Is it time for Free RPG Day?
- Thread starter Glyfair
- Start date
ShinHakkaider
Adventurer
Glyfair said:
They really, really can't compare this to free comic book day. I mean there has been almost summer after summer of big comic book movies to give FCD a push. From the Spider-Man 1 & 2, X-Men 1-3, Superman Returns & Batman Begins movies, comic books and superheroes have been in the public eye like never before over the past seven years or so. Comic books have even gotten some legitamacy in the mainstream with some of the works of Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, LOEG & Watchmen) and Frank Miller (Dark Knight Returns, Sin City, Batman Year One) as well as Neil Gaiman (Miracleman & Sandman). Even some of the storylines have made mainstream news outlets (Marvel's Civil War, The Death Of Superman).
You have filmmakers & screenwriters moonlighting as comicbook writers which in some cases brings people who otherwise wouldnt have picked up a comic book to do so without much of a stigma (Joss Whedon on Astonishing X-men, Kevin Smith on Green Arrow, Daredevil, Richard Donner on Superman, J.M Strayzinski on Supreme Power, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man and soon Thor. Hell the president of BET has been writing Black Panther for almost 2 years now)
RPG's are like comic books inbred, soon to be extinct, cousin. Rpg's have almost nothing like that. You can be sure that there are a hell of alot more 8-14 year olds that are aware of FCD than there are of D&D day. And honestly I blame...US. Well to be more specific I blame those of us who are more interested in slagging games/mechanics/editions that we dont like than trying to bring more people in to the hobby. There are so many games out there to be played and can be used to introduce people to our hobby. Don't blame City Of Heroes/Villians, WOW or any other computer games, they have their appeal, but it's not the same appeal as a pnp game.
My point is all the infighting and the stupidity in our community is what's keeping the hobby from growing. If comic book fans have thier in fighting it really doesnt stop some one else from reading and finding a book that they like. Our community is different, our hobby deals with interaction and presentation, it's not a solitary pursuit. To that end we have to work twice as hard to bring new people into out ranks or risk the hobby becoming more of a niche than it already is. And I see people activley working to kill the hobby dead and I'm not talking about D00d who is writing a memoir of his days playing D&D. I'm talking about that D00d who makes no attempt to recruit, I'm talking about that D00d who hates the idea of new people in his game. I'm talking about that legion of mopes who moan about the (and I swear to Ghandi, I want to HATE VISON the next gump that says this) DUMBING DOWN of thier favorite game. In short, the persons who are against any kind of accessabilty. My question is how is accessability for a novice effecting YOUR ability to play a game that you've BEEN playing for what must be years now?
For this to work, in all seriousness, doesnt only require the big guns like WOTC, or even the smaller more dedicated guns like Green Ronin & Goodman Games. It needs the elitism to slow down abit. Just enough to indoctrinate the next generation of elitists anyway...
ShinHakkaider
Adventurer
Glyfair said:
One of the things that has always kind of concened me is the lack of mentorship or guidance in the games that are supposed to be for new players. If I'm introducing, say my co-worker to D&D, I want to have her in a group with or at least paired up with an experienced, PATIENT AND FREINDLY player to assist in showing her the ropes, at least through the first session. All of the intro / tablework cant be left to just the DM, the other players really have to take a hand in shepherding a new player or players through their first game. That's something I think that we need to work on.
We've got to work on making these events accessable to new people. We want them to feel comfortable approaching the table to sit down, we want them to feel comfortable while there and most importantly WE WANT THEM TO COME BACK. These events can't just be expereinced players showing up to get freebies and play in a game becasue they have no game of thier own. My heart goes out to those D00ds and there is a place for them...as mentors to the new players.
Also, there's the aspect of the visual. Whether people want to admit it or not, people like shiny things. In running my own games, I see players respond well to props or as a reinforcement of a description of a monster or an NPC, I can show them an actual picture of what the monster or NPC looks like. When running a game especially for newbies it's important to hook 'em with visuals. Despite what a few people say a visual represnation of something like a picture or a mini doesnt kill the imagination, sometimes it can really light a fire under it.
goodmangames
First Post
Hi guys,
I'm glad to see some interest in Free RPG Day before we've even officially announced it!
Goodman Games is participating with a lot more than just Dungeon Crawl Classics modules. This event was my idea, and Impressions is an outstanding marketing agency that can make it happen. Free RPG Day will be the perfect venue for thousands of fans to find out about Goodman Games' new, not-yet-announced line of adventure modules. Hint: it's the opposite of Dungeon Crawl Classics... but you'll have to visit your favorite retailer on Free RPG Day to find out more!
For those of who are worried, trust me when I say that making it happen won't be a problem. 2006 was the best year ever for Goodman Games, and 2007 promises to be even stronger. Free RPG Day isn't even officially announced, and we've had more than 100 retailers already ask to sign up. We have to keep telling them, "Wait till we have the signup feature active!" The official announcements that you guys have seen are only the tip of the iceberg.
RPG's are far from extinct. From my perspective, the market is booming. Keep an eye out for some official announcements about Free RPG Day over the coming months -- and make sure to ask your local retailer if he's going to participate!
--
Joseph Goodman
Goodman Games
I'm glad to see some interest in Free RPG Day before we've even officially announced it!
Goodman Games is participating with a lot more than just Dungeon Crawl Classics modules. This event was my idea, and Impressions is an outstanding marketing agency that can make it happen. Free RPG Day will be the perfect venue for thousands of fans to find out about Goodman Games' new, not-yet-announced line of adventure modules. Hint: it's the opposite of Dungeon Crawl Classics... but you'll have to visit your favorite retailer on Free RPG Day to find out more!
For those of who are worried, trust me when I say that making it happen won't be a problem. 2006 was the best year ever for Goodman Games, and 2007 promises to be even stronger. Free RPG Day isn't even officially announced, and we've had more than 100 retailers already ask to sign up. We have to keep telling them, "Wait till we have the signup feature active!" The official announcements that you guys have seen are only the tip of the iceberg.
RPG's are far from extinct. From my perspective, the market is booming. Keep an eye out for some official announcements about Free RPG Day over the coming months -- and make sure to ask your local retailer if he's going to participate!
--
Joseph Goodman
Goodman Games
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