Increasing Adventure Sales?

[JoeGKushner]

On some threads, it's noted that adventure sales are a niche market. How would one change that?

1. Standard adventure/sourcebook.
2. Mega adventure

Problem is neither is really an adventure by itself anymore.

One of the things i've been thinking about are expansions. NeMoren's Vault did this and my party enjoyed it. However, there wasn't really anything after the Quest to keep 'em tied in. Bonus maps? Characters? Potential adventure seeds? Necromancer is real good with this. Does it help long term? Like release a module, expansion material. Few months latter, more expansion material. Does it help sales or ?

How about expanded info on the web relating to the module?

How about sample copies for game stores to demo? I know several companies already do this. How does it work?

New covers for 2nd printings? Revised printings?

Unoffical suggestions? I'd love to see more companies working together in terms of just mentioning one another's products. I've placed Bluffside and Freeport in Karathis (Fiery Dragon setting) but doubt we'd ever see FD make mention of something like this, despite the bare bones feel of their (and Necromancer) game world.

 

[MEG Hal]

So far Bluffside has been put "officially" in Gothos (MEG) and Arekoz (DPG) and we are talking to some other publishers who would like to add it now they have seen Bluffside. I would have no problem discussing this with Fiery Dragon as well. Chris from Green Ronin and I truly believe you need much more than 2 cities so we are happy when people choose both our cities in their campaigns (we talked about this at GAMA). Hope you enjoy Bluffside and anytime we can compliment your setting we are happy .

 

[trancejeremy]

I don't think you can really change the sales pattern of modules as opposed to sourcebooks.

Because they will always be aimed at DM's only (which is probably a 1/3 of the total RPG buying market), always be somewhat setting specific (even in 'generic' modules, most make some assumptions), and the content/price ration will always suck (unless they are mega-adventures).

I don't think expansions on the internet are a great idea, because even in this day and age, not everyone uses the internet. Not that it's bad - I think it's nice, but companies can't assume it, like Green Ronin did in Hell in Freeport. (To use Hell in Freeport correctly, you have to go download several new prestige classes from their website. And what's worse, they used a black background in the PDFs for these classes, so printing them out takes a ton of ink)

 

[Glyfair]

I don't think you can really change the sales pattern of modules as opposed to sourcebooks.

Well, I think the way to close that gap is actually to close the gap between what an adventure is vs. what a sourcebook is. Adventures are starting with the disadvantage that typically they are used once and then put away for occasional reference at best.

What you need to look at is what adventures sold well and which ones you find using again and again. Based on my experiences and what I've heard from others, here are a few adventures that either I've used over & over or I've heard other's do.

The Giant/Drow/Demonweb series: well, it's a classic adventure. So it gets run over & over. However, it has an unfair advantage that, at the time, it was almost the only game in town. Still, it was head and shoulders over much of what was released at the time and for some time after that.

Apple Lane (for Runequest): Another Classic that gets run over & over. Like the GDQ series it was the only game in town at the time. However, it had a reusable area that has been the focus of many Runequest campaigns.

Keep on the Borderlands: It's main advantage is that it had a nice balance of depth and variety. You could run it straight with little experience, or a more experience GM had plenty of room to be creative. Also a reusable area from which to focus a campaign

Distress Signal (or something like that): A Top Secret/S.I. adventure that I never actually ran. However, it was based on a cruise ship. I've used that cruise ship in just about every modern game I've ever run.

Ravenloft: Another classic adventure that stands up on it's own. However, the fact that it's different every time is a strong reason.

What do I see. Well, a good, well done adventure will stand on it's own. At least as long as an audience gets to see it.

An added plus is a location, area or long range plot that can be used for a campaign. Much of this is done now by sourcebooks (look at all the city books being released).

Glyfair of Glamis