Should companies bother with RPGs?

[Umbran]

Not really, their online stores are a completely different affair.

Well, not having either store handy, I have only anecdotal evidence - I have very clearly been told by others that Walmart and K-Mart do carry D&D products. Never heard of third parties getting sold, but D&D itself does get on their shelves.

The question, then isn't why the products aren't there (because they are). The problem is why they aren't more visible.

 

[Paradigm]

This is at least the second post from you where you have nothing to contribute but snarky comments against Joe. Joe's a long-time, respected poster. Who are you?

Hi! My name is Eric Wiener, CFO and co-founder of Paradigm Concepts, one of the first companies to produce d20 material and the publishers of the ENnie-nominated campaign setting Arcanis: the World of Shattered Empires, home to Living Arcanis, the largest member-run RPGA campaign. You may have heard of Paradigm Concepts from our various ENnie nominations or our Fans' Choice Award, or perhaps from one of my own self-promotional news postings on the publisher forum. I am also the manager of a retail store in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

I am not entirely certain which earlier post where I had nothing to contribute you are referring to and I am not entirely certain how 'snarky' and 'against Joe' my comment may have been. But was merely intended to point out that his threads of late appear to be intended to draw passionate responses from the group at large, and do so in a tongue and cheek manner. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, asking if RPGs are worth bothering with on an RPG forum is certain to draw some troublesome posts, perhaps even one I have already made. I've met Joe numerous times and I doubt he took the offense that you seem to have in his stead.

 

[Vocenoctum]

I am also the manager of a retail store in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Which store, if I may ask?

 

[Paradigm]

Which store, if I may ask?

Dragon's Lair Games on S. State Rd 7. I work for J. Brian Dalrymple, the GAMA Secretary.

 

[Tav_Behemoth]

There's a piece of advice for writers: Don't do it if you can do anything else.

I heard it first in reference to science fiction, but it applies to RPGs even more. When I read a historical essay by Costikyan about how RPGs were the first kind of game that designers could eke out a full-time living doing, but that they tended to leave the field for the financial security of computer games or fiction writing, I was horrified; it was like saying that they became lobbyists for NAMBLA in order to escape the social stigma of roleplaying.

Good thing for us that so many talented folks suffer from the foolish compulsion to write and publish RPGs anyways. (I'm also glad that some 'of em post in threads like these, which is probably equally foolish. Keep 'em coming, Joe!)

 

[mythusmage]

Hi! My name is Eric Wiener, CFO and co-founder of Paradigm Concepts, one of the first companies to produce d20 material and the publishers of the ENnie-nominated campaign setting Arcanis: the World of Shattered Empires, home to Living Arcanis, the largest member-run RPGA campaign. You may have heard of Paradigm Concepts from our various ENnie nominations or our Fans' Choice Award, or perhaps from one of my own self-promotional news postings on the publisher forum. I am also the manager of a retail store in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

And I make snarky comments aimed at Joe

Fixed it for ya.

 

[Paradigm]

Fixed it for ya.

Why thank you kindly.

BTW, just in case this may be considered a post that contributes nothing:

Short answer to Joe's question: becase we like RPGs and some folks like what we make.

 

[Staffan]

?Que Pasa? do they have a lot of fundynuts in Sweden too?

Not a lot, but they managed to make a pretty heavy attack on Kult. Though Maggan left out one incident that was the real death knell for RPGs in department stores: two children murdering another, and blaming it on RPGs. I believe the investigation later turned out that RPGs were not the cause, but by that time the damage was already done. Although, had RPGs been as profitable as they were in the 80s, stores might not have been as quick to remove them from the shelves.

 

[barsoomcore]

I looked at doing this for PBG for exactly 30 seconds before giving up.

I don't get it. Who'd want to buy a miniature of a Peanut Butter and Grape sandwich? Pre-painted or otherwise? Weird.

You know, I've been watching the industry for years now, and I can't explain why ANYONE gets into it. I'm sure glad they do, but it's just not a place where it seems possible to make much money. I dabble in producing stuff for the industry, and do so at a loss (when you count the time and money spent). I THINK I'd do better if I had more time to spend on managing the way I do so, but I don't think I'd do a LOT better.

When I'm rich, I plan to fritter away my fortune publishing mini-games and citybook supplements. I'll let you all know when that happens.

 

[JVisgaitis]

I'm surprised no 3rd party companies have jumped on the pre-painted plastic miniatures yet, it seems like it would be profitable, especially if someone offered a packaging method that was a bit less random.

I've looked into this a lot. While it sounds great, logistics of it say that the only companies capable of releasing such a product are the ones with the most cash. To create just one mold for a single miniature, you need like $4,000. That doesn't include packaging, shipping, production of the entire run, or paying to get each individual miniature sculpted. If you want to produce a set of 10 of them, you do the math. 3D printing may change a lot of this, but that is a few years off.

That's pretty much the basis for this entire thread and the reason for Ghostwinds comments. RPGs are the easiest to produce and while they aren't excellent money makers, no one likes gambling their house on the next great untested product. That's why you typically only see products such as this from the bigger companies. I have a couple dozen products I would love to release on the market. Unfortunately, its all about the Benjamins...