[OT] Now it's Deadlands for free!

Krug · Mar 26, 2003

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=796&

Skade · Mar 26, 2003

That is just too cool.

I wonder what it is that drives decisions like this, not that I am complaining. I can only assume its to drive sales in their other products, notable the d20 version.

JohnNephew · Mar 26, 2003

> I wonder what it is that drives decisions like this, not that I am complaining.

In our press release about Free Ars Magica, we laid out some of the reasons, besides the simple "share cool stuff" idea. In short, we want to increase our base of active players. It's a bit like the theory behind the open game license -- our commercial success as publishers depends on the network of players, since it's playing the game that really makes you want to go out and buy books, whether a printed copy of a PDF you downloaded for free, or a nifty adventure or supplement of cool new stuff for your wizard or what have you. So if we give away rulebooks to boost the number of players, we're strengthening our network.

We also are working on a new edition of Ars Magica, and we hope that PDF-downloaders will become potential "upgraders." I suspect that Pinnacle has similar thoughts, hoping that classic Deadlands players will upgrade to their upcoming Savage Worlds game system.

-John Nephew
President, Atlas Games

John Crichton · Mar 26, 2003

This is like one of those situations where "we give ya the first one for free but you gotta pay for another fix, bub." I have been interested in Deadlands since it first came out but for one reason or another I never picked it up. If it's any good I'll most likely buy more just to read the books. I have no will when it comes to these things. Well, at least the first is free...

Joseph Elric Smith · Mar 26, 2003

Great now maybe I can get my group to give it a try
ken

Skade · Mar 26, 2003

Thanks for the input, JohnNephew. Always nice when an official source, even if in this case from another company, repsonds to a query. I'm sure that's what is is, and I had no idea about the Savage Worlds system, do it has certainly garnered some awareness there.

As an aside, I've played Ars Magica off an on over the years. So I pointed someone towards your free download in hopes maybe I could get a game running in another system besides d20.

Voneth · Mar 26, 2003

I am not any offical source of any sort, but the impression I got was that it had something to do with the new partnership of Pinnicle and Mystic Eye games.

I know that ME will take on all new books, while PEG's website sellls all backstock. If they don't reprint the basic book, then there will have to be "bridge" of some sort between when the old stock sells out and when a new core book will be reprinted.

But Mr. Nephew's suggestion sounds good too.

MEG Hal · Mar 26, 2003

Voneth said:
I am not any offical source of any sort, but the impression I got was that it had something to do with the new partnership of Pinnicle and Mystic Eye games.

I know that ME will take on all new books, while PEG's website sellls all backstock. If they don't reprint the basic book, then there will have to be "bridge" of some sort between when the old stock sells out and when a new core book will be reprinted.

But Mr. Nephew's suggestion sounds good too.

I am pretty sure Shane (Pinnacle) made the free decision before we came to terms on our agreement, but I love free and I am not complaining. And it may inspire more people to try Deadlands and what better way to top off a free players guide then with a purchase of MEG stuff