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So for the past year or so, I've been working on and off on compiling a history of Paizo from documentary evidence. The basic reason for this is that I have half a mind to eventually go back to grad school for an MLIS or history degree, but that's just a thought. I finally finished the first draft today and, while it's still pretty rough, the information is all there, and I figured someone here might find it interesting. It's long, though. Probably the longest single thing I've ever written.
Feedback is dearly appreciated. I have it set up so anyone can comment. I do know that I need to better integrate the paper's central metaphor into the body of the text. I came up with the title and metaphor somewhere around page 13 and didn't go back to edit. I was also pretty lazy on the citations of most Paizo published works because I didn't have most of the materials in front of me. The product codes are therefore a stand-in for what will eventually be a full citation.
Thanks,
Cade Herrig
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I can only do limited fact checking, but looks promising so far. Would be good to add actual citations as soon as possible.
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Long read, but very interesting. Funny how much of it I remember.
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Long read, but very interesting. Funny how much of it I remember.
I had the same experience as I was going through. (Both parts. I think I took about 20 hours to write this.)
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I had never played or really heard of roleplaying games, when I saw a green devil face in a magazine shop in 2004 when I was 16. I bought Dungeon#116 and was so entranced that I convinced my Mother to drive me 4 hours to the only game shop I could find out about so I could buy the 3.5 edition D&D player's handbook for Christmas. There was almost certainly gaming communities somewhere in Ireland at the time, but not that my farming village experience had ever put me in touch with.
This history reminds me of how many (older, American) people's origin story is with D&D in childhood, but my formative rpg experience was with Paizo, and it's art and adventures. How they captured my imagination, shaped how I would come to experience gaming and largely still do.
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That's the motivation I have behind trying to chronicle Paizo. So many of us currently involved in the hobby wouldn't be without Pathfinder. Paizo's particularly vital choice to release their rules set under the OGL (and the Compatibility Licenses) was so important to keeping the hobby moving during the early 2010s,and it allowed people like you and I who did not live in big towns or near gaming stores to keep experiencing the hobby. My first books might have been from Wizards, but my first games were with Paizo because of the online community. It's a story worth keeping track of.
Beyond that, "Explore, Report, Cooperate" is only worth something if someone is keeping the archives back at base.
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Good to have some free historical Redmondy-golem stuff out there. ;)
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Thank you for doing this!
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Big thank you to everyone who's commented so far, either on the actual paper or to me personally. I've done a few editing passes and have integrated the suggestions received. Getting to be much happier with the result, though there are still a few spots that need some work.
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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Paizo also announced its new organized play campaign, Pathfinder Society, headed up by veteran Nicholas Logue, who had co-founded the Wizards’ Living Grayhawk organized play campaign during his tenure at that company.
A couple of quick notes and corrections.
It's "Lucasfilm," not "Lucasfilms."
It's "Greyhawk," not "Grayhawk."
When you mention Kyle Hunter as an original employee you are correct, but from what you wrote I inferred that he had been with the company all along, which is not the case. He was the art director for Undefeated, and left the staff during that round of layoffs, only to return last year. If you want an interesting Kyle Hunter fact, he's the guy who designed the Paizo logo.
Also, this line:
"Paizo also announced its new organized play campaign, Pathfinder Society, headed up by veteran Nicholas Logue, who had co-founded the Wizards’ Living Grayhawk organized play campaign during his tenure at that company."
Is not correct. Lisa and I were co-founders of Living Greyhawk. Nick was not involved with that campaign's launch or administration, and I don't know off hand if he ever participated in it at all.
More as I keep reading through this. Overall it is very remarkable!
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I had never played or really heard of roleplaying games, when I saw a green devil face in a magazine shop in 2004 when I was 16.Fun fact. That Green Devil Face sculpture is currently in my closet. ;)
Wow! That Green Devil Face is, no exaggeration, a huge part of my personal mythology. So very cool that someone who is a part of that still has it.
Thanks for sharing!
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Paizo also announced its new organized play campaign, Pathfinder Society, headed up by veteran Nicholas Logue, who had co-founded the Wizards’ Living Grayhawk organized play campaign during his tenure at that company.A couple of quick notes and corrections.
It's "Lucasfilm," not "Lucasfilms."
It's "Greyhawk," not "Grayhawk."
When you mention Kyle Hunter as an original employee you are correct, but from what you wrote I inferred that he had been with the company all along, which is not the case. He was the art director for Undefeated, and left the staff during that round of layoffs, only to return last year. If you want an interesting Kyle Hunter fact, he's the guy who designed the Paizo logo.
Also, this line:
"Paizo also announced its new organized play campaign, Pathfinder Society, headed up by veteran Nicholas Logue, who had co-founded the Wizards’ Living Grayhawk organized play campaign during his tenure at that company."
Is not correct. Lisa and I were co-founders of Living Greyhawk. Nick was not involved with that campaign's launch or administration, and I don't know off hand if he ever participated in it at all.
More as I keep reading through this. Overall it is very remarkable!
Re: Greyhawk & Lucasfilm: fixed!
Re: Kyle Hunter. I have his multi-year disappearance noted in a footnote, but I'll more clearly note it in the body of the text
Logue: I actually got that from you! In the press release I cite (which is here), I read it as you describing Logue as "co-founder during his tenure at Wizards of the Coast of Living Greyhawk". I realize now that I read that quote wrong, and in fact it was describing yourself, so I appreciate the correction!
Very excited that you're reading through. I had actually planned on sending it to you once I was completely happy with it in case Paizo had any use for it (or a shortened version) to give to new employees, but this works fine as well.
Malaise-Inducement Construct
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Needs more Cosmo.
Edit to add:
Here is a good source of absolutely true and completely cannon Cosmo content.
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Fun read!
As a history major, I appreciate you taking the time to read through all the source material and distill it down into one document. Even more interesting to see the company from an independent, not staff, perspective.
Praise from fellow history majors is the best kind of praise when it comes to this sort of thing. Thank you for that, and thank you for the feedback you left on the paper proper!
Needs more Cosmo.
As the 10th most senior Paizo employee, I can't disagree, there just isn't much in the sources available to me to tell the full tale of Cosmo Eisele. Given what you linked, I assume I have Cosmo to blame for this.
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Main reason I'm excited for this: People will be able to cite it for editing wikipedia entries for staff. Looking at you Jason Bulmahn!
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Main reason I'm excited for this: People will be able to cite it for editing wikipedia entries for staff. Looking at you Jason Bulmahn!
I wouldn't necessarily cite this on the Wikipedia being that it's unpublished. Rather, if there's something in the paper you'd like to put on the Wikipedia, look at the sources the paper uses and cite those. Alternatively, feel free to PM me and I can dig up something to use as a citation for some fact you wanted to verify X.
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Main reason I'm excited for this: People will be able to cite it for editing wikipedia entries for staff. Looking at you Jason Bulmahn!I wouldn't necessarily cite this on the Wikipedia being that it's unpublished. Rather, if there's something in the paper you'd like to put on the Wikipedia, look at the sources the paper uses and cite those. Alternatively, feel free to PM me and I can dig up something to use as a citation for some fact you wanted to verify X.
I assumed you'd have it published somewhere!
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I assumed you'd have it published somewhere!Main reason I'm excited for this: People will be able to cite it for editing wikipedia entries for staff. Looking at you Jason Bulmahn!I wouldn't necessarily cite this on the Wikipedia being that it's unpublished. Rather, if there's something in the paper you'd like to put on the Wikipedia, look at the sources the paper uses and cite those. Alternatively, feel free to PM me and I can dig up something to use as a citation for some fact you wanted to verify X.
Hey, if I can find an academic journal that'll put out a 40 page essay on a gaming company with me having no other notable qualifications or previously published works, I'll do it.
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Excellent article! Tons of info, very fun to compare my personal 3.x-D&D-PF-PFACG timeline with the official timeline!
Only thing I might add is you didn't mention the other two large and successful computer video games: Pathfinder Kingmaker and the just about to be released follow up Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous. Both based on the APs of the same name, publisher/developer is Owlcat Games. PF:KM has been very successful, and WOTR seems on the same trajectory of success.
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Excellent article! Tons of info, very fun to compare my personal 3.x-D&D-PF-PFACG timeline with the official timeline!
Only thing I might add is you didn't mention the other two large and successful computer video games: Pathfinder Kingmaker and the just about to be released follow up Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous. Both based on the APs of the same name, publisher/developer is Owlcat Games. PF:KM has been very successful, and WOTR seems on the same trajectory of success.
The two things I need to add are definitely the Owlcat Games partnership, but also the Organized Play Foundation (Paizo's nonprofit arm kinda). I've been trying to dig up some information on the OPF before I get into writing another couple of paragraphs, but your suggestion will be included!
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This is a really nice essay. I am thrilled to see the use of footnotes which is the only way a scholarly paper should be presented with.
I would not give Roll20's Orr Report much value. Its validity is in question as its methodology is very questionable to say the least. I'm not that thrilled by ICv2's methodology either. It is ignoring the digital sales which I feel are worth a great deal more than many think to Paizo in particular.
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This is a really nice essay. I am thrilled to see the use of footnotes which is the only way a scholarly paper should be presented with.
I would not give Roll20's Orr Report much value. Its validity is in question as its methodology is very questionable to say the least. I'm not that thrilled by ICv2's methodology either. It is ignoring the digital sales which I feel are worth a great deal more than many think to Paizo in particular.
I agree completely about both the Orr Report and ICv2, but unless William Jorenby wants to send me an excel file of Paizo's books, it's about the best I've got to work with.
Paizo's direct sales through subscriptions also have to be absolutely enormous.