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Message: <blockquote data-quote="eyebeams" data-source="post: 1693269" data-attributes="member: 9225">The central issue is this:There aren't enough gamers around.As it stands, RPGs don't really "compete," with the exception of a few D20 books that cover similar ground. People don't choose one RPG over the other in the sense that they size up the relative merits of each. Increasing Vampire's sales won't correspondingly shrink sales of GURPS or D&D.Now getting more gamers requires a couple of things:Coherent branding: Right now you have a situation where every company is a second tier company in their own minds, or thinks they're on the way to becoming one. There are a few exceptions, but all in all, we really do need a formal delineation of professional, semi-professional and amateur publications.We also need to present the genres we see come up all the time to the general public. Look at record stores: Yeah, there is unclassifiable music out there, but simply being slotted means that it directs prospective buyers into the right slot, such as:HorrorModernFantasyPulpUniversalLook at RPGNow. It makes its money by directing gamers to prodsucts they've probably never heard of before, but in familiar genres. Think about it: A new gamer is going to be uninformed about dead tree products in exactly the same way, but we don't give them any guidance at all.Better IP Management: The comics industry is somewhat similar to gaming. It has a collapse in the 90s. It suffered from corporate chicanery that almost ruined the front runner (Marvel).Now comics are still dying, but they have the strength of their properties to keep titles around even at lower sales volume, to keep their relationship with fans strong and to act as a sandbox to develop future properties. You might even have fans of the IP get into the game, but that's always been chancey so I won't make a strong claim for that.Collective Representation: We need a group to represent the industry without playing favourites in a *proactive* fashion. Anti-defamation research and tactics are well and good, but nobody's coming out and saying that there's a cool hobby out there with these facets and these products. Instaed, we have every company going it alone.Back to comparisons to the comics industry, why not have a "free game day," packed with lots a lots of demo pamphlets. Why not actually alert the general public to awards and events of interest instead of waiting to respond to accusations of terminal geekiness or Satanism?Creator Recognition: Right now many companies treat creators as replaceable cogs in a wheel. When you have companies offering a penny a ward and telling prospects that they better learn to love getting treated like crap, then you send the message that said companies really don't give a damn about quality. Creator loyalty can do nothing but strengthen brand loyalty, ensure quality and, to be frank, discourage poor products from piggybacking on successfull genres and ideas.Less Fanservice: Cut the in-jokes, the bikina models on covers and the rest. Few people will reject something for not having this stuff, but more people will reject it for being there.</blockquote>

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