Pathfinder OGL/3.5 RPG system from Paizo

[Psion]

I'm not saying Paizo won't be successful. I think they will do fine. I may even pick up their book myself.

But do you honestly believe that they will eat into D&D market share when they are releasing a 3.5 d20 knock-off that doesn't even come out until a year after the release of 4e?

I made no such assertion and am sure the 4e's bottom line won't be affected much by this.

But when you say "vast minority", that does suggest to me you are saying that Paizo's market is too small to be viable.

 

[Psion]

Fantasy Craft? Linky...?

http://www.crafty-games.com/product_catalog/development

 

[Cthulhudrew]

Not to get political, but thinking that Paizo's announcement is siginificant is like saying that Ralph Nader running for president is significant.

Or like saying that Linux vs. Microsoft is significant?

Yet, there are many, many Linux users out there.

 

[Mark]

(. . .) and more talk about ya know, the product itself...

Here is some -

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=221948

And here -

http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/pathfinder/pathfinderRPG/feedback/alpha1

 

[Cthulhudrew]

Sure, but let me turn the tables again, and posit that, had 3.75 come from WotC instead of Paizo, a lot of the same people who are lauding Paizo now would probably be griping non-stop about WotC's evil empire.

I don't disagree with this statement at all.

At the same time, though, as one of those who was absolutely disheartened by WotC's (inevitable?) announcement of a new edition of the game, I wouldn't be nearly so anti-4E if 4E didn't seem to be such a completely different game from previous editions as it does to me, and if it were at least similar enough to be somewhat backwards compatible.

So it is more a matter of degree, I think, and the fact that Paizo's announcement comes as a compromise between people who a) don't like/want 4E, and b) don't really want to have to pick up a completely different/new system from what they're currently playing (like C&C or True20, to the degree I am familiar with those rules).

 

[Cthulhudrew]

But there is a reason that MMO's like WoW have a subscriber base in the millions. There is a reason the Manga/Anime section at my local B&N has gone from a couple of shelves in the graphic novel section 6 years ago to two ENTIRE aisles that makes it bigger than the cookbook section. And there is a reason why the video game industry makes BILLIONS and has surpassed Hollywood in profits.

There is a also a reason why tabletop RPGs* have seen their numbers dwindle over the years as the video game market has grown exponentially during the same time period. I don't claim to be knowledgeable in the demographics to say definitively why that is, but I'm willing to bet it doesn't really have anything to do with the rules so much as it does the widely different natures of the games themselves- video games are easy to play, generally solo (even with the addition of MMOs to the market, they are still played by individuals at home), and have a graphical and auditory element that RPGs lack. I'd say that- as much as anything- have to do with things. And a rules change to make an RPG more MMO/Videogamey probably won't impact that much at all.

*Boardgames, too, for that matter.

 

[buzz]

Again, no they are not. They are giving it away for free.

They would like to sell me either the softcover or hardcover version eventually-- and they probably will.

Oh, c'mon, Wulf. The end product is a new RPG, for which you will pay money. The initial free playtest PDFs are part of the marketing.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

There is a also a reason why tabletop RPGs* have seen their numbers dwindle over the years as the video game market has grown exponentially during the same time period. I don't claim to be knowledgeable in the demographics to say definitively why that is, but I'm willing to bet it doesn't really have anything to do with the rules so much as it does the widely different natures of the games themselves- video games are easy to play, generally solo (even with the addition of MMOs to the market, they are still played by individuals at home), and have a graphical and auditory element that RPGs lack. I'd say that- as much as anything- have to do with things. And a rules change to make an RPG more MMO/Videogamey probably won't impact that much at all.

*Boardgames, too, for that matter.

Very insightful. Video games offer immediate, visceral feedback that isn't possible with PnP games. And trying to match that is a fool's quest.

 

[lmpjr007]

But do you honestly believe that they will eat into D&D market share when they are releasing a 3.5 d20 knock-off that doesn't even come out until a year after the release of 4e?

But you have to wonder, How many people will not purchase 4E? What if 10-20% of the people WOTC projected do purchased 4E? We are talking about 1 or 2 people out of every 10, but that would be a HUGE hit to WOTC. People get fired in large corporations over those kinds of losses. Personally, I think WOTC will actually miss their projected numbers because of the changes and the current RPG market. But time will be the real judge in all of this.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Oh, c'mon, Wulf. The end product is a new RPG, for which you will pay money. The initial free playtest PDFs are part of the marketing.

Don't c'mon me-- you're wrong. There's no "hustle" here.