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

[Treebore]

OK, once again I heard publishers questioning the value of the ENnies to their sales. (Denise knows of at least one of whom I am talking about).

There are others. One of whom thinks the ENnies have never helped his sales, even though I know it led to me personally finally checking out his company again, because after trying a few I wasn't excited enough to be a "fan". So I know that in my case his ENnies nomination led me back to his company and sticking around, as a fan now, to go on and buy over 30 of his products.

I also know his company is not the first one the ENnies got me to look at again, or for the first time, and to become a fan and continue to support them from then on.


So in an effort to see if I am just an anomaly, I ask you members of ENWorld (and encourage you to post this question on other message boards) to once again talk about what, if any, effect the ENnies have had on companies that have been nominated, outside of the "big guys", which this year are considered to be WOTC and Paizo.

So please answer the poll questions and post any comments you feel you need to in order to show the ENnies do help. I don't think we need any ENnies bashing since enough people already seem to be convinced the ENnies are a waste of time.

As for me I know that Green Ronin, Catalyst Games, FFG, the makers of Qin:Warring States and Starblazers, Tabletop Games, several makers of gaming accessories and mini's, and others can thank the ENnies for sales to me, as well as getting me to take a look at other games.

Heck, with so many ENnies nominations over the years I have not only been looking at White Wolf's house games, but I am getting closer than ever to actually buying some stuff. Especially Geist, right now.

So what has the ENnies gotten you to look at, and most importantly to the publishers, to buy?

 

[Mark]

I know Box Ninja is getting some good vibes about 3:16 and Gregor Hutton, the author and company owner, got to sit in the front row with Jim of RPG Haven fame. Sales will surely follow.

 

[JediSoth]

Were it not for the ENnies, I probably would have never taken a look at Dark Heresy. In general, I don't play Fantasy Flight's boardgames (though they look like they're all very well made), and until I saw Dark Heresy, I didn't even know they published RPGs (didn't they release some 3.0 compatible stuff in the early days of 3.X?). I assumed everything to know about Warhammer 40K was that it was a miniatures game with too-expensive miniatures.

Now I'm jonesing to play/run a Dark Heresy game. As I said at CM--Exploding eyeballs, melting skin, and chain swords: I :heart: YOU.

It's probably not a source of revenue, but it wasn't until we started getting podcast submissions that I even started listening to Podcasts. Now some of the nominees are among my favorite things to listen to while I'm at work.

And for the record, as Submissions Coordinator, I don't have to even crack the spines on the books submitted unless I'm double-checking the publication date for eligibility. So yeah, the ENnies exposes me to a lot of games I wouldn't otherwise even know about, and I do tell my friends about them (not that they listen, but that's another issue).

 

[Piratecat]

There are about 15-20 RPG books that I wouldn't have bought were it not for the ENnies. Going through the nominations from past years, here are ENnies nominated products I've purchased or (for newer products) am buying from my local game store as a direct result of the ENnies. This list doesn't include products from years that I've been a judge unless I bought a second copy for someone.

- Dread
- CthulhuTech
- Starblazers
- Shadowrun 4e
- Star Wars Saga
- Monsters and other Childish Things (incl. supplements)
- Slipstream
- Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies
- Dark Heresy
- Song of Ice & Fire
- GUMSHOE products (Pelgrane Press)
- Green Ronin Book of Fiends
- Redhurst: Academy of Magic
- Grimm
- Sidewinder Recoiled
- Freedom City
- Heroes of High Favor
- Spaceship Zero
- Spycraft
- Hollowfaust
- Seven Strongholds

For me, they are superb at sorting out the wheat from the chaff. I can buy just about any item out of the nominees and trust that it's going to catch and hold my interest. That's incredibly valuable to me.

 

[Crothian]

OK, once again I heard publishers questioning the value of the ENnies to their sales.

The ENnies are about highlighting the best published books in a given year. Generating sales is more of a publishers job. I think their are publishers that seem to just think that an ENnie nomination will equal more sales when that is not going to happen. However Publishers that embrace their nominations and advertise that and help the ENnies get more recognition I think will see some sales increase. The smaller the company though the easier it is to notice.

As a judge for 6 of the past 7 years I had all the nominated books for all but that one year. But that one year I did buy some books based solely on an ENnie nomination. This is that list from 2007.

Dawning Star
Hollow Earth Expedition
Five Fingers
Qin
Tales of the Caliphate Nights
Dictionary of Mu
Esoterrorists

 

[Aus_Snow]

I don't always remember where I've heard about a game, especially where I might've heard of it first. But there's one I'm sure about, that the ENnies introduced me to, and that I later bought: Artesia. Glad about that, too. If only I could keep track of this kind of thing better, there might be another one or two. . .

 

[coyote6]

I bought Qin largely because of the ENnies, and I'm going to take another look at 3:16. Oh, and CthulhuTech, when I can afford it.

 

[Morrus]

The ENnies mandate isn't to generate sales - although if they do have that side benefit, then I'm sure nobody will complain.

The ENnies are to award recognition to those who work in the industry. It's a way for the fans and peers to step up and say "Well done! You did a fine job there!" To some people, I'm sure that doesn't matter, but to others it has a value in of itself.

For myself? The ENnies have exposed me to things I'd never have looked at before - even from big mainstream publishers. It may be a tiny industry, but there's a LOT of product out there every year, and a shortlist of things to check out has value to me as a consumer. The fact that that list has been through the process it has - judges nominations then fan voting - gives me confidence that, while I may not agree with every item's place on that list, in general it will be a list of quality stuff. The sheer number of people involved make it more valuable to me than a single reviewer's subjective opinion, for example.

 

[Truth Seeker]

I agree with most statements, about exposure, unlike Origina to which I don't go to.

Seeing new fresh faces making their mark in the gaming community, is a very rewarding moment, cause, it shows, that anyone can try to bring a dream befoe the masses...and let it grow.

And let's be real here...we are in TOUGH TIMES, right now. The value of our spending power is being reshaped as I write this.

And yes, it puts us in unknown waters for the time being. When things improve, the 'sales' will inprove, eventually.

Without the Ennies...the hight chance of NOT meeting any of you....would have been zilch.

Ennies are here to make folks, who are out there, making their games. To be known to the general public, the gaming public at large.

If there were no 'Ennies' now...what would the majority of you would be doing right now?

 

[catsclaw227]

Where is the option for "The Ennies haven't encouraged any purchases, it's interesting but not a purchase motivator"?

I haven't bought anything based on the Ennies, but I have seen many products I like receive Ennies, and I have looked at Ennies winners that I didn't know about previously, but in all honesty, I believe that quality reviews do MUCH more for my purchasing habits than the awards.

Now, I might be the odd-man out, but this year, I felt like many of the nominations were dubious at best and there were some great products that didn't get a nomination.

For example, I am a big purchaser of XRP products, but their Lands of Darkness adventure that got nominated was terrible, and showed a lack of understanding of 4e rules (understandably, it was their first 4e adventure product). And yet, there were multiple, vastly superior 4e modules from Goodman that didn't get nominations.

The past couple of years, for me, the Ennies seemed to have lost their luster.

EDIT: I did buy Artesia based upon the Ennies. I remember doing that.