the changes you made from version 1.0 and, voila, you have a 500 page book.

Warcraft RPG - Same principle.

That's true. Applies to AE too. Astute observation.

Someone likened Spycraft 2.0 to a "game line in a book".

Still, some non-repeats are getting pretty big, too. Blackmoor is the biggest setting book I have seen in a while. (I guess the IK folks agree with Belen in that they split their setting book into two books, though I suspect that might have had more to do with getting all the material done...) And, of course, this principle applies not at all to WLD.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

I wouldn't be surprised. My involvement in the publishing industry is pretty limited, but with the stuff we did, the cost of printing extra inside pages was relatively cheap compared to the cost for the artists, writers, shipping, setup, etc. It might be that for the relatively small print runs RPGs get, it's a way of increasing sales and per-unit profits. The initial consumer reaction is going to be positive when they see a 500-pager at $50 vs a 128 pager at $20, I think. Something about the bulk makes it seem worth more.