Re: [DL] Thoughts about the Epitaphs (For Shane, mostly)

[Janne Matti Oskari Vuorenmaa <jvuorenm@cc.hut.fi>]

First of all, thanks for the quick and thorough response.

On Fri, 15 Nov 2002 PEGShane@aol.com wrote:
> 'Fraid not. Here's why. Deadlands would basically be dead if I did.
> Individual sales on the lines just aren't strong enough right now to support
> each one. Merging them together to sell more of one book rather than less of
> 3 different books is the only way I can make a decent profit.

Have the two first epitaphs sold more than books for one line only, like
the Lone Stars or Weird North (the most recent, IIRC)? Or is this an
assumption?

> Is that because Deadlands is dying off? Absolutely not. We're doing better
> than most companies out there right now other than the top dogs and a few
> rare exceptions. Mike Webb of Alliance (the nation's largest distributor),
> for example, recently commented that sales on Lost Colony were very strong.

I believe, that the feeling of DL dying off will be increased if the lines
are merged, whether or not PEG is doing well.
Plus, new people interested in DL may be puzzled for this. They might
feel, that in ordoer to play DL, they need each of the lines, which might
put them off.

This is only speculation from what I've heard -- I have no expertise in
game marketing.
It would seem to a non-specialist, that a solid sourcebook once in a while
would do a lot in keeping all of the lines alive and well. Epitaphs may
not do the trick, because of the guys like me.

> Fortunately, the Epitaph does sell quite well, and now that I've upped the
> words per page and reduced the margins set by certain past graphic designers
> who are now at WOTC (!!), you'll get a lot more bang for your buck.
> If you still decide that's not good enough for you, no hard feelings here
> amigo! You've got to do what's best for you, and I'll do the same of course.

I'm glad to hear it's working out. Whether or not I will purchase the
books depends completely on the content, which I will be checking out
immediately when I'm able to sing my greasy pawns on the book.




---Hulkin' Finn