Pathfinder 1E Paizo Annoucement!

[Lord Fyre]

If those crowds are not big enough to allow paizo to eat, then paizo, assuming they want to eat, will change tacks. Projects will be cancelled or, IMO more likely, resources shifted so that dual 3.5e-4e pathfinder will be released.

Paizo will not support this to the death, they have made a decision for the short term (1/2 years is business short term) but the numbers will ultimately decide their direction.

My guess is that they will slowly shift to 4e over the next 1/2 years, they will follow the profits. They have committed themselves to the 3.5e market only if it can sustain them. They are unlikely to put it in their press releases, but I'd be surprised if they do not already have an emergency business plan if the wind on this tack dies.

With my read, they have already done this.

"Paizo hopes to support 4th Edition with fan-created online conversions of its Pathfinder products and a complete line from its partner company, Necromancer Games, a trend-setter in the original Open Gaming movement. Necromancer has already announced a new 4th Edition version of their award-winning Tome of Horrors monster encyclopedia, and has plans for additional player and GM support products."

This seems to set Paizo in the position of hedging their bet.

If 4E is a big success (the most likely result), Pathfinder will continue to support the Grognard niche, and most of their product support will be absorbed by Necromancer.

If 4E fails (unlikely but possible), then Paizo will be uniquely set to land on their feet.

 

[Festivus]

The biggest thing Paizo has going for it is it's stable of writers and track record for producing pretty good product, and stellar customer service.

I really do hope they succeed in this endevor, the alternative could be to not have their content in any form... something I wouldn't want to see happen.

I wonder how this affects freelance writers... I bet they already chimed in on this massive thread, I should just go look.

 

[Transit]

If 4E fails (unlikely but possible), then Paizo will be uniquely set to land on their feet.

And If 4E fails badly enough (it could happen) Paizo might just end up buying D&D outright from Hasbro after Hasbro shuts Wizards of the Coast down.

(Personally, I can't wait until Paizo starts publishing print versions of Dragon and Dungeon again!)

 

[RigaMortus2]

I don't get the big deal really. Just keep producing the 3.5 Pathfinder material. Once the 4E GSL is available, make a call then to either stick with 3.5 or switch to 4E. If you switch to 4E, Paizo can either convert Pathfinder or make a new adventure path. What's the problem?

 

[Pinotage]

I don't get the big deal really. Just keep producing the 3.5 Pathfinder material. Once the 4E GSL is available, make a call then to either stick with 3.5 or switch to 4E. If you switch to 4E, Paizo can either convert Pathfinder or make a new adventure path. What's the problem?

The problem is the GSL license. They don't know if Pathfinder material released under the OGL can be released under the GSL. It's not that easy to switch if you're intending to take a year's worth of Pathfinder material with you that's been published under a different license. If, however, OGL material can be released under the GSL, then perhaps things might be different, but that might be a really big IF.

Pinotage

 

[catsclaw227]

If you don't even know who Paizo is, then I tend to doubt you have a good feel for the marketplace.

Well, I know anecdotal evidence doesn't mean much, but I emailed many of my D&D friends and players and only two know who they were, and only 1 knew about the Pathfinder imprint.

2 out of 10.

And both are not very regular forum visitors, and therefore might not ever know about a Pathfinder RPG.

I have no idea how Paizo could possibly get 10% or 20% of the D&D crowd at 4e launch as some are claiming (and one claimed 25% or 50%). I just don't see it happening at all.

Granted, even if they get 2% of the D&D crowd, that's a lot of gamers, but they would be competing, not with WOTC, but with all the other OGL and non-OGL RPGs out there.

 

[Timespike]

I see two camps here. Those who dislike WoTC, fan boys and girls of 4e and those who just want to play D&D. I saw the same sort of thing during the switch to 3e. Some of the haters switched over to 3e due to the pressure of acceptance of the new rule system, others didn't and still play 2e or more likely another system. The latter is a very small group and I'm going to guess that Paizo isn't banking their future on that.

I say "dislikes WoTC" because I've read the the Pathfinder system and it isn't going to be 3.5. It is going to be a system that Paizo can publish under OGL. If you aren't switching to 4e due to not wanting to convert your campaign, good luck with that under Pathfinder. There will be less of a learning curve in Pathfinder, but you will have to convert.

I'm in the, I just want to play D&D with my friends category. I don't care what system I play so long as we have fun doing it and it is supported. The problem is that history has shown that most everyone will follow the big guys lead, they have the money to do it.

I see a lot of nerd rage here, I can't imagine what it's like on the Pazio boards.

Champaigne, dancing, hoots of joy, ticker-tape parades. Seriously. There's a lot of excitement. (Including mine, I'd hasten to add.) Come have a look.

 

[carolina]

It's not the rules, it's the games

There seems to be a very rules set mentality about the decision making, as if everything about Paizo's move is rules focused.

But I would like to point out that the most interesting aspect of their announcement is the company's commitment to organized play, and that Nic Logue will be running it. Whether you've run Paizo or Wotc adventures in the past, there's a good chance Nic's name's been on that product, had a hand in writing it, or contributed something to it. This is a guy who knows adventures.

The commitment to organized play, the commitment to growing the hobby, should be commended.

 

[catsclaw227]

And If 4E fails badly enough (it could happen) Paizo might just end up buying D&D outright from Hasbro after Hasbro shuts Wizards of the Coast down.

Ummm... hmmm. I don't see that happening at all. WOTC's D&D mini line may be good enough to keep the D&D RPG afloat in tough times, but there's no way that Hasbro will shut down Wizards of the Coast. If I am not mistaken, M:tG and D&D Minis are cash cows.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

If you don't even know who Paizo is, then I tend to doubt you have a good feel for the marketplace.

OTOH, I'm not sure any of us here do, either, even if we have heard of Paizo.

I would argue that it's impossible to get an accurate estimate of the marketplace based on (say) self-reporting web boards. Without hard data, in the form of sales numbers from various manufacturers, an impression culled from ENworld posters is no more accurate than a statement of "none of the people in my group buy Paizo stuff, so they're obviously going to fail."

Brad