How many poor-quality books can a company produce . . .

[philreed]

. . . before you'll stop buying their products?

We've all seen it happen. A company releases a book that is of . . . questionable . . . quality. Messageboards buzz with statements to the effect of "I'll never buy their books again!" and then the noise slowly stops. A few months later it happens again -- with the same company.

Well, how many books filled with poor writing, little to no editing, and ill-conceived concepts will you buy from one company?

 

[Psion]

Think about the psychology of gambling. It's not the losses that keeps the buyers coming back... it's the wins. Psychologically speaking, a behavior that is rewarded at random intervals resists extinction.

So I think a company can persist for a long time if they put out something really good now and then. It's human nature.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

No real definite number...probably around 2 or 3 depending on just how bad the other things are.

 

[fafhrd]

Well, I still buy WotC product. But they are a special case.

 

[TerraDave]

With a key exception, basically none...thanks to EnWorld...

The key exception: WotC (and TSR before them), but someday you never know...

 

[Psion]

Ah, poll now...

I'll say three. That's about how many it takes before I put a company on my "look first" watch list. Then I won't buy any more bad books from that company, which is different from saying I won't buy any...

 

[mcrow]

I will forgive the first bad book they make if it is the only one I have heard is real bad.( or if they are a a newer company or if the one I buy was one of their earlier books).

For established companies a second bad book will make me think twice about buying nay of their products regardless of the reviews.

A third bad one and they are out whether they are new or not.


What do I mean by bad?

1) The usefullness of the book did not even come close to the hype the publisher had going for the book.

2) Very poor production value to the point where reading it is difficult due to bad editing, layout, and graphical design.

3) The writting is not upto pro standards. If I want to read amature writting there are a lot of places I get that for free.

4) The rule set (if it has one) is so bad that the game suffers for it.

 

[the Jester]

If they put out three stinkers and ten brilliant books, it's a lot different than if it's three stinkers without a single gem in there.

 

[LogicsFate]

Fool me twice... can't get fooled again

 

[Khairn]

I will always give a company the chance to make up for a really bad book. But if I ever get a 2nd dog from a company I will not buy from them again.

Unless of course its a really good book...

... or a really neat setting like Game of Thrones or Black Company

... or has some fantastic cover and art work

oh hell!