Is it time for Free RPG Day?

[masshysteria]

Isn't this why we have worldwide D&D Day? An opportunity to get people to try playing an RPG for free. It seems to me, just getting the rules into the hands of a new player isn't enough. The new player needs a group to get into.

 

[Umbran]

How much do you think it costs a company for the pencils, inks, colors, lettering, writing, and editing of a single comic?

I neglect the cost of materials, as compared to the cost of paying the workers. I expect paying the penciller's rent costs more than the pencils used up on the one issue.

From there, I consider page count. Most of the Free Comics Day comics I've seen are slim, whereas the "quickstart" rules for RPGs I've seen are much longer. In terms of writing and editing, the RPG will surely take more effort. Perhaps this is outweighed by artist's time on the comic, perhaps not.

But the comics have a whole lot better economy of scale than the RPGs are going to have. Considered per issue expected to be picked up, I have a hard time seeing the RPG to be the winner.

 

[Imaro]

You know I don't necessarily agree with the "it needs WotC or White Wolf to succeed" mentality or the "it's a marketing strategy better suited for comic books not roleplaying games" thing. Here's why.

1. In society(especially American) free is always good. I know people who get free things they wouldn't normally buy or be interested in just because they are free. More than likely any store with a "free" anything sign in its window is going to draw more people just because they are curious or want free stuff.

2. I think that we as people who have already been introduced to games or are knowlegeable about games have a strong dissconnect when it comes to the average person who may have heard of them, or more likely thinks of Final Fantasy and WoW when the term is brought up. I don't think the average person even knows that WotC or hasbro owns Dungeons and Dragons. So how does name recognition really help to draw in new gamers( If they've heard of it and weren't interested enough to check it out, Uhm why would that change?). Now this isn't to say you won't have gamers already in the know stopping by to get free stuff for their favorite game, but how does this increase your market in any way, these people already buy rpg's and supplements.

3.With the less recognized companies it gives them a chance to introduce old gamers to things they might not have been willing to purchase because its not WotC or White Wolf.
If they like it then the company has now gained a new customer, if not then they didn't loose a customer either.

4. Giving someone a quickstart rules pack/pamphlet and running an adventure for them would be ideal. But, as has already been mentioned D&D does this already on D&D day. But that's exactly the point they are pushing their premier game not anybody elses. What about people not interested in fantasy? They could be put off by the fact that this is the only thing being ran. Granted we would still need more than TLG and Goodman Games to sign up so that this issue could be addresed.

5.Note: (This is about the nostalgia comment above) I can't speak for everyone but some people just want a quick game with simple rules and minimum prep time( one of the reasons board games are always popular). Castles and Crusades does this. Is there a nostalgia factor probably, but I game with people who have never been die hard gamers and we played 3.0 and then 3.5 when they came out. Now we play C&C almost exclusively, not for nostalgia but because we can make characters up in about ten minutes, its less reading and memorizing of rules, it starts simple and allows you to add as much or as little as you want(don't really enjoy the inverse of ripping things out to make it simpler). Basically we get to the "fun" quicker and with our full-grown adult lives, responsibilities etc. that is more important to us than fiddly bits and endless options YMMV.

 

[Glyfair]

1. In society(especially American) free is always good. I know people who get free things they wouldn't normally buy or be interested in just because they are free. More than likely any store with a "free" anything sign in its window is going to draw more people just because they are curious or want free stuff.

I think Umbran's concern here is that the companies can't afford this for what he sees as very little chance for a return on the investment.

However, one thing I have noticed with hobby gamers is there is always a significant vocal faction that is resistant to bring in new players. They don't put it that way, but when a company spends resources to bring in new blood, they wonder why the money wasn't spent on them. They feel the product is strong (although they might wish for more quality). they found it, so everyone should like it for their reasons. Therefore, any attempts to bring in new blood are met with derision.

This isn't Umbran's concern. However, I think that crowd is out there and might be resistant. This, of course, is tempered because they want free stuff for their favorite game (just make sure the free stuff isn't something most of them have).

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

I think this is a great idea, but I agree with the sentiment that we'd need a powerhouse behind this to make it work. Imagine if you'd had Free Comic Book Day run solely by Top Cow. Most people don't even know who that is. Why would they come to pick up comic books from, as far as they're concerned, a small fry with unfamiliar IPs? But, you offer people a chance to pick up free Spider-Mans or X-Mens or Batmans or whatever... their interest is more likely to pique.

You can get all the Alternitys or True20s or Mutants & Masterminds you want, but I'm not sure people will really notice. Throw a big name in there like Dungeons and Dragons or Vampire, however...

On the other hand, if you wanted to run a Free RPG Day with a focus on d20 material, that'd be pretty easy to do with the SRD.

 

[Umbran]

I think Umbran's concern here is that the companies can't afford this for what he sees as very little chance for a return on the investment.

Exactly. I think that some cooperation amongst RPG publishers to bring in new players is probably a good idea. There's a number of examples of industry asociations that manage better marketing for the whole than any individual can manage for themselves. I just strongly suspect that this particular method is not cost-effective. Big companies can afford the loss of an occaisonal ineffective marketing venture, but 3rd-party rpg publishers are pretty ragged-edge, economically speaking.

This isn't Umbran's concern. However, I think that crowd is out there and might be resistant. This, of course, is tempered because they want free stuff for their favorite game (just make sure the free stuff isn't something most of them have).

You are correct - I too have seen some who resist attempts to reach out to new players. I'm not one of them. I am not sure that attempts to go "mainstream" are positive from my point of view. But, "more players" is not "mainstream", by a long shot.

 

[Glyfair]

There's a number of examples of industry asociations that manage better marketing for the whole than any individual can manage for themselves.

I will note the organization behind this is an advertising and marketing firm.

http://www.impressionsadv.net/

 

[RFisher]

Hmm... Apparently Goodman Games and Troll Lord Games have signed up for this.

If they're the front runners, then I don't see this going very well. First edition nostalgia sells to the veterans, but it's not going to attract brand-new gamers.

More to the point, TLG doesn't have a "introduction to the hobby" sort of game. The C&C PHB is intentionally written for people who are already gamers.

They do have the LA quickstart, but I found it overly confusing. I wouldn't give it to a newbie as an intro to the hobby.

Does GG have anything of that sort?

Not that some people might not find it a good starting point. Just that it isn't the ideal product for such things.

My experience so far is that many newbies to the hobby are more likely than veterans to have an open mind about the "nostalgia" products. They may like it or not, but they don't either automatically accept or dismiss it the way we often tend to.

But, how many gamers do you know that'll turn down a free RPG product. This may be just the thing to get gamers who would've never bought a TLG or GG product to take a good look at their stuff.

 

[Umbran]

I will note the organization behind this is an advertising and marketing firm.

I don't find that terribly surprising. That fact can be part of why the Big Boys don't join in - they have their own marketing people and contracts, which might be complications that keep them out. The industry might do well to consider forming an advocacy group first, so that group can act somewhat separately of individual corporate budgets, contracts, and commitments.

 

[Imaro]

Hey everybody Chessex just signed on with an offer of free gaming dice. Really want to see how this works out.

D'uh realized they were probably already signed up and I din't notice it before sorry.