Roleplaying Industry History, Horror Stories & Skeletons in the Closet

[Tav_Behemoth]

What are the most famous or infamous legends about the history of roleplaying? What gaming industry snafus would you like to hear the inside dope about?

I'm asking because I've volunteered to appear on a few panels on the "Industry Insider Seminar Track" at Gen Con SoCal. Some, like how to start your own game company or become a published SF writer, I actually know something about. But two of 'em are going to be tougher for me (see the descriptions below) because I'm an industry insider by the narrowest of margins, definitely the junior member of the con's Industry Guests of Honor. I haven't been around long enough to have any horror stories of my own, and I don't have any special perspective on roleplaying history except that of an old-school fan.

So what I figured I'd do is ask y'all what legends you've heard about and would like to get to the bottom of. Maybe one of the other panelists will know something about 'em, or maybe some more-knowledgable EN Worlder will have the answer even before I get to Anaheim!

SEM00018 The Game Industry: Where We Came From

Thursday 11:00am – 12:00pm, 201: A

The history of the hobby, and what it can tell us about the present day. Uncover the skeletons in the closets, the mad wives in the attics, which got us where we are, wherever that is. –Rick Loomis, Tavis Allison, Steve Perrin, Sean Reynolds, Bruce Harlick

SEM00033 Behind the Scenes Debacles

Sunday 10:00am – 11:00pm, 201: A

Sure, game companies look sleek and professional from the outside. No, wait, that's some other companies. Hear the real horror stories of the gaming biz that these veterans can't publish. – Tavis Allison, Michelle Nephew, Steve Perrin, Stan!, Bruce Harlick

 

[Mark]

Hiya Tavis!

For the second one it looks more like they will want you to recount some of your personal stories of how you almost sunk your company (rather than stories about other people). Things like almost missing printer deadlines, sending the wrong galleys to someone, deleting files you should have kept, wearing a feather boa for the tax man, etc.

For the first one, you might want to be careful what you say about whom. Just for fun, when someone on your right is telling a story but not telling the audience who they are telling the story about, slowly lean back in your chair and reach up over the head of the person on your left, pointing down at them and winking to the audience.

 

[barsoomcore]

My advice is: Just make things up.

"Well, after Monte and I finished the second bottle of ether, things REALLY started to get strange."

What could possibly go wrong with such an approach?

Oh, and have a half-dozen stiff drinks before the event, just to loosen up your tongue.

And can I get tickets?

 

[Tav_Behemoth]

My advice is: Just make things up.

"Well, after Monte and I finished the second bottle of ether, things REALLY started to get strange."

What could possibly go wrong with such an approach?

Well, since one of my lifelong ambitions is to be riding in an absurdly large red convertible with Monte at the wheel, crusing through the desert near Barstow when the drugs start to kick in -- the worst that could happen would be that he'd be less likely to take me on such a ride if I went around telling tales about it before it even happened!

For those whose ether-lore comes from Looney Toones rather than Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, substitute: "Co-o-o-o-m-e b-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-c-k, M-o-n-n-n-n-t-e..."

P.S. Nothing in this post is meant to suggest that Mr. Cook has ever used drugs, read Hunter S. Thompson, or watched cartoons.

P.P.S. Nothing in the previous P.P.S. is meant to refer to Mr. Norman Cook, who probably has done all those things.

 

[scourger]

"There's a saying in the game industry, by the way. "No game is ever finished. It's published."

Shane Hensley.

http://www.peginc.com/ShootingBlind/SparktoPrintBill/SparktoPB02.htm

(I also remember reading about a rushed print job in the 1st printing of Deadlands that had to be quickly corrected when the game got such acclaim when first released. But I can't find it now. So, the above should do.)