The New Polyhedron Magazine

[thundershot]

I wonder how FFG is doing with the Horizon series?



Chris

 

[Henry]

Obviously, it's none of my business, and I was a fan of the mini-game concept as much or more than many, but... why would you want to pattern a magazine after a failed magazine?

I can't answer for Russ and the rest, but I can speculate: Mainly for the same reasons that WotC was forced to stick Poly and Dungeon together, and it was OK for Paizo to take them back apart. The concept SOUNDS like its profitable, but only if the overhead's right. Though I wouldn't like to see it in every issue of a magazine, Mini-games are a great concept, and would be worth I think sticking one in the player's journal, say, once a year? But then, I'm waiting for the announcement like everyone else, and have no clue what Russ and Company have in mind.

 

[thundershot]

The announcement's on the front page. I think they should do one mini-game a year. Then the other three issues of the year will have some content to supplement the mini-game, and perhaps an adventure. Hmm..yes... I like that idea.


Chris

 

[Ranger REG]

Obviously, it's none of my business, and I was a fan of the mini-game concept as much or more than many, but... why would you want to pattern a magazine after a failed magazine? From a purely business point of view, that seems a bad idea. Particularly since it's so hard to make a go of a magazine in the first place, particularly a game magazine.

Well, to be brutally honest, the magazine had unfair advantages. It was one-half of a combo magazine (married to Dungeon, which have no relation nor connection to Poly), it has less page than what we're paying for, and it got even less toward the end. And it angered Dungeon readers, who were dropping subscriptions like flies. If it was a 100-page magazine, you could not only showcase mini-games, but also provide spaces for articles that would be useful in any d20/d20 Modern games. And more importantly, no angry Dungeon readers. Who needs them?

 

[RangerWickett]

Mr. Cook, if you ever have an idea for a mini-game that, perhaps, would not fit with the current Malhavoc product lines, please, hesitate not a minute to send me an email to propose it for the ENWorld Gamer. Compared to Dungeon/Poly, we have the pseudo~benefit of a smaller customer base, so we can cater to people, many of whom are from this site, who are more into d20 material than just D&D. I think the occasional mini-game will work much better for us than it could have for Paizo, because they had to appeal to the broadest possible denominations of D&D gamers.

I know you're a fan of Firefly, but *grin* Malhavoc is renowned for its fantasy line. So if you ever feel like writing a sci-fi-western-style game article, my email address is RangerWickett@hotmail.com

Respectfully,

 

[herald]

Obviously, it's none of my business, and I was a fan of the mini-game concept as much or more than many, but... why would you want to pattern a magazine after a failed magazine? From a purely business point of view, that seems a bad idea. Particularly since it's so hard to make a go of a magazine in the first place, particularly a game magazine.

That's a pretty good point. But I have to say, I really liked the concept of the Mini-games because it showed people how to stretch the materials they might already have at thier disposal and have a really good time.

I would seriously consider subscribing to a new mag if that was one of the things it contributed.

 

[Dana_Jorgensen]

Obviously, it's none of my business, and I was a fan of the mini-game concept as much or more than many, but... why would you want to pattern a magazine after a failed magazine? From a purely business point of view, that seems a bad idea. Particularly since it's so hard to make a go of a magazine in the first place, particularly a game magazine.

To be honest, the mini-game model itself isn't a failure. the presentation of mini-games in wargaming magazines is a long standing tradition.It seems to me that the real cause for failure was a lack of support; never revisiting the old mini-games while constantly pumping out yet more, which would always inevitably end up flawed due to a lack of space.

Now a magazine dedicated to minigames, which dedicates a fair amount of space each issue on articles that flesh out minigames from earlier issues, that very well could be successful. Valent Games is in the midst of a run of minigame magazine, in which they do essentially the same thing as Polyhedron did. Let's hope they don't make the same "no support" mistake.

 

[beverson]

Mr. Cook, if you ever have an idea for a mini-game that, perhaps, would not fit with the current Malhavoc product lines, please, hesitate not a minute to send me an email to propose it for the ENWorld Gamer. Compared to Dungeon/Poly, we have the pseudo~benefit of a smaller customer base, so we can cater to people, many of whom are from this site, who are more into d20 material than just D&D. I think the occasional mini-game will work much better for us than it could have for Paizo, because they had to appeal to the broadest possible denominations of D&D gamers.

I know you're a fan of Firefly, but *grin* Malhavoc is renowned for its fantasy line. So if you ever feel like writing a sci-fi-western-style game article, my email address is RangerWickett@hotmail.com

Respectfully,

At the risk of sounding like a drooling fanboy (wipes chin), I second this motion. Any time the great Monte Cook would like to write a mini-game, then I will be lined up with money in hand to purchase it.

 

[Ranger REG]

Come to think of it, I don't recall if Dungeon/Poly ever published a mini-game by Monte Cook. I've seen (at least) one of Chris Pramas, a few of David Noonan's, a few Andy Collins's, one of Jonathan Tweet's, a couple of Rich Redman's ... did I miss anybody?

 

[scourger]

which mini-games work

The mini-games that work are based on d20 (D&D), not d20 Modern. The early ones in Dungoen/Polyhedron were of this model, culminating in the awesome Omega World (followed by the very good V for Victory). The subsequent mini-games in that magazine were based on d20 Modern, and were less useful to fewer people. They split their own market with the same periodical trying to provide D&D adventures, d20 Modern mini-games, Star Wars support, etc.

I will miss Polyhedron, but there are plenty of other publishers printing mini-games that work. FFG's Horizon line will enjoy similar success for similar reasons. They focus on mini-games that are based on d20 (D&D) rules. They work. Valent Games Mini Game Magazine and Steampower Publishing Gates of Troy should also do well.