Success of d20?

[Allister]

I'm kind of curious to know how the d20 trend has affected companies.

Questions:
Have companies been able to move more product?

How much product do they think they can move by slapping a d20 logo on a product?

Is it a significant difference between their inhouse games and their d20 games in terms of revenue?

When do they think the d20 boom will end?

Are any of these companies using their revenues to infuse their non-d20 line?

A couple of un-related questions.
1. What exactly happened to Judges Guild that caused them to disappear from the scene for a while? Was it internal or external factors?

2. Was it FASA that was formerly a AD&D 3rd party producer who used those profits to make Shadowrun? If so, are any of the d20 companies hoping that lighning will strike twice?

 

[Christian Walker]

Have companies been able to move more product?


When Scrollworks was a GURPS rag, I could barely give the thing away. Now that it serves d20, it's got a new lease on life. Heck, I even pay people to help me publish it.


How much product do they think they can move by slapping a d20 logo on a product?


Personally, I've moved a lot more, 'though I think many would object to the term "slapping a d20 logo on a product."



When do they think the d20 boom will end?


There is a very low entry barrier to d20 publishing. As long as the OGL/d20 STL is in effect, you will continue seeing new 3E material.

Game on,
Christian Walker

 

[trancejeremy]

AFAIK, Fasa never put out AD&D products. They put out Traveller products. But Shadowrun was long after that ended. 6-7 years, I think.

I think FASA's first big hit was Battletech. They also had the Star Trek role playing game, and I think a couple others.

 

[Sulimo]

On a not-unrelated note, I must admit I'm curious what effect the d20 wave is having on those publishers that arent involved in it.

Have their sales declined because they arent publishing d20 product?

 

[Ranger REG]

2. Was it FASA that was formerly a AD&D 3rd party producer who used those profits to make Shadowrun? If so, are any of the d20 companies hoping that lighning will strike twice?

Actually it was Mayfair Games, that once produced AD&D supplements from Demons and Devils to Dark Elves and I believe a magical treasure (weapons, armor, items) supplement that I once had but misplaced it and forever lost.

 

[EricNoah]

Unfortunately I don't think we're likely to get a lot of solid data because who likes to discuss their finances in public? Who wants to tell the world that they're in trouble financially? Everyone's going to say "it's going great" right up to the bitter end. I mean really, if a company comes out and says, "We're really in trouble here," that only makes me less likely to buy from them because I can't be guaranteed customer service or new products in the future.

 

[Crothian]

Is there an industry magazine or something like that that list top ten companies or top ten products or anything like that? That might at least tell us something to answer the questions.

 

[Abashima Press]

Is there an industry magazine or something like that that list top ten companies or top ten products or anything like that? That might at least tell us something to answer the questions.

Diamond, a distributor, has a publication that has a top-ten list, FWIW--which may be nothing, because only looking at one distributor isn't particularly valuable and Diamond charts variety of games, not just RPGs.

Anyway, here's the URL for games:

http://previews.diamondcomics.com/editorial/topten-games.html

 

[Hard8Staff]

Effect of d20 in 2002?

Well, the common "industry" wisdom among retailers, mfrs and distributors is that d20 is dying for most companies. They feel that there will be 3-6 companies standing with the rest out of business and/or publishing only when they scrape up enough money from their day job to publish another money-losing project.

From what I've read and heard among industry insiders this sentiment is near-ubiquitous. (not everyone agrees, but they're clearly in the minority).

Personally, I think they're mistaken. I believe d20 will continue to be a force for some time to come with plenty of companies finding ways to make money off of it, but few being really successful (there just aren't enough dollars to go around for everyone). Until a new "fad" hits the industry (at which time only 3-5 will be left standing, the rest washed away by 2 losing products in a row or volutarily quitting for the new fad).

In the short run, consumers will migrate toward brands they know and like (meaning the oldest brands like penumbra, etc., will maintain a strong business -- unless their quality drops).

I have other thoughts, but I'll keep them to myself for now (not because I'm secretive, but because I'm afraid they'd be taken the wrong way and make folks angry).

But who really can say?

David Kenzer

 

[Suzerain]

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