Report To The Stakeholders

[TorgSmith]

I thought the Mars Attacks announcement was the second hardback.

[Ronnke]

right now, we cannot profitably bring the two new hardcovers to print. We are exploring options.

In relation to the new GURPS Hardcovers. This makes me very sad. I want the new Discworld book so much, I'd pay pretty much any amount for it. :(

[PK]

Originally Posted by TorgSmith

I thought the Mars Attacks announcement was the second hardback.

Yes, but in early 2015 (when that bit was written), it was still a secret.

[Rocket Man]

My money is waiting to claim both hardcovers, the minute it's safe for them to break cover. :)

[RogerBW]

Originally Posted by Owen Smith

I'm guessing the problem is printing costs, probably if they charge what it costs to print them (and make a profit) the sales will be adversely affected.

GURPS slipped out of the top 40 sellers by dollar value entirely, for the first time. A shame.

Though I suspect this mostly means "isn't growing as fast as the Empire of Munchkin" rather than "is disappearing". When I MIB at conventions I meet fewer people than in previous years who say "oh, GURPS, you need pages of calculations to build a boat, har har har" and more who say "hey, sure, I'd like to try it".

And a messenger bag is in the top forty products. Wow. I mean, it's a nice bag which is just the right size for my laptop, but…

[lachimba]

Originally Posted by RogerBW

When I MIB at conventions I meet fewer people than in previous years who say "oh, GURPS, you need pages of calculations to build a boat, har har har" and more who say "hey, sure, I'd like to try it".

Interesting. Sometimes you have to go backward before you go forward

[Polydamas]

Originally Posted by Turhan's Bey Company

It's here. Our new toy-collecting overlord files his first report.

Thanks. 34 of the 40 products with the highest sales value are Munchkin! Three are Zombie Dice. Ah well, I have not been gaming face-to-face for years now, and I only buy $10-20/year of GURPS products.

[Phil Masters]

Originally Posted by Ronnke

In relation to the new GURPS Hardcovers. This makes me very sad. I want the new Discworld book so much, I'd pay pretty much any amount for it.

You think you're eager to see it out?

Speaking as a mere author, I watch a bunch of other companies bringing big glossy (and frequently full-colour) RPG hardbacks to print without going broke, despite not having prestigious licenses attached to them, and must confess that I'm a little bemused by this issue. But then, I don't claim to understand the games business.

[Polydamas]

Originally Posted by Phil Masters

You think you're eager to see it out?

Speaking as a mere author, I watch a bunch of other companies bringing big glossy (and frequently full-colour) RPG hardbacks to print without going broke, despite not having prestigious licenses attached to them, and must confess that I'm a little bemused by this issue. But then, I don't claim to understand the games business.

Certainly, Charlie Stross' figures for novels suggest that the cost of printing and distributing should be a small fraction of the whole cost of going from concept to book. The unit cost might be higher, because SJG sells so few new paper books rather than launching many a year like a mid-sized publisher of fiction ... but that won't get better unless they start printing them again. But maybe SJG still has editorial work to do, and I don't want to become the latest person to discover that he knows how to fix industries in which he has never worked.

[Phil Masters]

I believe that other insiders' posts in other places have made it clear that Discworld 2e is fully laid out, the cover design is complete, and the whole lot has been approved by Terry's estate. Any hold up now is entirely at the print buying and marketing end of the chain.

(Production costs for printing RPGs are going to be higher than for novels, because we're talking large-format illustrated books. But like I said, my games shelves are bowing under the weight of proof that it's not impossible.)