Rappan Athuk: Reloaded SOLD OUT by wide margin!!

[Alzrius]

Cover--$1,000
Maps and Interior art--reused a bunch, but still was $5,000
Boxes--$1,000
Advertising--$2,000
Printing--$20,000 (guess, based on WL Box set)
Shipping from China--$2,000 or so

Running a TPK adventure--priceless.

There are some adventures money can't buy. For everything else, there's Necromancer Games.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Cover--$1,000
Maps and Interior art--reused a bunch, but still was $5,000
Boxes--$1,000
Advertising--$2,000
Printing--$20,000 (guess, based on WL Box set)
Shipping from China--$2,000 or so

As the price of oil goes up, I wonder if the shipping from China (not to mention the delays in getting the product), will force publishers to start printing locally again (or in other new developing venues.)

 

[Ghostwind]

Damn, that is funny. Way to go Alzrius.

 

[Treebore]

Running a TPK adventure--priceless.

There are some adventures money can't buy. For everything else, there's Necromancer Games.

Actually I re-posted what Bill Webb posted but

 

[freebfrost]

I ordered mine through Amazon. Why? Because I really don't need another campaign adventure right now (currently running two games), but had confidence that RAR would be of high quality and worth shelving. That the real utility to potential utitility ratio made $25 a great deal -- $40 would have been a good deal, still. That isn't to say $75 is ridiculous for this product. It is perfectly fair. Just that it's value to me isn't $75.

And those that consider it worth that price will make sure to acquire a copy (i.e. preordering).

This is exactly how the market works, but few people will admit this. Bravo Mercule!

 

[PatrickLawinger]

Folks, there really, honestly should be "unclaimed" copies available through regular game stores. I don't know which stores, but they will be out there.

As for the status of .pdfs, prices, or release date, I honestly have no clue. I would sort-of doubt a .pdf of RAR would be out August 10. The people responsible for putting it up are probably going to be at some sort of convention or something.

Patrick

 

[JoeGKushner]

Speaking of 'unsecured' copies, I'd be willing to bet Games Plus in Mt. Prospect will have a copy or three. They always have Necromancer Games goods!

 

[trancejeremy]

Congratulations are certainly in order for Necromancer. Selling 1000 copies of any book, let alone a $75 box set is a milestone when your name is not Wizards of the Coast.

Here's a bit of a reality check for everyone who is upset that Necromancer only printed 1000 copies and is now officially sold out. The average 3rd party gaming company gets preorders from distributors that typically total less than 400 copies with the bulk of that coming from Alliance. Restock orders? Ha! Alliance and other distributors rarely place a restock of one-third of their original order and even less on second and third orders (if there are any). So for Necromancer to only print 1000 copies, I say it was a very good decision and still one heck of a risk considering the costs involved. They are one of the few companies who are still capable of publishing consistently despite the low sales that plague the industry.

If it this were an ordinary product, something like "Mayhem in Foozleberg" or something like that, I would agree. But this is basically Necro's flagship product. Unlike most of their recent releases, people have actually heard of it, and they know it will be a quality, Necromancer Games styles product (unlike some of their recent releases).

I also don't think this sort of product has a shelf like, unlike most of their other products.

 

[mmadsen]

I feel that people should study these numbers a bit before complaining about game publishers:

Total value of 42-45% of retail is what we normally get from wholesalers. At 1000 copies at $75, that's $75,000, minus the wholesaler discount of 55% leaves $33,750.

We have to assume we will sell most at this number. Keep in mind Clark and I have to share profits w/ WW too. I cannot disclose those numbers and the split though.

Cover--$1,000
Maps and Interior art--reused a bunch, but still was $5,000
Boxes--$1,000
Advertising--$2,000
Printing--$20,000 (guess, based on WL Box set)
Shipping from China--$2,000 or so

you see where this is going.

I fought really, really hard to get 2000 units made, but the sales folks at WW said no-go. The concern is that if we do not sell them all (and our breakeven is about 900 units on 1000 units), we could lose a ton of money.​

So the product could potentially -- if everything goes swimmingly, as it has in this case -- bring in $33,750, with explicit costs of $31,000, implying that the publishers might have $2,750 left over to pay for labor.

Simply putting that $31,000 in stocks could earn you that much (less than 9%) in a year, with less risk and no work.

And when you take into account the risk, that's a crazy investment. If they sell 920 copies, rather than all 1,000, they make zero money, and if they sell just 500, they lose $14,000.

 

[freebfrost]

If it this were an ordinary product, something like "Mayhem in Foozleberg" or something like that, I would agree.

I think I saw "Mayhem in Foozleberg: Reloaded" available for 52% off on Amazon if you preorder...

(couldn't resist)