I shared this news on another website (The Maptools Forums)..
Someone made this remark:
Warning: Forward information is speculation based on conversations with people involved in the book publishing industry, but are still WAGs...
That said, it's reasonable that it was probably 50,000-100,000 copies... it could have been more... the question is, is this the sell out including the if-we-don't-sell-x-amount-in-preorder-this-last-percentage-of-the-print-won 't-actually-run... If they do things that way, I'm betting it is...
I'm not exactly sure what he means, but I wanted to tell him it's a true blue sell out, in the sense that everybody bought all the copies.. but I guess before I open my mouth, I wanted to ask.
Is he wrong?
I'm not sure what he is saying, but since Paizo is going to have unsold copies at GenCon, it is not possible that every single issue at this point is already sold to a single customer.
Chief Technical Officer
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Awesome news. I just hope the servers don't crash on the 13th, so I can get my PDF!I'm waiting till the 14th for precisely that reason.
Bless you!
We'll probably have to take the boards down a bunch to keep the servers from igniting, so anybody who can wait a day or two for your PDF—please do!
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Chief Technical Officer
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I am also worried about Amazon. At the time of 4e's release, I pre-ordered the 4e core books but they were unable to sell them to me due to the first print run being sold out. Of course this ended up working for me because I got to read them first from a friend and had time to cancel the order :)
However I do not wish for such a thing to happen this time! Does the Paizo staff have any soothing words to calm my nerves right now ? Is there any possibility that Amazon won't have the product ?
I'm told that Amazon's orders were significantly higher than the number of preorders they had a couple of weeks ago. So my guess is that if you've already ordered from them, you're probably covered.
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Chief Technical Officer
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Congrats, I am glad you guys are getting more buisiness then you expected, that is always good. Hopefully sales remain high so that you guys can support the system for years to come. I think it bodes well for people who like the 3.5 system and want to continue using it. Obviously we are not alone if we sold out the first printing 2 weeks before release.
I am eagerly awaiting the release. Make sure you beef up your servers so they dont crash when the PDF is up for download :P.
The good news is that we're doubling our internet bandwidth when we move.
The bad news is that we're moving the week after the RPG comes out.
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Bless you!
We'll probably have to take the boards down a bunch to keep the servers from igniting, so anybody who can wait a day or two for your PDF—please do!
I've got an even better idea. Replace your entire website with a timer counting down to the release. Then, make sure you have insufficient resources to handle the traffic and have everything crash and be down for days and days.
That's the professional way to release a new edition!
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CEO
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I know someone already mentioned it - but this thread is getting post after post after post...
Any ideas on the number of typos/errata issues that will be addressed in the second printing? Will the pdf have these changes made?
I ask becuase if there are a reason amount I'm likely to keep the 1st printing for a "collectors" item and use the pdf until the 2nd printing becomes available
Oh and congrats to the Paizo team, pfRPG does credit to them all!
Regards,
S.
There are a small number of typos and small errors that will be fixed on the second printing. We are striving to make the changes to the PDF that will be available on the 13th. As we move along, there will undoubtedly be other changes and we will update the PDF on a regular basis and let people know when we do so they can download the updated PDF.
-Lisa
I've got an even better idea. Replace your entire website with a timer counting down to the release. Then, make sure you have insufficient resources to handle the traffic and have everything crash and be down for days and days.
That's the professional way to release a new edition!
It sure is! Heck it's drama, suspense, and good old frustration that drives the market! Especially with the young!
Bless you!
We'll probably have to take the boards down a bunch to keep the servers from igniting, so anybody who can wait a day or two for your PDF—please do!
I've got an even better idea. Replace your entire website with a timer counting down to the release. Then, make sure you have insufficient resources to handle the traffic and have everything crash and be down for days and days.
That's the professional way to release a new edition!
*sigh*
THAT'S why we gave you the pony avatar. Silly horsey.
Congratulations to the whole team!
You really deserve it!
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Chief Technical Officer
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I'm not exactly sure what he means, but I wanted to tell him it's a true blue sell out, in the sense that everybody bought all the copies.. but I guess before I open my mouth, I wanted to ask.
I'm not sure what he's saying either. But here's the deal: we printed a bunch of books.
Many of the books have been shipped to distributors. Of those, some unknown percentage (but assuredly significantly less than 100%) have been presold to retailers. Of those, some unknown percentage (but assuredly significantly less than 100%) have been presold to customers.
Some of the books are on their way to Gen Con for sale at our booth.
Some of them were reserved for paizo.com preorders and subscribers, and those are now almost all spoken for—I'd guess at the current rate that the button on our site will be switching to "backorder" within a day or two.
Then there's a handful of contributor copies, review copies, and a small quantity that we're holding back to replace lost/damaged shipments. By the time we finish shipping out preorders, those will be the only copies left in our warehouse.
That's what we mean by "sold out."
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Creative Director
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I'm not sure what he is saying, but since Paizo is going to have unsold copies at GenCon, it is not possible that every single issue at this point is already sold to a single customer.
What we mean in this case by "sold out" is that we need to go to a second printing because all of the first printing has been "claimed" by various distributors. Most of them heavily base their orders on the amount of preorders they get, applying various complex distributor math and formula to estimate how much bigger an order they're going to need based on that. Basically, there's 2 levels of "sold out."
1) Sold out to distribution: the publisher has no more copies to send out if what the distributors and stores have asked for turns out to not be enough.
2) Sold out to customers: The stores themselves have sold everything to customers. They then go to the distributors or publisher to get more copies so they can sell more, but if "sold out #1" condition above is in effect... then the ripple effect down to customers is that the books aren't availalbe.
For the purposes of "when the publisher needs to reprint a book," it's condition #1 above that matters, not #2.
It's largely a case of timing and semantics.
The point is... Pathfinder RPG has exceeded everyone's expectations and we need to order a reprint months and months ahead of when we thought we would. That's a good problem to have.
EDIT: HA! Or, what Vic said just before I posted.
There are a small number of typos and small errors that will be fixed on the second printing. We are striving to make the changes to the PDF that will be available on the 13th. As we move along, there will undoubtedly be other changes and we will update the PDF on a regular basis and let people know when we do so they can download the updated PDF.
-Lisa
Will you also be doing a discrete change-log/ Errata FAQ?
That would be more useful for people lugging the dead-tree version, printing out one (possibly 2x sided) page of updates to slip in the book itself, rather than trying to dissect exactly which sentences out of 576-odd pages have changed between the hardcover and the updated PDF ...Oh yeah...
Has the shipping of preorders/subscription copies started already? When do you think will you be done with everything? With just the international stuff.We should start shipping out orders today, which will include international customers. Basically, we are looking at how many days the US Postal Service says that it will take to ship to a certain area of the world and then shipping that many days before August 13th. Our goal is for everyone to get them on that day. The reality is that some people might get it a day or two early or a few days late based on the vagaries of shipping through the USPS and through overseas postal services. But we will make our best estimate and should be pretty spot on for most folks.
Remember that the PDF for the core rulebook won't be available for download until August 13th, even if your book ships earlier.
-Lisa
Gah I will have to wait I reckon, I folded the PFRPG CB order in with others 'cos it was so expensive shipping (45 cos of the weight) Still I will crank up my eReader and enjoy the PDF on time :)
So would now be a good time to talk about expanding and opening up a store on the east coast?
Or in NEW ZEALAND!?!?!
Is it full color all the way through?
Is Paizo taking a loss on it?
Was Mephistopheles involved at any point in the production process?
Literally LOL, man!
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Creative Director
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Will you also be doing a discrete change-log/ Errata FAQ?
That would be more useful for people lugging the dead-tree version, printing out one (possibly 2x sided) page of updates to slip in the book itself, rather than trying to dissect exactly which sentences out of 576-odd pages have changed between the hardcover and the updated PDF ...
There'll be something like this, yeah. it's not a BIG file; thankfully the errata seems to be pretty minor and easily digestible.
We didn't leave out all of the 7th level spells or forget to include magic rings, is what I'm saying. Whew!
The good news is that we're doubling our internet bandwidth when we move.
The bad news is that we're moving the week after the RPG comes out.
D'oh!!
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Creative Director
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I'm also curious as to whether or not the PDF is up-to-date in terms of errata.
That's the hope... it's not up to date RIGHT NOW, but we're hoping that by the time the PDF is available to the public next week it will be.
Is it full color all the way through?
Yes.
Is Paizo taking a loss on it?
No.
Was Mephistopheles involved at any point in the production process?
No comment.
I'm told that Amazon's orders were significantly higher than the number of preorders they had a couple of weeks ago. So my guess is that if you've already ordered from them, you're probably covered.
FWIW Vic, the big initial spike came around 7/11.
By the way, my guess is 80.5k!
By the way: the sequel,
Was Mephistopheles involved at any point in the production process?No comment.
It wasn't Mephistopheles...
...it was Asmodeus.
Vic and James,
I relayed your comments. Thanks for the explanation!
Dibs on gulf-coast!
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Back off buddy... I have a 12 lb sledgehammer and I'm not afraid to use it.So would now be a good time to talk about expanding and opening up a store on the east coast?I am totally available to head up the Paizo East office.
You can't open Paizo East in FLORIDA! Gotta be in the NYC metro area, so New Jersey it is.
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What we mean in this case by "sold out" is that we need to go to a second printing because all of the first printing has been "claimed" by various distributors.
Given the free beta test you can more than likely say that when customers get this "new RPG" they won't be saying "Oh dear, what did they do?! <sob>" when they actually read the finished product. Paizo's inclusion of the RPG community I am pleased to see has yielded results above expectation for them.
Paizo
Design = covered
Marketing = covered
Public responsiness = covered
Paizo deserved this "win" with pfRPG because they worked their butts off to do so.
I'll think of this as I'm spilling beer and chips over my very, very well used and loved copy of pfRPG in times to come.
Cheers guys,
S.
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I'll take the Midwest Office ...I'll bid myself and allenybard against you on that.
Yes, Columbus is a great city to start a Paizo branch. Low cost of living but with a high standard of living. Fairly good schools in the city (especially in Clintonville) with downright remarkable schools in some of the suburbs. Easy to get around, for the most part. Lots of big city benefits but the town itself is still small enough to manageable. Columbus is also a test market so we get all the cool stuff first.
Multiple international headquarters are stationed here as well. This means the CEOs of these companies regularly donate to cultural establishments like our art museum and symphony orchestra. And while they are far from the best artistic establishments, they are quite significant for a city of our size. Oh, and our arena was single-handedly built by Nationwide Insurance.
We have one of the largest universities in the country with a strong reputation in the fields of medical research. This means learning is highly prized in the area. We also have a ton of international students that provide fantastic diversity for a town in Ohio.
To north and south are fantastic theme parks with great coasters. We have a fantastic zoo. And there is plenty to do on the weekends.
While we are suffering from the economic downturn, Columbus was the only city in the region to continue growing during our last recession. We have a good tech sector and lots of room to spread out. And, while I know that Matt and I are likely on opposite sides of the political spectrum (based on our posts), we are a fairly open-minded city. In fact, I think we all get along pretty well despite political and philosophical differences. I think there is a good amount of respect in that regard, at least in the circles I run in. There is enough room for all of us.
Was that pitch good enough? :)
This is a win for gaming, and this is significant. For the past decade I've been concerned that the "only game in town" existed under an extremely large and uncaring corporate entity (even if I for a time worked for said entity). After rounds of nonsensical layoffs and corporate decisions that were misguided and just plain mean spirited, I was losing hope that this industry was ever going to re-balance itself and find some of what it enjoyed under TSR at its height. It was my desire to see the game shift to a company that was run by people who actually played RPGs and worried about the state of the game rather than treating it like it was just another one of many expendable brands. That is not to imply that RPGs are not a business and that the people who work in it do so out of pure altruism, but there is spot where good business decisions meet with good products, as well as the proper respect for the game, the people who originally brought it to life, and those who have worked on it ever since.
Last year everything changed when Paizo committed to a course of action that some decried as misguided, foolish, and destined to fail. "Who still wants to play third edition?" They asked. Paizo asked for the community involvement to tell them what we were looking for in our game, and for a year we told them. Today we are beginning to see the results of this gambit and they are good. We at last have a strong, viable RPG company that is committed to including the players and the fans. After watching them and their products, and after working with them on several Pathfinder AP pieces now, I can say that Paizo is exactly the company I've been hoping would come along and provide some much needed leadership.
Congrats Paizo! You've come a long way from the jettisoned "Periodicals Department" and I look forward to seeing what's next.
I am eagerly awaiting the release. Make sure you beef up your servers so they dont crash when the PDF is up for download :P.The good news is that we're doubling our internet bandwidth when we move.
The bad news is that we're moving the week after the RPG comes out.
No rest for the poor PostMonster General.
Let me put this as simple as possible.
Ohio sucks. tOSU sucks. The Blue Jackets suck. I needn't say more.
This is a win for gaming,
...Congrats Paizo! You've come a long way from the jettisoned "Periodicals Department" and I look forward to seeing what's next.
Couldn't have said it better.
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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Yes, Columbus is blah, blah, blah.I'll take the Midwest Office ...I'll bid myself and allenybard against you on that.
That's exactly what someone from Columbus would say. However, the fact is, that Chicago is the only and obvious choice for where Paizo Midwest will be, and I'm ready to work there, run it, or anything else I can do to help out.
Oh, and awesome news on the sell out, here's looking to the news of the 10th printing by 2011!
This is a win for gaming, and this is significant. For...
...the company I've been hoping would come along and provide some much needed leadership.
Congrats Paizo! You've come a long way from the jettisoned "Periodicals Department" and I look forward to seeing what's next.
Beautiful, Darrin. Beautiful. Second tear in my eye in a twenty-four hour period.
Here, here!
IT IS SHIPPING!!! ~Starts to hypervetalate and then falls over~ Ohhhhhhhh..... My head is spinning! ~groans~
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Let me put this as simple as possible.
Ohio sucks. tOSU sucks. The Blue Jackets suck. I needn't say more.
How nice for you. You wear bitterness so well. Did Columbus kick your dog? Where do you live again?
There are things I don't like about the city. But, overall, there are plenty of worse places to live. Like Toledo or Cleveland. <shudder>
And my interest in OSU has much more to do with academics than football. They have an awesome folklore studies program. Blue Jackets are barely a blip on my radar. Once it became apparent the team would likely never amount to much, I wasn't interested.
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Yes, Columbus is blah, blah, blah.I'll take the Midwest Office ...I'll bid myself and allenybard against you on that.That's exactly what someone from Columbus would say. However, the fact is, that Chicago is the only and obvious choice for where Paizo Midwest will be, and I'm ready to work there, run it, or anything else I can do to help out.
Oh, and awesome news on the sell out, here's looking to the news of the 10th printing by 2011!
Honestly, my true love is Seattle. I like Columbus, it is my hometown after all. But I would love to be in Seattle right now.
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I just found out the news this evening...
CONGRATULATIONS PAIZO!!!
I'm really impressed! I *knew* there was a strong interest in Pathfinder, but to see word that the first print run is sold out...
WOW!
I bet everyone has *big* smiles at the office over there, and we fans are smiling too. :^D
Jason, Erik, Lisa, et al, time to bow! :^)
-W
Nooo...curses! How am I ever going to get one?!