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Old 10-27-2011, 08:50 PM   #33
Kromm
GURPS Line Editor
 
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
Default Re: Social Engineering

Quote:
Originally Posted by Langy View Post

I'd have thought you'd attribute those costs to the softback itself, and release the softback when sales figures show that a softback could pay for itself.
Sales figures for a PDF tell us bupkis about how well a book will sell in shops. The PDF and book markets aren't closely correlated. Something can sell like mad in PDF and then rot on shelves. We have to make sure that rot is accounted for in our planning.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Langy View Post

I suppose the model you actually use makes sense if you're a bit lacking in cash reserves
On a company-wide level, we have cash reserves. They are not, for the most part, allocated to gambling on GURPS books. So from a GURPS point of view, the cash reserves are close enough to zero that yes, our model makes sense. SJ Games mostly subscribes to the philosophy that each operating unit, product line, and individual product has to be independently profitable, if possible, with minimal slushing between them. It's a harsh model, but one that minimizes risk (yes, at the cost of earning less when a bet pays off).
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