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Company after company appear to be winding down popular and successful D20 Dungeons and Dragons lines. While there's always the urge to be up ahead with the current trends, do they really think that everyone's going to drop 3rd Edition D&D like a hot potato come the summer?
Even if 4th Edition D&D is as good as Wizards seem to think it will be, it's going to take time to percolate through the gaming community; while a lot of people remain ready to be convinced that the switch is worthwile at all.
Please, publishers, do not slam the door shut...
I think what you are seeing is the "time to market" pressure. Many in business believe that if you lag behind your competition you will lose market share. The ones that are switching over to 4E see 3E as a losing bet for the long haul. Given those two dynamics it seems inevitable that publishers are looking to switch sooner rather than later or risk becoming niche publishers.
I miss the days where everyone simply had their own game. I recognize the opportunities the OGL offered. But looking at the situation now....I miss the individuality of companies.
Example, I play Top Secret/S.I., a game system unto itself. Now, if I want to play something similiar, I have to play Spycraft or basically D&D with spies. Oh, I'm sure something else is out there, but at the very least, it isn't in the forefront for me to see. Way to much d20 for me. When I buy another game, I don't want to feel like I am playing a D&D revised version in another setting, or a D&D revised fantasy setting/game.
I did see one company who had a full page as in Kobold Quarterly that indicated that they will continue to support 3E. I wish I could remember the company in question but I did notice that they used a "pirate" image in the ad and I'm a sucker for pirates.
Contributor
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I did see one company who had a full page as in Kobold Quarterly that indicated that they will continue to support 3E. I wish I could remember the company in question but I did notice that they used a "pirate" image in the ad and I'm a sucker for pirates.
That company is Dark Vistas. Unfortunately, I can't tell you anything else about them, but I have high hopes.
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Company after company appear to be winding down popular and successful D20 Dungeons and Dragons lines. While there's always the urge to be up ahead with the current trends, do they really think that everyone's going to drop 3rd Edition D&D like a hot potato come the summer?
Given that many of the 4E nay-sayers claim that "I've got enough 1st/2nd/3rd edition rules and adventures, that I can play from now till Doomsday, without buying a single new product", you can hardly blame publishers for thinking that it's time to move on...
I think we'll see a lot of product that's edition-neutral. Battlemats, map books, floorplans, etc, can be used by any group, while they finish off their current campaigns, read the new rules and decide if they're going to switch.
Example, I play Top Secret/S.I., a game system unto itself. Now, if I want to play something similiar, I have to play Spycraft or basically D&D with spies. Oh, I'm sure something else is out there, but at the very least, it isn't in the forefront for me to see.
I've heard good things about Wilderness of Mirrors, by John Wick.
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Shameless plug: www.pactmagic.com
That does indeed look like a very fine product, and quite a labour of love. It looks like it could serve as the theme for a whole campaign.
Don't worry about your plug being shameless. If it were me, I'd be sticking that url code on every forum I could find.
The artist looks very familiar. What else has he done?
I did see one company who had a full page as in Kobold Quarterly that indicated that they will continue to support 3E. I wish I could remember the company in question but I did notice that they used a "pirate" image in the ad and I'm a sucker for pirates.
Yep. I saw that ad too. And I KNOW they are going to keep supporting 3.5 long long after the edition switch. I cannot say more yet, as the company is just getting on its feet.
My bet is they won't be the only ones continuing to support 3.5 though. Never fear.
-- Sales for 3E are WAY down (according to Morrus at EN-World), and pre-orders for 4th Edition on Amazon are WAY up. What does that say? Just 2 weeks ago I released Secrets of Pact Magic. Every reader's review has been glowing. But can I get people to buy? Even with an incentive discount on the 4E version? Not really. (Shameless plug: www.pactmagic.com).
Well, i must say this simply looks awesome! Shameless plug was a good idea, as I think i'll pick this up as soon as the wallet warrants it. (Which is soon. Very soon.)
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I think what you are seeing is the "time to market" pressure. Many in business believe that if you lag behind your competition you will lose market share. The ones that are switching over to 4E see 3E as a losing bet for the long haul. Given those two dynamics it seems inevitable that publishers are looking to switch sooner rather than later or risk becoming niche publishers.
Sure, it makes a lot of sense from a financial point of view.
However, is it really necessary to remove the 3.5 items you still have in stock out of your online shop inventory like mongoose is doing right now, for instance ?
I understand that you stop making new ones, that you don't reprint the old ones, but ...
I think what you are seeing is the "time to market" pressure. Many in business believe that if you lag behind your competition you will lose market share. The ones that are switching over to 4E see 3E as a losing bet for the long haul. Given those two dynamics it seems inevitable that publishers are looking to switch sooner rather than later or risk becoming niche publishers.Sure, it makes a lot of sense from a financial point of view.
However, is it really necessary to remove the 3.5 items you still have in stock out of your online shop inventory like mongoose is doing right now, for instance ?
I understand that you stop making new ones, that you don't reprint the old ones, but ...
It all depends on if you material is moving fast enough to justify inventory expenses. It could very well be that Moongoose's best move from an economic standpoint is to purge their stock. I would note that they haven't pulled their 3.5 material off of RPG Now.
CEO
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Company after company appear to be winding down popular and successful D20 Dungeons and Dragons lines. While there's always the urge to be up ahead with the current trends, do they really think that everyone's going to drop 3rd Edition D&D like a hot potato come the summer?
Even if 4th Edition D&D is as good as Wizards seem to think it will be, it's going to take time to percolate through the gaming community; while a lot of people remain ready to be convinced that the switch is worthwile at all.
Please, publishers, do not slam the door shut...
Paizo has a very full slate of 3.5 edition products scheduled up until GenCon that have been announced. We haven't been slowing down one bit as 4e approaches. So get your 3.5 fix here! :)
-Lisa
I think what you are seeing is the "time to market" pressure. Many in business believe that if you lag behind your competition you will lose market share. The ones that are switching over to 4E see 3E as a losing bet for the long haul. Given those two dynamics it seems inevitable that publishers are looking to switch sooner rather than later or risk becoming niche publishers.Company after company appear to be winding down popular and successful D20 Dungeons and Dragons lines. While there's always the urge to be up ahead with the current trends, do they really think that everyone's going to drop 3rd Edition D&D like a hot potato come the summer?
Even if 4th Edition D&D is as good as Wizards seem to think it will be, it's going to take time to percolate through the gaming community; while a lot of people remain ready to be convinced that the switch is worthwile at all.
Please, publishers, do not slam the door shut...
There have been very notable exeptions. GameMastery modules are relatively new (in 3E terms) but (imo) make up some of the best adventures in that system. I'd rank them right up there with Goodman Games' DCC line (better then, if your not into the 'retro' thing).
My apologies for the thread hijack, but I also appreciate the "plug". This looks like a quality effort and I will be checking it out.
Best.
-- Sales for 3E are WAY down (according to Morrus at EN-World), and pre-orders for 4th Edition on Amazon are WAY up. What does that say? Just 2 weeks ago I released Secrets of Pact Magic. Every reader's review has been glowing. But can I get people to buy? Even with an incentive discount on the 4E version? Not really. (Shameless plug: www.pactmagic.com).
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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Speaking as a tiny publisher, here are 5 reasons why I am shutting down 3.5 stuff, and I suspect these points apply to others as well.
-- Sales for 3E are WAY down (according to Morrus at EN-World), and pre-orders for 4th Edition on Amazon are WAY up. What does that say? Just 2 weeks ago I released Secrets of Pact Magic. Every reader's review has been glowing. But can I get people to buy? Even with an incentive discount on the 4E version? Not really. (Shameless plug: www.pactmagic.com).
Hurry up tax return. I'm 'gifting' myself some of it to gaming stuff, and a pact magic hardback is high on the list.
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Speaking as a tiny publisher, here are 5 reasons why I am shutting down 3.5 stuff, and I suspect these points apply to others as well.
I'll be purchasing your book within the next thirty days. As a tiny publisher, I can understand how the switch to 4th edition may seem important. There certainly is a problem with staying 3rd edition, and that is in contacting the customer base still loyal to that edition. Many of them are not on the message boards, and they won't go to places that are heavily in support of 4th edition. And the distribution costs of getting everything into local stores (where I like to do my browsing) is difficult.
But, I'm sure there is a market for the product. Best of luck with finding a sensible way to contact that segment and realize the sale.
Knights of the Dinner Table will be resurrecting their "Face Off" series in a future issue when they will focus on 4E and who is 'converting' and who is not (for that article).
Company after company appear to be winding down popular and successful D20 Dungeons and Dragons lines. While there's always the urge to be up ahead with the current trends, do they really think that everyone's going to drop 3rd Edition D&D like a hot potato come the summer?
Even if 4th Edition D&D is as good as Wizards seem to think it will be, it's going to take time to percolate through the gaming community; while a lot of people remain ready to be convinced that the switch is worthwile at all.
Please, publishers, do not slam the door shut...
Paizo has a very full slate of 3.5 edition products scheduled up until GenCon that have been announced. We haven't been slowing down one bit as 4e approaches. So get your 3.5 fix here! :)
-Lisa
And GameMastery is a great series of modules, too! =D
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There have been very notable exeptions. GameMastery modules are relatively new (in 3E terms) but (imo) make up some of the best adventures in that system. I'd rank them right up there with Goodman Games' DCC line (better then, if your not into the 'retro' thing).
Absolutely. The iPod was not the first MP3 player either. I so totally agree that time to market in not as real a problem as some companies believe it to be but many have deluded themselves into thinking they must move fast to stay alive.
-- Advertising and review options are abysmal (and abyssal too). Dragon was a major advertising option. Kobold Quarterly's circulation is still small and it's only quarterly. Companies have become protective to just get out their own stuff. Online sites haven't picked up the slack. Morrus on EN-World has been out to lunch about fixing the review system (broken since around the time 4E came out) and he has been slow (if not unresponsive) to post ads even when people have paid him. I've waited 5 weeks and still no ad. That leaves RPG-Net, which is now overburdened with ads (the chance that a visitor will see any specific add is small, since so many are in rotation).
Have you checked out Knights of the Dinner Table? They're pretty much the #1 RPG mag read by distributers, shop owners, and customers now that Dragon is gone. They're rates are reasonable given their readership and they even have a section for reviewing small press stuff.
Absolutely. The iPod was not the first MP3 player either. I so totally agree that time to market in not as real a problem as some companies believe it to be but many have deluded themselves into thinking they must move fast to stay alive.
There have been very notable exeptions. GameMastery modules are relatively new (in 3E terms) but (imo) make up some of the best adventures in that system. I'd rank them right up there with Goodman Games' DCC line (better then, if your not into the 'retro' thing).
Mongoose was a "late" entry into the 3E market. They didn't even start working on their first product until a year in. Now they're IIRC the industry's #3, below only to WW and WotC.
Not EVERYONE.
No, of course not everyone. Heck anyone willing to point their browsers over to Dragon's Foot would realise that there is a 1st Ed AD&D community still out there. (How big, dunno. But it seems to be thriving.)
What DudeMonkey should probably have said was "most everyone moves to it". It's still conjecture, but it's probably correct.
There will be hold-douts, for sure. It may be the biggest hold-out "community" that D&D ends up having. But I suspect most will still end up moving.
Greg
Sad + Sweet = ?
Bittersweet. Like a good dark chocolate. :)