RPG Society: The 2005 Thread

[Belen]

Once again, it is time for me to shout out the call for action.

As long as we rely on the "industry" to advertise, then we are doomed. Most of the smaller companies just cannot afford to advertise, or if they do, then they advertise in Dragon or ENWorld. How is that reaching a new audience?

Only Hasbro has the funds to advertise and they will in no way mass market the game. Hasbro is too conservative and RPGs do not make them enough money. So why do we expect Hasbro to CARE about us?

We need a society of gamers, for gamers, and run by gamers. The goal of that society is to promote our hobby. TV SHOWS that are canceled have more fan outcry than the RPG industry. Heck, Firefly was canceled and got an ad in Vanity Fair?

Why can't we raise money for an ad in Vanity fair!?

Only by taking responsibility for our passion can we really support it. We need an society. Period.

 

[Turanil]

Giving money for a RPG society? To have an ad in some magazine? You really think it would bring some new gamers in? So what?

I trust more WotC marketing strategies: with their miniatures they attract new gamers, then it's easy to tell them about true D&D, and then rpgs as a whole. And I don't need to spend a buck...

 

[Desdichado]

BU, you make some good points.

But I gave at the office.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Not for me.

If game companies cannot find new ways to innovate themselves and get into the public's eye, they should fail.

 

[DragonSword]

It's a great idea, idealogically speaking, but in the real world, how would it work?

 

[Belen]

Not for me.

If game companies cannot find new ways to innovate themselves and get into the public's eye, they should fail.

I do not care about game companies. Rather, I care about the hobby and getting new blood.

Giving money for a RPG society? To have an ad in some magazine? You really think it would bring some new gamers in? So what?

I trust more WotC marketing strategies: with their miniatures they attract new gamers, then it's easy to tell them about true D&D, and then rpgs as a whole. And I don't need to spend a buck...

Wizards cannot do everything and the minis really only sell to a similiar audience. They really do not add more people to the hobby. The minis attract more people to D&D. There is a huge difference between the hobby as a whole and D&D alone.

If we want to energize the hobby, then we need to promote it. Wizards is not promoting it effectively. Even a little can go a long way.

 

[Belen]

It's a great idea, idealogically speaking, but in the real world, how would it work?

Think of a place like ENWorld and expand from there. In fact, my threads about the topic in the past used ENWorld as the basic for the society. We have everything needed here.

And there are companies such as SmithBucklin & Associates who specialize in society management. We do not need to supply staff, just the membership.

 

[DragonSword]

Soooo... let me see if I get this... Gamers sign up to a Society, pay a membership fee or subs, and then join message boards, receive newsletters or something like that as benefits for their membership. The money then goes towards advertising the hobby as a whole?

Sounds like a huge deal to set up, but I guess it might work... You'd need lots of guys willing to join though, and besides advertising, how else would this society attract people to D&D, how is an ad gonna persuade a public who already have misconceptions about this hobby, to role-play?

 

[Belen]

Soooo... let me see if I get this... Gamers sign up to a Society, pay a membership fee or subs, and then join message boards, receive newsletters or something like that as benefits for their membership. The money then goes towards advertising the hobby as a whole?

Sounds like a huge deal to set up, but I guess it might work... You'd need lots of guys willing to join though, and besides advertising, how else would this society attract people to D&D, how is an ad gonna persuade a public who already have misconceptions about this hobby, to role-play?

Organizing local cons, promoting gaming clubs at schools, organizing some after school gaming programs.....

The money can go a long way.

 

[DragonSword]

Yep, but then there's international barriers. Which country/ies would all the money be spent in? The US, I guess, would be the main benefactor, but then what about members from other countries, how do you stop them from feeling short-changed?

I think the only way to do this would be with WOTC/Hasbro's support, like the RPGA, or with lots of smaller RPG publisher's help. I think it would take someone with a business presence in the industry to do it, some one to champion the cause. Unless there's a big name patron, I can't see it catching on.