[DL] Re: Combined Format $$$$$$$$$$

["Ronnie Gustaveson" <gus_bus@hotmail.com>]

Major Snippage: so if you're Thin-Skinned DON'T READ THIS:


Okay Folks,

Reality Check: The average RPG today sells about 1,200 copies of it's Main 
Rulebook.  That's right "1,200," and that's just the Main Rulebook  There is 
probably more people that go (or went,) to your high school than buy new 
RPGs nowadays.  Deadlands was one of those rare exceptions, mainly because 
it was a fresh idea with original mechanics, but we all know PEG isn't doing 
anywhere near the business they need to be doing.

There's a lot of reasons for this, but the main one is PC's offerings of 
On-line gaming and interesting (if somewhat shallow,) computer RPGs.   It's 
a lot easier to go play Ulimata-online than trying to round up a posse o' 
friends, and it doesn't require tons of source books and hours of prep.  In 
my opinion, it ain't anywhere near as much fun either, but you know the old 
saying "Money talks and BS walks."  Well Online gaming is notably cheaper 
and convenient, therefore it's going to continue to take away from the 
traditional RPG buying pool.  And experts predict that, as the web and PC 
technologies gets better, the situation for traditional RPG's is only gonna 
get worse.  Sure they'll always be Hardcore gamers (myself included,) that 
won't allow the industry to die entirely, but you can't build a business 
around a shrinking minority.  The Golden Age of Roleplaying Games has come 
and gone.

That said, PEG has the right to survive.   I love PEG, I love their games, I 
love their originality, and I love the way they really try to keep us, the 
customers, happy.  They really listen to us, and those of you who have 
played, or continue to play, games from other companies know just how unique 
that is.

Now they got a new idea that's gonna save them a lot time, money and 
possibly pull they're book sells out of the toilet; the terrifying 
"Cross-Pollinated" Source Books.  And with one or two exceptions (thank you 
Dirk,) all 90% of you could talk about was how you were jumpin' the PEG ship 
because you weren't getting exactly what you wanted.

SHAME ON YOU!  I mean it, SHAME ON YOU!

You haven't even seen the new format yet and you're already writing it off 
as a failure.
If folks like that had been flyin' Kitty Hawk we woulda never left the 
ground.  Look, all I'm saying is don't jump off the plane before we leave 
the run way.  Buy one or two of the new books.  Don't judge it by it the 
cover,  Buy it!  If ya don't like it, fine, don't buy anymore.  But if ya do 
like it, who knows, ya might just start going along with one of the other 
game lines, and if enough of ya do that, you might guarantee that PEG will 
be around for our kids to play.
Or don't.  Go ahead, keep whining and give up on PEG all together.  Enough 
of ya do that, and I guarantee that in another year or two, you won't have 
anything left to complain about.

Don't say I didn't warn you,
-Gus
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