From: Alex Ferguson (abf@cs.ucc.ie)
Date: Mon 10 Aug 1998 - 02:18:09 EEST
Brian Tickler wonders which we'd buy first of:
> 1. Hero Wars box set with rules and entry-level basic scenario
> 2. Reprint of RQ2 Pavis box set bundled with a new RQ scenario book for Pavis
> Let's assume here that you haven't photocopied the Pavis boxed set. Ok,
In the context of people on this list, you may possibly be correct. But
which would sell more off, from a 4000 copy print run, to the great
unwashed out there? (Unless we all buy 8 copies, of course.)
> I'll admit that Hero Wars will sell, but it will be as a heroquesting
> supplement to RQ...new consumers seem, well, unlikely...
If that's true, then Glorantha is a dead durulz in the not-so-long term,
either way. That being so, why is it going to be worth Issaries, Inc's
while trying to go the enormously unlikely looking RQ route? Are you
_seriously_ suggesting that they flush the work commissioned on HW,
spend what one can only speculate is likely to be an enormous quantity
of cash to regain the IPR[*], and hope against hope that a warmed-over
version of a 20-year old game will do what a new system won't?
It's true that some people will buy HW material as RQ supplements.
And what's the harm in that? Given that the market is even as we
speak fragmenting in terms of rules systems (RQ2, RQ3, RQ4-ish, PDP,
Harn, GURPS -- please forgive me if I've forgotten anyone's
favourites), then churning out "rules-lite" material is an excellent
way to go. (And some of them will exactly me rules-_free_, IIUC.)
Slainte,
Alex.
_____
[*] Maybe this is sheer prejudice, but I can't imagine Hasbro's
lawyers letting them sell a cool-sounding trademark for much this
side of $100,000, just on general principles...
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