RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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5) Put the entire back-catalog of classic PDFs up for sale again; see if I can arrange POD sales.
See, this is what soured me the most to WotC. I've no interest in 4E, but would like to have 3e books on PDF, and get some of those older classics to revise and revamp.
Sorry Drogon, I can't agree- a new Local Flagship may be part of this restructuring, but when distributors stop flogging a dead horse and won't ship any stock to you, because you can't pay your invoices, then it amounts to little more then folding out a lounge chair on the Titanic. I expect that if Borders does make it though the next few years, it'll be a ghost of itself, probably a few regional outlets. Books-a-Million (#3) may be taking a beating, but they've been pragmatic enough to ally themselves with the B&N Nook and haven't lost the faith of distributors like Borders has managed to do.If your wife's store can hold out, I don't think Borders will be a problem for much longer. The chain is in dire financial straits, and has tried to sell itself off on numerous occasions (even B&N won't touch it with a barge pole). In the medium term, I expect it to close it's doors. It will suck for the Publishing Industry, but frankly, it's just not "too big to fail".Once again the different voices in my head rejoice and mourn, both at the same time.
As much as I hate to see bookstores fail, the publishing industry has been undergoing drastic revisions in how they do business for some time. Borders (and, hopefully, B&N brick and mortar stores) doesn't cut the mustard. I will not be unhappy to see them leave due to the reasons Dragonsong and I have pointed out.
However, I have doubts that a company that recently opened up a brand-new flagship store in a major mall near me will fail completely. Borders, too, will be around after figuring things out, I'm sure.
Just an update since my last post here:
Well, Borders filed for Bankruptcy- just got back from the closeout sale at my local Store. Only 20% most of their stuff- making it comparable with Amazon, so I passed on a lot of it. The one interesting thing was the Gaming Section. It had been pretty much picked over (even the Map Packs and old heroclix were all snapped up), apart from a full shelf of new 4E and one beat up copy of Pathfinder. I hope Drogon's Wife is weathering the storm okay!
My friendly local game store which I'd been frequenting for 22 years closed over Christmas so I've now had to switch to getting my Knights of the Dinner Table fix through Paizo. I used to always find something to buy there but recently I'd found that I wasn't that interested in the 4E stuff and was buying more reduced stock and boardgames from there than anything else. Guess that explains why they bit the dust.
At a recent convention here in the UK the Bring & Buy stall did a brisk trade in 3.5. There were only a couple of Pathfinder game aids out (which I grabbed: map packs and item cards)but tons of 4E books being offloaded.
Realistically, I don't think Paizo has the money to buy the D&D brand. That would cost a lot. I could be wrong, but I don't think they have the capital.
Added to that, I'm not sure what that buys them.
1) It buys them brand awareness, which is huge for D&D, Pathfinder is only known in RPG circles and even then... not so much. I'm still educating people (who played Living FR) and have to call Pathfinder D&D 3.6.
The brand recognition might be useful in 6-8 years when a new version of PF comes out, until then, not so much.
2) Being able to use some iconic 3.5 monsters would be nice, but I'm not sure it adds anything to their bottom line.
So the bottom line is that I don't think it buys Paizo anything to purchase the D&D brand. Maybe in 6 years after the brand has devalued itself more.
I don´t think that WotC will sell D&D - ever. They might just shelve it, but I´m quite sure that they won´t sell it. Even if they would, I think paizo would neither have the money nor the inclination to buy it. Especially the inclination part is important here - paizo is quite happy with Pathfinder and developing Golarion. D&D would come with a ton of baggage, like old settings, with fans clamoring to revive *insert setting here*. I don´t think that paizo would even want to do that, even if they had the manpower to treat the various settings adequately. The various settings were one reason that broke TSRs back. Furthermore, if they were to discontinue 4e, the fans of that rule version would be irate, and if they discontinued 3.x/PF, the fans of that would be irate. Buying D&D would be too big and it would be impossible to satisy the customers, who have shown themselves in the past to be a very picky bunch. Paizo would lose on this in various ways.
Stefan
I would like to see Pazio gain the D&D property(not WotC....just D&D) because I see Pathfinder being D&D. It make sense to my sense of justice and truth. I would love it if my Pathfinders books said Dungeon & Dragons:Pathfinder.
I would also love to see Pazio be able to take things from all the old lore and make it fresh and new....but also respecting that lore. I think they could do a great job at it.
Is it likely to happen...I don't know. So Hasbro has never sold a IP....that does not mean it won't happen. It might be unlikely...but just because they never has done it before does not mean anything really.
Anyway speculation is fun.
I still think Ryan Dancey is still spot on: this is the last edition of D&D we'll see in print. My guess: WotC isn't going to sell but they are going to do 5E in 2013 with an announcement in 2012. If it is book formatted, it'll only be available via iPad/Android Tablet. But I'm more guessing it'll just be an MMO. They'll team up with an actual MMO company (not someone like atari) and D&D will just be a computer game. They'll need very little staff since they're just managing the brand (approving/disappoving whatever the company does).
Done like that D&D could be a very big money making machine for them. Minimal staff, minimal risk, lots of royalty checks.
I do miss the beholder though.
Nobody stops you from including them in your home game. Just sayin´. I know it is not quite the same as having them in the official rules, but other than that, it is no problem.
And no matter how many times I rebuke them, my kids and their friends still call Pathinder "D&D". To them it is "D&D". I do miss the beholder though.
Don't rebuke them: they've got it right.
D&D is bigger than a game system!
-The Gneech
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All I know is after going to 4 flag stores. trying to find book 1 to kingmaker . All the store manages told me Pathfinder was still selling well. But 4E they stoped ordering becous they could not sell what was on the shelf. They wold order new 4E products but not old ones. IMO thats a good thing.
As a player and a DM/GM. The first thing I try and do is brake the system. If I can brake it in the first try. I will never play the system very long. There are a few systems that I have only played a few time. 4e is not as broken as some, but it's high on my list.
All I know is after going to 4 flag stores. trying to find book 1 to kingmaker . All the store manages told me Pathfinder was still selling well. But 4E they stoped ordering becous they could not sell what was on the shelf. They wold order new 4E products but not old ones. IMO thats a good thing.
The 4e players I'm familiar with stopped buying from local game stores long ago. They buy from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Borders, or they subscribe to DDI instead of purchasing new books.
And no matter what you might think, the prospect of the RPG industry leader and the only widely recognized brand in the industry (and thus the biggest gateway into the hobby) doing poorly would be a very, very bad thing for Pathfinder.
As a player and a DM/GM. The first thing I try and do is brake the system. If I can brake it in the first try. I will never play the system very long. There are a few systems that I have only played a few time. 4e is not as broken as some, but it's high on my list.
I'd be very curious to hear about how you were able to break 4e over in the 4e sub-forum.
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I would like to see Pazio gain the D&D property(not WotC....just D&D) because I see Pathfinder being D&D.
My opinion...Paizo doesn't need the D&D brand. The only thing that it really has over Pathfinder at this point is name recognition among non-gamers. And it also still carries several stigmas, whether it be that it's an evil game played by Satan-worshipers, or that it's for geeks and nerds.
Among people who actually play RPGs, I'd wager that Pathfinder is pretty well-known. Really, the only thing I can see being added with the acquisition of the D&D brand name would be the ability to use WotC IP such as mind flayers, beholders, some of the demon lords, etc. While that would be cool, it wouldn't be worth the millions Paizo would have to pay. And some would either go unsupported, or would have to be awkwardly shoehorned into Golarion.
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I do miss the beholder though.Nobody stops you from including them in your home game. Just sayin´. I know it is not quite the same as having them in the official rules, but other than that, it is no problem.
I dunno why there seems to be such an opposition to the mere idea of using 3.X material in Pathfinder. After all, wasn't that largely the point of making it so backwards compatible?
I actually sold off most of my WotC 3.X books. Know what I kept? The Monster Manuals.
I do miss the beholder though.Nobody stops you from including them in your home game. Just sayin´. I know it is not quite the same as having them in the official rules, but other than that, it is no problem.I dunno why there seems to be such an opposition to the mere idea of using 3.X material in Pathfinder. After all, wasn't that largely the point of making it so backwards compatible?
I actually sold off most of my WotC 3.X books. Know what I kept? The Monster Manuals.
Yes, thank you!
It's not like Paizo are shy about Pathfinder being compatible with 'the world's most popular role-playing game.' It's not even that hard to find second hand copies of most of the books.
Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing the D&D name disappear. Heresy, maybe, but I don't think we'd lose much from the game. Besides, it was always a silly name.
Oh, I'm gonna get stoned for this...
I want to second firbolg's comment about the Borders sale with my own anecdote:
I visited my local Borders today with two gift cards given as birthday presents in hand, for a total of $30 spending power. I checked out fiction briefly, but then went right for the gaming section. There were two whole shelves full of 4E stuff, almost every title you would want or need, all still there.
The other RPG systems had been wiped out. There was 1 Exalted book, 1 World of Darkness, nothing from the TV show-based systems they used to carry (Firefly, Buffy come to mind) ... and exactly 2 Pathfinder books remaining: the Gamemastery Guide and the Advanced Player's Guide.
So, I am now the proud owner of an APG. :)
It was interesting to see that even 20% off, 4E stuff is still waiting for new owners.
For what it's worth, I don't really care whether Paizo ever gets involved with D&D, but I doubt WotC or Hasbro will ever let it go unless they both simply cease to exist.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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I want to second firbolg's comment about the Borders sale with my own anecdote:
<snip>
Along these lines, my trip to 1/2 priced books monday showed me lots of Battletech stuff, (all of which I had) tons of 3/x and 3PP stuff, and 4x stuff including a bunch of cards and powers packs, unopened.
not a Paizo product among them.
One sad thing
I would like to see Pazio gain the D&D property(not WotC....just D&D) because I see Pathfinder being D&D.My opinion...Paizo doesn't need the D&D brand. The only thing that it really has over Pathfinder at this point is name recognition among non-gamers. And it also still carries several stigmas, whether it be that it's an evil game played by Satan-worshipers, or that it's for geeks and nerds.
Among people who actually play RPGs, I'd wager that Pathfinder is pretty well-known. Really, the only thing I can see being added with the acquisition of the D&D brand name would be the ability to use WotC IP such as mind flayers, beholders, some of the demon lords, etc. While that would be cool, it wouldn't be worth the millions Paizo would have to pay. And some would either go unsupported, or would have to be awkwardly shoehorned into Golarion.
I agree Pazio does not need it. And even if Hasbro was to sell it...I would not be sure it would be best for Pazio to buy it...but I can dream can't I?
I also disagree with the negative stigma attached to D&D in both cases( it is satan whorshipping and/or for geeks and nerds)...as it has spread to other RPGs...but has really grown quieter over the years...remember BADD no longer exists...I think it is passing and becoming more acceptable form of pass time.
Don't worry, it will only take 1 disturbed individual to state <insert popular RPG game name here> was the cause behind killing someone, or related activity, to get the evil game, satan-worshiper discussions started again.
Don't worry, it will only take 1 disturbed individual to state <insert popular RPG game name here> was the cause behind killing someone, or related activity, to get the evil game, satan-worshiper discussions started again.
It's pretty much proven that games, video games, or music doesn't make anyone do horrible things. I think that's pretty much common knowledge.
Don't worry, it will only take 1 disturbed individual to state <insert popular RPG game name here> was the cause behind killing someone, or related activity, to get the evil game, satan-worshiper discussions started again.It's pretty much proven that games, video games, or music doesn't make anyone do horrible things. I think that's pretty much common knowledge.
I wish. If a young man runs amok, so-called killer games are nearly always mentioned in the press (if the guy played them), and it is implied that they are one (if not the only) reason. Granted, this is mostly tabloid-style press, but they are widely read.
Stefan
Don't worry, it will only take 1 disturbed individual to state <insert popular RPG game name here> was the cause behind killing someone, or related activity, to get the evil game, satan-worshiper discussions started again.It's pretty much proven that games, video games, or music doesn't make anyone do horrible things. I think that's pretty much common knowledge.
True but I have find common knowledge is much like common sense in which it is not very common.