|
So I'm listening to Know Direction's podcast coverage of the "You are the Publisher" panel from PaizoCon, and in honor of that I thought I'd throw it out to the community here.
What product would YOU release to best counter next year's (???) upcoming release of WoTC's DnD Next system which will assuredly garner some hype just by the nature of what it is?
I know this community is not only tied in to Paizo, but also the industry in general, so I look forward to the amazing answers. It's something that I'm sure Paizo is taking seriously, and I'd LOVE to be a fly on the wall in those landing meetings!
| 8 people marked this as a favorite. |
I'm biased, but I wouldnt try to directly compete with a new, out-of-the-ordinary rulebook/expansion. (Though I'd still release the 'usual' hardcover RPG book).
I'd do something spiffy with Golarion (maybe another worldbook detailing a new continent? A hardcover planar expansion or something?).
Contrasting pathfinder's stability with the frequent rule changes in D&D would be the strategy I'd go for.
|
I like what paizo is putting out for the core rulebook beginning next year The Strategy Guide. I think that this is a good book as it has the potential to bring in new players and help others that don't know everything.
| 11 people marked this as a favorite. |
I would put a sale on the core rule book with a message that says something along the lines " Pathfinder RPG, a game that doesnt need to be rewritten every 3 years"
Work in some of Steve Geddes Ideas of material for Golarion.
If its Q3 can work the PFO Thornkeep book into it(get some publicity for PFO as well as Pathfinder) . Thornekeep after all is already in the works just how they market it i guess.
Anyway thats my 2 coopers for what they are worth.
A huge sales day.
I won't be able to buy the new book because sadly I have just bought ten hard copies of my favorite paizo books for the same price. Oh woe is me. :(
| 11 people marked this as a favorite. |
Paizo already did. It's called the Core Rule Book.
| 17 people marked this as a favorite. |
Yes yes. I'm talking about something to take on the hype. I love the Core book too. Let's not pretend that this new release will not be a huge thing in the industry.
Some fun suggestions so far.
From what I hear, the "Hype Train" for D&DNext is more like a handcart. But whatever.
The obvious answer is a Core Rulebook: Pinup Edition where all the iconics are in the pinup style. They are no longer fighting that dragon. They are posing in a swimsuit next to it. Clearly the only right answer to the question.
How about a contest where you get a customized miniature of your character included in the next Pathfinder Battles set?
Entries would have to include your character name and a description of your character so Paizo could weed out inappropriate ones. But hell yeah, I'd buy a book if it meant the chance to win that.
|
|
I love Pathfinder too, but I'll be quoting these posts later for crow eating potential, guys.
;)
Let's try this without the odd defensiveness now? Dungeons and Dragons is releasing a new edition. Let's not pretend that's not a huge deal for the industry. I grew to dislike 4E, but I'm not going to try and fool myself that D&D isn't still huge news.
I'm not saying this out of (conscious) bias, but I do think D&DNext is going to tank. Why? I haven't heard -anyone- talk about wanting it. Not my friends, not at the FLGS, not anywhere.
I'd be -happy- to be wrong, because I think what's good for D&D is good for the industry. But I don't think I am.
But it really isn't a huge deal. It could hypothetically become one, but so far I've seen no indication that lots of people really care.
Best thing Pathfinder could do is reminding people that it exists, so that people who want to start playing or pick it up again know that Pathfinder is an alternative option they might also like.
But at this point, any new books would have content aimed at old players, who I really don't see needing any convincing to keep playing Pathfinder in the future.
Right now Paizo has a significantly bigger market share than WotC. The guy who runs my local game store has told me that Pathfinder way outsells D&D right across the board.
D&D Next is WotC's attempt to win back some of the business it lost when they switched over to version 4. So yes, I am concerned a bit because if it is well done then some people will be drawn away from PF. However, I think Paizo has done a good job of building their name.
Most people are waiting to see what it will be like, but a lot of people do want to have a look.
I do think Paizo needs a strategy for this, but on the other hand even they may be waiting to see what D&D Next actually looks like.
Peet
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Pathfinder 1.5.
Take the same approach to Pathfinder that they took to 3.5
Overhaul without making the existing purchases obsolete.
It is time.
Concurrently with D&D:Next's release wouldn't be the time.
|
Concurrently with D&D:Next's release wouldn't be the time.Pathfinder 1.5.
Take the same approach to Pathfinder that they took to 3.5
Overhaul without making the existing purchases obsolete.
It is time.
I think if you put out that, it would be more successful than putting out the last 3 hardcovers that have come out against DND:Next.
And if you think about it, Pathfinder Alpha and Beta testing all of next year would parallel what they did when 4e came out.
Given the amount CoC just raised on kickstarter , Pathfinder Cthulhu. :-p
| 6 people marked this as a favorite. |
How about we have a look at D&D Next's actual, finished product before we starts waving flags and calling for blood?
We lost enough gamers to the last edition war.
Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing what DDN has to offer. I've caved in and play PF with my friends, but if DDN is a fun game, I'll certainly be playing it too.
Gen Con Next year, not next month. (Although there's a preview next month).
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
|
| 6 people marked this as a favorite. |
I'm not overly worried about DND 5e any more tham I am about FFG's Star Wars, Shadownrun 5e, or Call of Cthulu. *shrug* I don't play any of them.
I also don't have the experience of Lisa/Vic/Erik/etc.
I'd say keep on keeping on. Gamespace, PFO, PFS, Minis, etc.
If I would release anything it woudl be a 'best of' book taking a bunch of the best of the 3pp and putting it in a hardback. Maybe allowing some of it for PFS after that was done.
Slow and Steady wins the race, folks.
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I'd organise a world-wide month of online PFS play using Gamespace to start a couple of weeks before the release of Next. I'd stick all of the material needed to play PFS on deep discount. I'd have day-by-day reports of what was happening across Golarion in response to the reports coming back from sessions run and I'd have it work up towards a major event.
I'd drop some new, free PFS scenarios bundled with top-quality digital resources for use within Gamespace.
In essence, keep all of the eyes currently here, here, and try and get as many new eyes looking in this direction as possible.
I'd organise a world-wide month of online PFS play using Gamespace to start a couple of weeks before the release of Next. I'd stick all of the material needed to play PFS on deep discount. I'd have day-by-day reports of what was happening across Golarion in response to the reports coming back from sessions run and I'd have it work up towards a major event.
I'd drop some new, free PFS scenarios bundled with top-quality digital resources for use within Gamespace.
In essence, keep all of the eyes currently here, here, and try and get as many new eyes looking in this direction as possible.
Honestly? That would look incredibly insecure and desperate. Matthew Morris has the right of it; slow and steady, keep on keeping on.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I would put a sale on the core rule book with a message that says something along the lines " Pathfinder RPG, a game that doesnt need to be rewritten every 3 years"
I think that would be a bad idea, making Paizo seem petty and its not even accurate (I would certainly roll my eyes at it).
But putting a sale on the core book or free PDFs of the core rulebook and maybe the Inner Sea Guide would be a good idea.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Promotion of the Core Rulebook would probably do a lot more good than any new releases.
|
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
It would be good to have something ready to push PF to those new (and returning) eyes. Having PFS set up to get people playing right away and cheaply would be good. Lots of extra gaming sessions ready to go, to catch anyone who might be interested, but can't find a Next game right away.
Well this is more an effort by us (meaning PFS GMs and players) than Paizo, to spread the wealth.
One thing I think must be kept in mind is to be adults. If I'm running a table of 5 at Packrat on the day that Next releases, then it's not a matter of "Wow, no D&D next? Sucks to be you, come play Pathfinder!" more a matter of "Sorry you missed out on D&D Next, we've a table here, if you want to come join. Always happy for more players."
| 6 people marked this as a favorite. |
Am I crazy for thinking that the gaming world is entirely big enough to have a peaceful coexistence of both PF and DDN? Does it really have to be a "Paizo needs to come out with GUNS BLAZING" kind of thing?
If anything, DDN is the one that needs to pull out all the stops and make a big show on release. Paizo did their job. They picked up the fans that D&D dropped off.
3.5e died 5 years ago, I find it hard to believe there are really any holdovers who haven't either already tried PF, or made their decision to not play. There are always exceptions, but I find it hard to think there are that many people still on the fence. I play PF and I'm not even a fan; my 3.5 group all moved to PF, so it was either move with them, or give up gaming.
As for "trying to get new players," Paizo should already be doing that. No need to wait until DDN launches, to then make some kind of special effort. The effort should be constant.
I personally think it'd be a bigger, bolder move for Paizo to not release anything the month DDN comes out. Or if they do, let it be a "normal" release like whatever next module in an AP or something. D&D is the bigger brand name, and trying to p*ss all over it's parade when it does finally show up, is going to look trite and openly instigating.
I'm sorry, I'm a hopeful optimist, I'm just trying to avoid another edition war as much as possible, and that's all this is shaping up to be.
Am I crazy for thinking that the gaming world is entirely big enough to have a peaceful coexistence of both PF and DDN? Does it really have to be a "Paizo needs to come out with GUNS BLAZING" kind of thing?
If anything, DDN is the one that needs to pull out all the stops and make a big show on release. Paizo did their job. They picked up the fans that D&D dropped off.
3.5e died 5 years ago, I find it hard to believe there are really any holdovers who haven't either already tried PF, or made their decision to not play. There are always exceptions, but I find it hard to think there are that many people still on the fence. I play PF and I'm not even a fan; my 3.5 group all moved to PF, so it was either move with them, or give up gaming.
As for "trying to get new players," Paizo should already be doing that. No need to wait until DDN launches, to then make some kind of special effort. The effort should be constant.
I personally think it'd be a bigger, bolder move for Paizo to not release anything the month DDN comes out. Or if they do, let it be a "normal" release like whatever next module in an AP or something. D&D is the bigger brand name, and trying to p*ss all over it's parade when it does finally show up, is going to look trite and openly instigating.
I'm sorry, I'm a hopeful optimist, I'm just trying to avoid another edition war as much as possible, and that's all this is shaping up to be.
Of course there is competition but it's a misconception that Paizo wants D&D to fail. Has ever wanted D&D to fail. D&D failing is terrible for the hobby, which is bad for everyone, Paizo included.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Pathfinder should likely keep doing what it is doing. DDN appears to be an effort by WotC to gain back share from Paizo by going back to its roots (to a certain extent). Whether that will be successful or not depends on the majority playstayle.
I'm on the list for the play test but I only just skim some of the documents they are sending. I can appreciate the system they are working with and personally feel that the power level of Pathfinder is above what I'm comfortable running. So I am very interested in how DDN progresses between now and next year.
Having said that, I love Golarion and would likely keep my campaigns in it. It's a very diverse fantasy world.
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
I wish I could see what you guys are seeing. The setting is one of the big detractors for me; just feels like it's trying to cram too much into one setting. Just not interesting to me at all.
Different strokes, different folks, etc.
Products I'd like to see:
Anything that adds more detail to areas we know little about.
Or An adventure that expands into the 15+ levels (preferably with a way to shorten some of the martial/high level magic gap, but not required).
3.5e died 5 years ago, I find it hard to believe there are really any holdovers who haven't either already tried PF, or made their decision to not play.Oddly enough, that's what happened with our group. We didn't give up gaming, we just gave up fantasy gaming. 4th Edition didn't appeal to us, and Pathfinder looked cool but expensive. So we switched over to Scion, Mutants & Masterminds, and 7th Sea (books we already owned).
We only picked up Pathfinder and got back into fantasy a few months ago.
Which is why I also said "there are exceptions." I wasn't trying to pin down the entirety of every gamer in all of gaming.
There are some things that I would like to see come out, Maybe a new setting or an update of an old one. Planescape or Ravenloft anyone? I enjoyed the different universes of 3.0/3.5. Or a new one, Eberron was my setting of choice whenever I GMed(In fact I still use it but well after the "current" time in the book). I don't think/know for sure Paizo can reprint any of these but it would be fun.
|
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Might I add something to avoid any potential edition wars?
I believe the thread isn't the mechanics of either system. It is the marketing of the system.
Next has (potentially*) a huge budget and merchandizing behemoth behind it, from standard ads to subtle marketing by product placement (Imagine the kids (and Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Smokescreen) playing D&D in TRansformers Prime, or the My Little Ponies playing). Heck, even before the split, D&D showed up in such diverse places as Eureka and Terminator.
If I understand the original poster's intent the idea is how can Paizo counter this market blitz? I still feel they shouldn't, rather let the rising tide lift all boats. But it's not about 'this mechanic sucks, that mechanic rocks'.
WotC isn't Paizo's enemy, and vice versa.
*
There are some things that I would like to see come out, Maybe a new setting or an update of an old one. Planescape or Ravenloft anyone? I enjoyed the different universes of 3.0/3.5. Or a new one, Eberron was my setting of choice whenever I GMed(In fact I still use it but well after the "current" time in the book). I don't think/know for sure Paizo can reprint any of these but it would be fun.
The settings are going to be a potentially big thing that'll bring me back. They were supposed to make some 4e Ravenloft books, but canceled them. Heck, I would've gave 4e a real go had they come out, just to see how it would've played. An updated Krynn might be nice to visit also.
After spending the past 4 years in a setting I wasn't big on in the first place, I'll be raring to get back to somewhere familiar, so long as they don't nuke it from orbit like the Realms.