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Message: <blockquote data-quote="haakon1" data-source="post: 4129892" data-attributes="member: 25619">No brainer if the short-term revenue guy or the uber-gamer "dwarf-needs-new-prestige-class" types own the game.  But over the long-term, I'm sure there's more value in something like the Tomb of Horrors than something like the Complete Book of Woodland Races.Of course, both can be recycled in every edition, but the Tomb of Horrors-type thing can be recycled as a computer game, a novel, a movie, etc.  Complete Book of Woodland Races is always just game rules.  I guess some of it could be hacked up and sold again as a new edition splatbook, though -- I'm sure we'll see some of that, as we saw in 3/3.5 splatbook repetition.Creating lasting IP seems to be the ticket to long-term buckolas for media companies.So, the question of milking media versus milking game is an interesting one to me.  I wonder if WOTC makes more more money off FR/Eberron novels or splatbooks?  I'm guessing the novels.  Though the profit margin is likely much lower, since there's more competition, surely they sell more novels.  I've never thought about this one before . . . I also think there's a serious tradeoff between simplicity of the game (openness to new players) and selling splatbooks (selling to the x% of existing gamers that are hungry for any new rules, or the smaller % that are particularly interested in whatever particular subject the splatbook is about).Of the people I game with (run 2 campaigns, played in 1 that's on hold until 4e because the DM moved), I'd diagnose:- 3 have many splatbooks (all are DM types -- 1 actual DM, 2 without current campaigns)- 3 + me have a few splatbooks related to stuff of partiular interest to the player- 1 has PHB/DMG- 5 have PHB only- 4 borrow PHB's and own no books (most DM's I know have at least 2-3 PHBs for this reason)So, from my D&D player universe, more splatbooks is not going to make much difference to sales.  A better, "funner" game that sells more PHB's is the best way to generate revenue, and those modules with cool fluff should generate long-term IP . . . The funner, more open thing seems key to 4e's goals.</blockquote>

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