Pathfinder 1E So what did the ENnies do for publishers besides PAizo and WOTC?

[diaglo]

the ENnie nominations help cull the herd for me.
having been a judge i can safely say there is a lot of stuff out there each year i wouldn't touch with a 10' pole.
but the few pieces worth maybe considering usually get nominated.

it also saves me from having to read fanboi or bitterboy reviews. most reviews are like the products each year. best not written at all. saving both the author and the readers time to do something else.

i bought several of the products this year. and also use at least 1 of the websites.

the winners don't matters much. as that boils down to just a popularity contest. although, i am glad to still go to the show.

 

[Glyfair]

How do they qualify this? Are they asking their customers where they learned about the book and doing other research? Or are they just saying that because customers aren't bringing up the ENnies to them when they buy a book?

If I was a publisher, I would be looking to see if there are any sales spikes between the nomination announcement and shortly after the awards. Of course, reading that can be tricky (and probably extremely challenging for print publishers).

As for me, it hasn't influenced any sales. Of course, my purchases of non-4E products is very low right now (as in, only non-systemic RPG purchases outside of 4E). However, exposure due to ENnie nominations might easily influence a future purchase and I do take a look at nominees and winners to see what I might be missing.

 

[Thunderfoot]

In the past, I would have said not at all - however, as I continue t work with the staff and get more exposure to the awards, I've taken to giving each product a serious look.

This year I can honestly say, if it weren't for the ENnies, I wouldn't have Song of Ice and Fire and I'm going to purchase Mouse Guard which was on the, "Yeah, right" list until GenCon.

I think if a publisher doesn't submit based on projected sales, its a mistake. Having helped sort the early submissions after the con, I can say that some of the publishers save on shipping twice, first by not shipping it back and second by not shipping it to the ENnies, by dropping it off at the booth at GenCon.

Conversely, let me say that WotC did something that they have never done before, they proudly displayed their awards this year. This year, they cleared their display case in the center of their booth, put up their awards and then rebuilt their display around them. Before, they just kind of got stuck wherever they could put them. Also, White Wolf was proud of their nominations and posted them on the wall of their booth, which was an impressive sight. Fantasy Flight and Green Ronin had their medals draping their products the next day, so a win DOES mean something and DID generate interest on the floor, if they crowds around those products were any indication. So, for whatever its worth, there you go.

 

[catsclaw227]

Between the Origins and Ennies awards, I bought Mouse Guard and Monsters and Other Childish Things.

Now, OK.

These here, are two things that I most definitely would/will buy. I've only heard good things about both, and especially Mouse Guard for young children.

So, I will rescind my previous statement. Because of what I have read about Mouse Guard this year, and because Mistwell and others have mentioned about Monsters and Other Childish Things (a 2008 Ennies nominee for BEST GAME for begeebus-sake), and in these past few days since the Ennies results, I have come to determine that the Ennies may have just convinced me to buy a product. But it's not what you think...

I have lost the internet. But have come out of it a better man.

Basically, I am saying that I don't know where I've read ANYTHING bad about these two products... (Mouse Guard, Monsters and Other Childish Things) not on any podcast, or thread-rant, or beard-scratching rpg pundit's review, nor on any bloggy blog, or any tweety-tweet, or someone's "my facespace" snippet.

Only good, only praise for these two. OK -- so I will get them. I commit here and now.

I have lost the internet, but come out of it a better man. Sometimes, it's a good idea to take an opposing idea and try to connect with it.

</end pop-psychology>

Back to Gaming.

Ok, so since I am going to commit to some Ennies nods, add in 3:16 too... that looks cool and I have not ever been successful at DMing hard space campaigns. Will 3:16 make me want to try? Maybe....



Maybe.

 

[catsclaw227]

This year I can honestly say, if it weren't for the ENnies, I wouldn't have Song of Ice and Fire and I'm going to purchase Mouse Guard which was on the, "Yeah, right" list until GenCon.

<snip>

Fantasy Flight and Green Ronin had their medals draping their products the next day, so a win DOES mean something and DID generate interest on the floor, if they crowds around those products were any indication. So, for whatever its worth, there you go.

OK -- I just conceded that Mouse Guard was brought to me by the Ennies, after my bold claim that the Ennies "didn't affect my purchases.".

Hogwash. My tune has been changed.

But regarding FFG and Green Ronin, these are established companies. NOT having Ennies nominated or even winning awards is a bad thing. I have always seen these companies displaying and referring to Ennies award noms or wins as part of their product write-up, and they should. It's part of doing business.

Do I think that Ennies wins increase sales? Geez, if that's the REAL question, then I say maybe, maybe not.... but I have NO idea. Does it?

(3PP chime in here.... )

In my experience as a consumer, an established 3PP can turn an Ennies win into increased product sales, but a new, small imprint still has to work harder to get to the consumer (me).

[the Ennies DID tell me about 3:16... ]

 

[C.W.Richeson]

Now, OK.

These here, are two things that I most definitely would/will buy. I've only heard good things about both, and especially Mouse Guard for young children.

Just an FYI, Mouse Guard isn't a children's game. Which isn't a comment about what children should have, but that the content is aimed at adults and the system remains somewhat involved despite being much simpler than Burning Wheel. I believe the cute mice have caused a misconception about the game. It's about medieval life being even harder when you're a mouse and everything is so big, and valor being even more amazing.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Just an FYI, Mouse Guard isn't a children's game. Which isn't a comment about what children should have, but that the content is aimed at adults and the system remains somewhat involved despite being much simpler than Burning Wheel. I believe the cute mice have caused a misconception about the game. It's about medieval life being even harder when you're a mouse and everything is so big, and valor being even more amazing.

True, but the emphasis on teamwork and overcoming obstacles (as opposed to killing things and taking their stuff) might make for a good introduction to gaming for younger players (as opposed to small children). And the conflict system is pretty easy, especially if you use index cards or something for the tactical options.

 

[Pramas]

I agree that the ENnies are not primarily about generating sales. That said, they can and have. Basically, the ENnies give you multiple ways to market your stuff. When the nominees are announced, you can tout the nods you receive. A few weeks later you can do so again if you win any awards. Then there's direct marketing at GenCon, both before and after the ceremony. Finally, reprints of winning products can have added sales text and/or logos promoting wins. That's four potential marketing opportunities, any of which can net you additional sales.

 

[catsclaw227]

True, but the emphasis on teamwork and overcoming obstacles (as opposed to killing things and taking their stuff) might make for a good introduction to gaming for younger players (as opposed to small children). And the conflict system is pretty easy, especially if you use index cards or something for the tactical options.

And this is what I meant about using it as a way to bring young players into role-playing. It seems to be less about killing stuff and more about interaction.

 

[jaerdaph]

Between the Origins and Ennies awards, I bought Mouse Guard and Monsters and Other Childish Things.

This is *exactly* what I see as the value of the ENnies, especially for smaller publishers that aren't WotC/Paizo/Green Ronin/White Wolf*. Even if they don't win, the nomination alone gets people to look at their product.

I suggested Monsters and Other Childish things last year in a thread asking for suggestions of what ENnie judges shouldn't miss. One of the judges (Crothian, I believe) mentioned how impressed he was with it and wouldn't have seen it otherwise if he hadn't been a judge, and it ended up getting an ENnie nomination, where a lot of other people saw it for the first time.

Edit: *I'm only mentioning these companies in a lump like this because they win a lot of (well-deserved IMHO) ENnies.