Why no Star Wars version of Dungeon?

[HellHound]

Thanks for posting that update from Gary, wingsandswords.

 

[satori01]

I would buy a Star Wars RPG "dungeon" magazine in a heart beat.
Perhaps Paizo should consider doing a stand alone Star Wars dungeon issue. Given that the only module for the WOTC Star Wars RPG starts at 7th level, a dungeon style magazine with 2 low level adventures and one medium level adventure would be great.

That is one of my pet peeves about how WOTC has handled the Star Wars license, billions of supplements, but almost no adventures. WOTC was at least smart enough to create an epic module for Wheel of Time, which I would almost bet anyone who considered running the WOT RPG bought the WOT module.

It would make good financial sense that when introducing a new and strange game to your audience of principly D&D players to make it as easy a possible to play the new line.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

I'd just like to see Modern or Future adventures in Dungeon. But that'll never happen.

Dangit.

 

[Pramas]

Gary Sarli (a.k.a. WizO the Hutt) posted a highly informative, insightful, and semi-insider look at why the RPG has been dormant recently: http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6769372&postcount=723

While Gary is correct that there is a limit on how many books can be done per year, he is incorrect in thinking that the minis count against this. I was involved in the early efforts to do Star Wars minis at WotC and that limitation was specifically for the RPG material. At the time we were planning to do four different games (a mass market oriented fighter combat game and then scaled up fleet version for the hobby, plus a skirmish game and then a scaled up mass combat game). While that plan was never followed through, we didn't have to worry about fighting with the RPG folks for release slots, nor did the TCG folks. It's possible the contract has changed, but I doubt it.

 

[SWBaxter]

I thought that there was nothing forthcoming in the line. I mean it hasn't been declared dead or anything, but does the SWRPG actually do well?

I think it did well by "RPG-other-than-D&D" standards, but not well enough by Hasbro/Lucasart standards. I suspect that if the RPG is ever going to see a revival, it'll be via the minis game.

 

[wingsandsword]

While Gary is correct that there is a limit on how many books can be done per year, he is incorrect in thinking that the minis count against this. I was involved in the early efforts to do Star Wars minis at WotC and that limitation was specifically for the RPG material. At the time we were planning to do four different games (a mass market oriented fighter combat game and then scaled up fleet version for the hobby, plus a skirmish game and then a scaled up mass combat game). While that plan was never followed through, we didn't have to worry about fighting with the RPG folks for release slots, nor did the TCG folks. It's possible the contract has changed, but I doubt it.

Weren't the early Star Wars minis from WotC metal blister packs?

Perhaps the current collectable minis are different, since they include a d20, rules, and are their own self contained game with their own rules, and even their own books including scenarios for playing in the Star Wars universe.

If they have a minimum number of products they must make, something they are doing with the minis must be counting towards that limit.

 

[kenobi65]

I would buy a Star Wars RPG "dungeon" magazine in a heart beat.
Perhaps Paizo should consider doing a stand alone Star Wars dungeon issue.

And all the Dungeon readers who were annoyed by the Polyhedron "side" of Dungeon containing anything other than pure D&D material would scream blue bloody murder.

 

[wingsandsword]

I think it did well by "RPG-other-than-D&D" standards, but not well enough by Hasbro/Lucasart standards. I suspect that if the RPG is ever going to see a revival, it'll be via the minis game.

I don't buy that explanation.

WotC knows how much licensed RPG's sell, and how not all games sell as well as D&D. They have the Wheel of Time RPG and the d20 Call of Cthuhlu as reference here, (as well as knowing how well original d6 Star Wars RPG sold almost certainly). They also actively support an RPG line that sells far less than Star Wars did at it's peak: d20 Modern. They still produce suppliments for it even nobody would consider it to be in the same league as D&D.

Lucasfilm (Lucasarts is just their computer/video game arm) is also no dummy. They know exactly how well the original d6 RPG sold, and it's pretty clear the d20 version sold far better. RPG material might not sell remarkably well compared to novels, but if you'll notice that Star Wars RPG books have always been a little more expensive than comparable other RPG books, WotC has always been willing to pass along that cost, so the licensing fees and royalties (what LFL wants) always get passed along to the consumers.

Every FLGS owner I've talked to has told me that when it was in full production, the SWRPG was about the #2 RPG in the entire industry, outselling all of White Wolf's products and all 3rd party/d20/OGL and even non-d20 stuff. It didn't have the utter ubiquitousness that D&D had, but WotC knows that D&D is something special in terms of RPG's, and nothing else will touch it.

Now, if Paizo decided to make a Dungeon Special Issue focusing on Star Wars, I'd be first on line to buy it, but it's not too likely.

 

[Arnwyn]

Is Star Wars itself not as popular as D&D when it comes to RPGs?

That's the one. (Did that even need to be questioned?)

 

[Erik Mona]

Now, if Paizo decided to make a Dungeon Special Issue focusing on Star Wars, I'd be first on line to buy it, but it's not too likely.

It's worse than that. It's impossible. We don't have the rights to do a Star Wars magazine, so apart from any discussion of whether or not such a magazine could possibly be profitable, it's just not something we can even consider.

--Erik