I never understood the Skywalker effect. Especially back in the old WEG days, the universe was so big and undefined that the DM could largely do what they wanted. Who cares if they’re not defeating Vader or Tarkin? That story was already told so let’s do something different.
And Timothy Zahn has stated that the continuity source he was pointed to by LFL was the RPG line by WEG.Skywalker effect saved Star Wars.
The revival really started with Heir to the Empire.
And Timothy Zahn has stated that the continuity source he was pointed to by LFL was the RPG line by WEG.
The RPG was also several years old, and a top 10 RPG seller, available not just in the hobby market, but also in mainstream toy stores and book stores. By 1989, when Timothy Zahn was writing, Star Wars had more shelf space than any non-D&D game. Second edition was in the works, and was informed a lot by Zahn's novels, too, advancing the setting to the post-rebellion New Republic.
WEG also had a lot of buyers in those book stores who weren't playing the game. Not a majority, but enough to be notable.
I'm half expecting FFG née Asmodee to get permission to rerelease more of the WEG materials; all the IP belongs to Disney either way. I like FFG's characters and dice better, but WEG's much better with the vehicle rules and ease of initiating play.I know about Zahn getting the RPG material.
Pre HttE though Star Wars was functionally dead. The RPG was the only thing producing content.
It was still smaller than D&D and the entire RPG market in the grand scheme of things doesn't matter even now.
Fun story I got a large chunk of my collection from one of the WEG authors. I asked an eBay seller if he posted to NZ.
Turns out he had just been here and loved it so he sent it to me postage free costing him slightly more than I paid for it. Signed some of the books and aquired a lot of the Saga books from him for the price of All Black Jerseys.
Picked up a lot of books for $1-$8 around 2004. The only ones worth much were the rarities and Jedi/space ship stuff.
Grabbed KoToR and Starships of the Galaxy asap due to this for SWSE and they are a bit pricey now.
I'm half expecting FFG née Asmodee to get permission to rerelease more of the WEG materials; all the IP belongs to Disney either way. I like FFG's characters and dice better, but WEG's much better with the vehicle rules and ease of initiating play.
I'd lay odds that a well handled rerelease would do a fair bit of sales.
OTOH, if one wants just the rules mechanics, d6 Space is still available.
Skywalker effect saved Star Wars.
The revival really started with Heir to the Empire.
Doesn't mean you can't tell other stories but for mass market yeah. Force Awakens 2 billion dollars, sure it had nothing to do with Han/Luke/Leia returning same as 1991 with Heir to the Empire.