RPG Price Points

[JoeGKushner]

So what should RPG books cost? I'm not asking for a right or wrong answer, just what you think.

For me, I think it breaks down a little like:

Page Price
32 $9.95-$11.95
48-56 $12.95-$16.95
56-64 $14.95-$16.95
64-80 $15.95-$18.95
80-96 $19.95-$23.95

This assumes a softcover format. I've seen these numbers so I'm not making them out of the air or anything.

Other costs?

 

[BiggusGeekus]

So what should RPG books cost? I'm not asking for a right or wrong answer, just what you think.

For me, I think it breaks down a little like:

Page Price
32 $9.95-$11.95
48-56 $12.95-$16.95
56-64 $14.95-$16.95
64-80 $15.95-$18.95
80-96 $19.95-$23.95

This assumes a softcover format. I've seen these numbers so I'm not making them out of the air or anything.

Other costs?

The big costs are artwork, color, and hardcover. Any one of those three are going to have a huge impact.

Of course, you can get a discount on printing if you take your chances. If I remember correctly, the guys who wrote Godlike! used some printer that resided in a rather small country. They got their books, but a few months late and their big advertising push was thrown off a bit.

 

[BigFreekinGoblinoid]

from my standpoint as a consumer:

Page/ Price
32 $9.95-$11.95 - just NOT worth it to me usually
48-64 $12.95-$15.95
64-96 $15.95-$19.95
96-128 $18.95-$22.95

softcover

 

[trancejeremy]

Well, I was in my semi-local FGS today, along with $21, trying to find something to buy.

Unfortunately, everything I wanted was more than $21 (including tax).

I had "Heart of the Machine" in my paws and I almost bought it. But $15 for 64 pages, vs $22 for 112 for the Grey Citadel. For 50% more money, you get almost twice the book.

So I guess for $15, 64 page book, it has to be really really cool seeming for me to buy it (Heart of the Machine didn't look that great).

I generally like 128 page, $20 books. If Grey Citadel had been 128 pages, instead of 112, I likely would have spent the time to dig through my car to find change to buy it.

 

[Pramas]

Re: Re: RPG Price Points

Of course, you can get a discount on printing if you take your chances. If I remember correctly, the guys who wrote Godlike! used some printer that resided in a rather small country. They got their books, but a few months late and their big advertising push was thrown off a bit.

That "rather small" country was China...

 

[Mystic Eye]

Well, I was in my semi-local FGS today, along with $21, trying to find something to buy.

Unfortunately, everything I wanted was more than $21 (including tax).

I had "Heart of the Machine" in my paws and I almost bought it. But $15 for 64 pages, vs $22 for 112 for the Grey Citadel. For 50% more money, you get almost twice the book.

So I guess for $15, 64 page book, it has to be really really cool seeming for me to buy it (Heart of the Machine didn't look that great).

I generally like 128 page, $20 books. If Grey Citadel had been 128 pages, instead of 112, I likely would have spent the time to dig through my car to find change to buy it.

Hey Transjeremy,

At 14.99 we are at the medium price of a 64 page book (For Heart) which range between 13.99 and 15.99. Twice the book does not equate to twice the value either. Heart of the Machine has never gotten a bad or even average review, Getting a 4/5 or equiv. on every review.
We use a heavier interioir stock than normal and a denser cover stock so there is value in that as well.
I think if you base the value of the book on the size vs. price of the book you will miss out on a lot of great game products. Take Bluffside for example. It should have been priced much higher due to the text density and if it were, based on the above, you would not likely buy it.

Just another point of view. I am not saying you are right or wrong.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Re: Re: Re: RPG Price Points

That "rather small" country was China...

Hence the use of the phrase "if I remember correctly", but thank you for the correction.

 

[trancejeremy]

Hey Transjeremy,

At 14.99 we are at the medium price of a 64 page book (For Heart) which range between 13.99 and 15.99. Twice the book does not equate to twice the value either. Heart of the Machine has never gotten a bad or even average review, Getting a 4/5 or equiv. on every review.

Oh yeah, the price is typical (lower, actually), I didn't mean to single you out.

And while it does look good (and I am a Dragonstar fan), it just didn't grab me.

But anyway, if you don't make much money, like I do, you can only spend so much a month on gaming stuff. I usually spend around $20-30.

What is the best value? Unfortunately, it's usually not adventures, period, unless they're long ones (like Grey Citadel) or have a lot of re-useable source material (again, like Grey Citadel, or your affiliates' recent Hamlet of Thumble).

 

[Ranger REG]

While I prefer lower price on books, trying to put a cap can be detrimental to the publishing business, unless one already have a good sense of what the projected number of copies will be sold within a certain amount of time (you can't pushh aside the bills nor the employee's payroll until projected revenue have been reached) prior to putting the product on the market.

 

[Mystic Eye]

Oh yeah, the price is typical (lower, actually), I didn't mean to single you out.

And while it does look good (and I am a Dragonstar fan), it just didn't grab me.

But anyway, if you don't make much money, like I do, you can only spend so much a month on gaming stuff. I usually spend around $20-30.

What is the best value? Unfortunately, it's usually not adventures, period, unless they're long ones (like Grey Citadel) or have a lot of re-useable source material (again, like Grey Citadel, or your affiliates' recent Hamlet of Thumble).

I did not take it that way bud, I was simply making a point. Also, Ranger is right. The price point is based on making a profit on those books. If we can lower them while still making a profit...great! The problem is the industry is going in the other direction.